Grand Central Parkway

Union Tp., Park Drive East to Nassau County Line

Queens, 11004, 11005, 11362, 11364, 11367, 11423, 11426, 1

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

The plan for New York City’s original parkway system was conceived by distinguished landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903). Olmsted is best known for his work with Calvert Vaux (1824-1895); the two designed both Central Park (1858-76) and Prospect Park (1865-95), as well as Riverside (1875-1900) and Morningside Parks (1883-95). During the second half of the 19th century, Olmsted emerged as the nation’s foremost advocate of public parks situated in urban locales. The designer keenly recognized the ill effects of overcrowding in America’s cities. He attributed poor health, unsanitary conditions, and crime to the smothering effect of urban landscapes. Olmsted sought to improve the quality of urban life through the proliferation of parks, which he hoped would provide a soothing and therapeutic effect.