Maria Walks: Fort Tryon Park
Have you been?
New York City is home to some of the most vibrant and bustling parks. Greenery is a reprieve from the often cold, stark city blocks that we’re permanently attached to as urban dwellers. Human nature ushers us to seek peace and calm, surrounded by the lush, tranquil environment parks provide us. Whether on a brisk jog through Central Park or climbing the large ‘mountainous’ terrain of Fort Tryon, we’re afforded pieces of paradise that are not longer than a train ride, of if we’re lucky enough, just a walk away.
Fort Tryon Park
In the midst of a multi-cultural region of New York City — Washington Heights/Inwood — exists a public park with the most serene gardens and commanding views: Fort Tryon Park. Originally created by philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr., the park was designated a New York City Scenic Landmark in 1983. Together the park and The Cloisters — located in Fort Tryon Park and home to an extensive collection of medieval European art — find a place on the National Register of Historic Places (1978). They serve as reminders of Manhattan’s unparalleled beauty and diversity, a vision that is often lost during a hectic commute or unpleasant walk through the city’s most dense regions.
This video explores a small section of Fort Tryon Park — a ‘hidden gem’ and getaway for Upper Manhattan residents. Its quintessential nooks have for generations been the prime location for young star-crossed lovers, whose traditional Eastern European parents forbade ‘dating before marriage.’ The Park served as a place to get lost in thought, to read, to write, to talk about the past, and exchange hopes for the future. It has meant so much for so many — and perhaps, most importantly for me, it served as a little piece of home for my Greek immigrant grandparents, who were grateful to build a new life in America, yet never lost their pride and unyielding connection to the country that gave them life. Fort Tryon Park for so many exists outside the touch of time.
