Park Avenue Tulips !
Walking with a colleague to preview a classic six cooperative apartment on the Upper East Side that had just come on the market…as we crossed Park Avenue,I stopped to snap a shot of one of my favorite signs of spring (although today it feels as if we jumped right into summer! ) in New York City. The tulips at the medians on Park Avenue.
Did you know that while Park Avenue is home to some of the most prestigious addresses in Manhattan- that before the 1900s steam trains were run up and down the avenue . Going from steam to electric eventually lead to the tracks being moved underground (they emerge now at around 97th Street and Park Avenue) , the center medians (colloquially called malls) were created above them.
In the 50s various flowers and trees were planted along some malls by private citizens. Later the Parks Department took over on going planting and maintenance. In 1970 a landscape architect redesigned , but by 1980 they were in disrepair. Some buildings in Carnegie Hill decided to work together to pay for annual planting and maintenance of the malls. This was eventually expanded below 86th and continues today.
The Fund for Park Avenue is the organization behind the annual tree lighting as well as the planting of the malls.
So next time you stop at a median – and see the tulips you know who is responsible (and until the end of May – you can also see Will Ryman’s The Roses if you are walking or driving along between 57th and 67th Streets ! )
…don’t miss the market blooming !