Editing Fort Tryon Park (section)

== Design ==
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| image1 = 2014 Fort Tryon Park tour walkway.jpg
| caption1 = A walkway in Fort Tryon Park
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| caption2 = A water fountain, designed by the Olmsted Brothers
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| caption3 = The built-in benches, part of Olmsted's original design
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Olmsted Brothers created a plan that adapted the area's steep topography into a landscaped park. According to their original 1927 design, Fort Tryon Park was to be a "landscape park occupying a site of extraordinary landscape interest", devoted mostly to "passive recreation" except for a playground at its northern edge.<ref name="NYCL p. 8" /><ref name="Report 1927">{{Cite report|title=Preliminary Report for Fort Tryon Park|last=Olmsted|first=Frederick L. Jr. |date=1927|issue=B42|volume=Olmsted Associates Papers}}</ref> Fort Tryon Park's landscape also served as the backdrop for the Cloisters, intended as the "culminating point of interest in the architectural design of the park."<ref name="NYCL p. 8" /><ref name="NPS p. 9" /><ref name="NYTimes-Offer-1930" /> The natural topography was largely preserved, with the park being designed around the terrain.<ref name="NPS p. 3">{{harvnb|National Park Service|1978|ps=.|p=3}}</ref> Olmsted Jr. believed that the park should use a variety of landscapes:

<blockquote>Each unit in this intricate series of places should offer a picture of as great perfection as can be contrived, using the same great distant views over the Hudson and over the City  gain and again but framing them differently, presenting them with constantly differing types of foreground, some intricate and intimate, some grandiose and simple, some richly architectural or gardenesque, some picturesquely naturalistic; and, by way of contrast, some presenting wholly self-contained scenes.<ref name="NYCL p. 8" /><ref name="Report 1927" /></blockquote>

In a continuation of his father's design philosophy, Olmsted Jr. included passive recreation features such as numerous tiers of paths; a combination of natural and manmade slopes; and the addition of plantings and rock forms to supplement existing features of the park site. The few small flat areas were converted to lawns with trees on their perimeters. Stone retaining walls were placed along slopes to prevent visitors on the paths from falling off the cliffs.<ref name="NYCL p. 8" /> The park also included curved drives and pathways for vehicles and pedestrians, as well as segregated vehicle and pedestrian uses.  Other design features in Fort Tryon Park included the use of arches; segregation of passive and active recreational activities; the diversity and precise arrangement of plantings; the variety of different landscape designs; and the blend of naturalistic and architectural features. Similar design principles were also included in [[Morningside Park (Manhattan)|Morningside Park]] and in [[The Ramble and Lake|the Ramble]] at [[Central Park]], both designed by Olmsted's father upon steep terrain.<ref name="NPS p. 3" /><ref name="NYCL p. 9">{{harvnb|Shockley|Baugher|1983|ps=.|p=9}}</ref>

In contrast to previous parks created by Olmsted Jr. and his father, Fort Tryon Park emphasized architecture and was more accommodating to vehicles. The park's retaining walls were more prominent than in previous parks, and the Cloisters was the most prominent feature of the park. Further, Fort Tryon Park contained parking lots and vehicle overlooks, in contrast to other parks that discouraged vehicle use. Other deviations from past designs included the emphasis of Heather Garden, a gardenesque feature, as well as the formally-designed children's playground at the northeast corner.<ref name="NYCL p. 9" /> The design includes numerous architectural features including Corbin Circle and Linden Terrace.<ref name="NPS p. 3" />

=== Circulation ===
[[File:2015 Fort Tryon Park Margaret Corbin Drive Arch 2.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|alt=Stone archway under Margaret Corbin Drive, which connects to the northbound Henry Hudson Parkway|The archway under Margaret Corbin Drive, which connects to the northbound [[Henry Hudson Parkway]]]]

Fort Tryon Park contains numerous roads that can accommodate light traffic volumes. The primary road, named [[Margaret Corbin]] Drive, carries traffic from the park's southern entrance at [[#Corbin Circle|Corbin Circle]] to a roadway that loops around the Cloisters.<ref name="NYCL p. 9" /> Formally designated in 1977,<ref name=":0" /><ref name="NYDN-Corbin-1978" /><ref name="NYCL p. 13" /> the name commemorates the [[Continental Army]] soldier in the American Revolutionary War who was wounded in the Battle of Fort Washington.<ref name="NYCL p. 2" /><ref name="NYC Parks Bennett" /><ref name="Torrey p. 15" /> A secondary roadway named Fort Tryon Place carries traffic to and from the northbound lanes of [[Henry Hudson Parkway]], at the bottom of the cliff to the west. Corbin Drive passes above Fort Tryon Place via a pair of masonry arches: one large arch at a [[rock cut]] that carries both directions of Corbin Drive above both directions of Fort Tryon Place, and a smaller arch that carries northbound Corbin Drive over the westbound Fort Tryon Place. The drive contains numerous small parking lots.<ref name="NYCL p. 9" />

The north–south [[Fort Washington Avenue]] ends at Corbin Circle, though it once extended north through the park. Another street, Abbey Hill Road, once connected Margaret Corbin Drive with Broadway, though it no longer exists on maps. The north–south Overlook Terrace, on the south side of the park, was authorized to be extended to Corbin Circle, though that section was not built.<ref>{{harvnb|Husband|2008|p=23|ps=.}}</ref>

An {{Convert|8|mi|km|abbr=|adj=on}}-long network of pedestrian pathways is also located within the park.<ref name="NPS p. 3" /> Along the edges of some paths, there are rows of stone that have been cut and placed to produce naturalistic effects. Tunnels carry the paths under the drives at two locations: at Fort Tryon Place and near the concession building. Another bridge carries a path over Fort Tryon Place.<ref name="NYCL p. 9" /> Ramps and stairways connect the park to [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] and [[Riverside Drive (Manhattan)|Riverside Drive]], respectively located at the bottom of the cliff to the east and north.<ref name="NPS p. 3" /> A formal promenade, containing seating areas and elm trees, runs north from Corbin Circle to [[#Linden Terrace|Linden Terrace]].<ref name="NYCL p. 10" />

=== Plantings ===
[[File:2014 Fort Tryon Park Heather Garden.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|alt=The Heather Garden, with plants in numerous varieties and colors|The Heather Garden contains perennials, shrubs, and trees, as well as plantings representing each season]]
The park site was originally planted with numerous trees, both native and imported. Olmsted Brothers transported 180 fully grown "mature trees" and planted more than 1,600 floral species to make the park appear like a [[botanical garden]].<ref name="NYCL p. 9" /> The various sections of Fort Tryon Park were planted with [[herbaceous plant]]s, [[shrub]]s, and [[tree]]s representing different seasons. There were also numerous small lawns including the Children's Play Lawn and the Picnic Grounds, as well as formal planted areas such as Corbin Circle, the promenade, the terrace, and the playground. The Heather and Alpine Gardens were distinctly designed with a large variety of plantings.<ref name="NYCL p. 10" /> Though it is illegal to forage for plants inside Fort Tryon Park, or at any other public park within the city, relatively few summons are written for such violations within the park.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/17/nyregion/thecity/where-the-fruits-of-autumn-might-include-a-summons.html|title=Where the Fruits of Autumn Might Include a Summons|last=Bleyer|first=Jennifer|date=September 17, 2006|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 29, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929160415/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/17/nyregion/thecity/where-the-fruits-of-autumn-might-include-a-summons.html|archive-date=September 29, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Heather Garden, located in a ridge west of Corbin Drive and the promenade, is described by NYC Parks as "the largest public garden with unrestricted access in New York City",<ref name="Fort Tryon Park News 2014">{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park/dailyplant/23205|title=The Gardens Of Fort Tryon Park|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|date=July 31, 2014|access-date=September 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925143552/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park/dailyplant/23205|archive-date=September 25, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> with an area of {{Convert|3|acre||abbr=}}.<ref name="Martin 1998" /> It was planned by the Olmsted Brothers as a gardenesque site with [[Ulmus americana|American elm trees]] and low-growing heather, also known as ''[[Calluna|Calluna vulgaris]]''.<ref name="NYC Parks Heather Garden" /><ref name="NYCL p. 10" /> The short height of the heather was intended to allow views of the Hudson River, and stone seating allowed visitors to observe the landscape. The heather took several years to grow to its full height.<ref name="NYC Parks Heather Garden" /> The Heather Garden became overgrown with [[invasive species]] after a remodeling in 1955 failed to take Olmsted's design into consideration. The garden was restored in the late 1980s following Olmsted's original plans.<ref name="Martin 1998" /><ref name="NYC Parks Heather Garden" /> Minor additions and improvements continued to take place afterward.<ref name="Martin 1998" /> The garden contains perennials, shrubs, and trees, as well as plantings representing each season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forttryonparktrust.org/sites/heather-garden/|title=Heather Garden|publisher=Fort Tryon Park Trust|access-date=September 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925143549/https://www.forttryonparktrust.org/sites/heather-garden/|archive-date=September 25, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Alpine Garden, the other formal space planned by the Olmsted Brothers, is located on the ridge along the park's eastern side, to the east of the Cloisters. It contains a stone stair and a grotto.<ref name="NYCL p. 11">{{harvnb|Shockley|Baugher|1983|ps=.|p=11}}</ref> Originally planted with [[alpine plant]]s, the garden later became overgrown before being restored in 2009.<ref name="DNAInfo-Alpine-2009" /> The garden incorporates numerous rocks, which according to NYC Parks' website "{{Sic|compliment|nolink=y}} the outcroppings of metamorphic Manhattan schist".<ref name="Zanoni 2011" /> The rocks used in the garden include [[quartz]], [[feldspar]], [[mica]], and [[garnet]]; some of the stone comes from excavations during the park's and subway's construction.<ref name="Zanoni 2011" /><ref name="Fort Tryon Park News 2014" />

In addition, the Cabrini Woods Nature Sanctuary runs alongside [[Cabrini Boulevard]] at the southwestern corner of the park. The woods connect to Inwood Hill Park and Fort Washington Park, the last two natural woodlands in Manhattan.<ref name="Ft Tryon Cabrini Woods">{{cite web | title=Cabrini Woods | publisher=Fort Tryon Park Trust | url=https://www.forttryonparktrust.org/cabrini-woods/ | access-date=September 29, 2019 | archive-date=September 25, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925145753/https://www.forttryonparktrust.org/cabrini-woods/ | url-status=live }}</ref> Both the woods and the boulevard are named after [[Frances Xavier Cabrini]], the first American [[canonized]] as a [[Roman Catholic]] [[saint]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Moscow |first=Henry |title=The Street Book: An Encyclopedia of Manhattan's Street Names and Their Origins |year=1990 |publisher=Fordham University Press |location=New York |isbn=0-8232-1275-0 |page=32}}</ref> The woods serve as a habitat for wildlife, including 80 bird species as well as possums, raccoons, and skunks.<ref name="Ft Tryon Cabrini Woods"/>

=== Playgrounds ===
[[File:Fort Tryon Park td (2019-04-27) 009 - Anne Loftus Playground.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|alt=Anne Loftus Playground|Anne Loftus Playground, the only playground designed by the Olmsted Brothers]]
Fort Tryon Park contains two playgrounds. The park's northeast corner contains the Anne Loftus Playground, a triangle-shaped play area that primarily serves the Inwood neighborhood to the north. It is named after Anne Susan Cahill Loftus, a local resident who was the district manager of [[Manhattan Community Board 12]] between 1980 and 1989.<ref name="NYC Parks Loftus">{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park/highlights/11234|title=Anne Loftus Playground|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|date=June 26, 1939|access-date=September 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190830014552/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park/highlights/11234|archive-date=August 30, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Opened in 1934,<ref name="NYTimes-Playground-1934" /> the playground was the only section of Fort Tryon Park that was originally intended for "active recreation" and the only playground designed by the Olmsted Brothers.<ref name="NYC Parks Loftus" /><ref name="NYCL p. 11" /> The Olmsted Brothers built the playground on the site because of its flatness and proximity to the streets nearby.<ref name="NYC Parks Loftus" /> The southwest side of the Anne Loftus Playground contains a one-story stone fieldhouse with a rooftop observation deck that is set into the cliff, and the northeast side contains an entrance to the [[Dyckman Street station (IND Eighth Avenue Line)|Dyckman Street station]]. A large wading pool is located in the middle of the playground, and plane trees encircle the play area.<ref name="NYCL p. 11" /> The playground was restored in 1995–1997 under a $1.44 million project that also added handicapped-accessible facilities, additional play structures, and performance space.<ref name="NYC Parks Loftus" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/20/nyregion/freshening-up-ft-tryon-park.html|title=Freshening Up Ft. Tryon Park|last=Lii|first=Jane H.|date=April 20, 1997|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 25, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925204815/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/20/nyregion/freshening-up-ft-tryon-park.html|archive-date=September 25, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The Anne Loftus Playground was renovated again between 2021 and 2022.<ref name="City Life Org 2022" /><ref name="Manhattan Times News 2022" />

The other playground in Fort Tryon Park is the Jacob K. Javits Playground, which primarily serves Hudson Heights and is named after U.S. senator [[Jacob Javits]]. The play area contains a play structure and basketball courts, as well as elm trees throughout the playground. When the park was created, Empire Mortgage initially leased the playground to the city before giving away the land as a gift in 1944. The playground was transferred to NYC Parks in 1981<ref name="NYC Parks Javits">{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park/highlights/8724|title=Fort Tryon Park Highlights|date=June 26, 1939|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|access-date=September 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019000535/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park/highlights/8724|archive-date=October 19, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> and renamed after Javits in 1984.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/13/nyregion/the-city-koch-signs-4-bills-naming-city-sites.html|title=The City; Koch Signs 4 Bills Naming City Sites|last=Associated Press|date=October 13, 1984|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 25, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925204811/https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/13/nyregion/the-city-koch-signs-4-bills-naming-city-sites.html|archive-date=September 25, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> It was renovated in 1995.<ref name="NYC Parks Javits" /> After a second period of decline,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150724/hudson-heights/depressing-hudson-heights-playground-needs-immediate-repairs-locals-say|title='Depressing' Hudson Heights Playground Needs Immediate Repairs, Locals Say|last=Armstrong|first=Lindsay|date=July 24, 2015|website=DNAinfo New York|access-date=September 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411181159/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150724/hudson-heights/depressing-hudson-heights-playground-needs-immediate-repairs-locals-say/|archive-date=April 11, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> the playground was renovated again from 2018 to 2020.<ref name="Quinn 2020" />

=== Other features <span class="anchor" id="Corbin Circle"></span> ===
[[File:2015 Fort Tryon Park Margaret Corbin memorial.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|alt=Plaque to Margaret Corbin|Corbin plaque]]

Margaret Corbin Circle is located at the intersection of [[Cabrini Boulevard]] and Fort Washington Avenue, on the park's southern border.<ref name="NYCL p. 10">{{harvnb|Shockley|Baugher|1983|ps=.|p=10}}</ref> Formerly known simply as the South Plaza,<ref name="NYCL p. 13" /> it was renamed in 1977 after Corbin.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="NYDN-Corbin-1978" /><ref name="NYCL p. 13" /> The plaza consists of a [[roundabout]] for traffic, and is surrounded by a low stone perimeter wall, with stone posts flanking the entrances to the building. A planted circle is located in the center of the roundabout. The old Fort Tryon Cottage (see {{Section link||Billings estate}}) and the [[station building]] to the [[New York City Subway]]'s [[190th Street station]] are located on the edges of the plaza.<ref name="NYCL p. 10" /> A bronze plaque commemorating Corbin is located on the perimeter wall.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park/monuments/332|title=Margaret Corbin Plaque|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|date=June 26, 1939|access-date=September 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925143550/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park/monuments/332|archive-date=September 25, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

Sir William's Dog Run is located to the east of Corbin Drive, south of the overpass over Fort Tryon Drive.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forttryonparktrust.org/sir-williams-dog-run/|title=Sir William's Dog Run|publisher=Fort Tryon Park Trust|access-date=September 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925145726/https://www.forttryonparktrust.org/sir-williams-dog-run/|archive-date=September 25, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Dog park|dog run]] is open 24 hours a day and its regulations allow owners to take their dogs off-leash.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="NYCgo dog run" /> Opened in 2001,<ref name=":1" /> it is described as the largest dog run in Manhattan.<ref name="NYCgo dog run">{{cite web | title=Sir William's Dog Run in Fort Tryon Park | publisher=[[NYC & Company]] | url=https://www.nycgo.com/venues/sir-williams-dog-run-in-fort-tryon-park | access-date=September 25, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925200618/https://www.nycgo.com/venues/sir-williams-dog-run-in-fort-tryon-park | archive-date=September 25, 2019 | url-status=live }}</ref> Several trees within Sir William's Dog Run are surrounded by short barriers to prevent damage to their roots.<ref name=":1" />