Any one who has visited the American Museum of Natural History is familiar with the lush surroundings that span from 77th street to 81st street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. In the past, the area known as Theodore Roosevelt Park was closed to visitors but it was just reported that the area will soon open to the public.
This summer, as part of the Parks Without Borders initiative, the lawns surrounding the museum will be open to visitors. From Memorial Day to September 30, New Yorkers and tourists can enjoy the space that has been previously closed to the public for many years.
While this is great news for families who will be visiting the museum and the surrounding area, there are several caveats. “The lawns will have two entrances each and operate from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., five days a week. Two of the seven days a week, they will be closed and rested. If it rains, they will be closed to allow them to dry out. They will also be aerated and re-seeded every month, for four days. And, they will be designated ‘passive areas.’ The idea is for people to go there, relax, lie on the grass, enjoy them, but they will not be for any kind of sports or pets,” said William Castro, Parks Department Manhattan Borough Commissioner, to reporters.
While you will have to keep your activity “passive,” this will be a great place for moms with new babies to relax outdoors without the noise of a playground. This is just what Parks Without Borders is working toward. The initiative is aiming to make parks, “more open, welcoming, and beautiful by improving entrances, edges, and park-adjacent spaces. We’ll make entrances easier to find, the edges of our parks greener, add furnishing, programming, and amenities, and improve sight lines to make our parks safer,” states the website.
Also, it is reported that several uniformed security officers will be on site at all times for an added level of safety.
Main image via West Side Rag
RELATED:
