Beautifying Manhattan's Riverfront 



Where tunnel- 

 ing is impossi- 

 ble, covered sub- 

 way s will be 

 provided. Paths 

 will lead from 

 the park proper 

 across the sub- 

 way to the river 



View just north 

 of Grant's 

 Tomb, showing 

 the proposed 

 method of cov- 

 ering unsightly 

 tracks and do- 

 ing away with 

 smoke and noise 



THE one blot on the beauty of River- 

 side Drive in New York city has 

 been the tracks of tiie New York 

 Central, riinninji; along the west side of 

 Maniiatlan Island. I'"or years vigorous 

 protests have been raised against the nui- 

 sance, one newspajier referring to the rail- 

 road's right-of-way as "Death Avenue." 

 Recently, however, the city and railroad 

 authorities came to an amicable under- 

 standing, with the result that Ri\erside 

 Park is to be forever freed of visible rail- 

 road tracks. The tracks are to be carried 

 in tunnel or imder roofed subway, with 

 the park development o\-er the to() and 

 on the oulshore side. This will mean 



permanent protection against the com- 

 mercialism of the Riverside waterfront. 

 In the park and residential section, or 

 above Seventy-second street, the tracks 

 will be put under ground, and in the com- 

 mercial section, below Fifty-ninth street, 

 the>- will be ])laced on an ele\ated 

 structure. This change will permanently 

 o\ercome the grade-crossing evil and 

 the city will have a parkway extending 

 from Se\enty-second street to Spuj ten 

 Duy\il, unmarred by railroad operation. 

 In addition to this a new park at Inwocxl 

 llill, possessing natural beauties unsur- 

 ])assed by any of the existing city p.irks, 

 is pro\ided. I'ort Washington Park, at 



86 



