50th Earth Day, April 22, 2020

Today marks 50 years since the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970.

Isham Park looks amazing, with the exception of some tree damage caused by yesterday's storm.

The Northern Manhattan NYC Parks Department staff mowed all of the lawns in Isham Park, a perfect job, yesterday morning before the weather changed at around noon.

Many new and old gardens are in full bloom throughout the park.

With the Pandemic playing out, no group celebrations are possible. But the park can be used as intended for quiet pedestrian recreation.

Enjoy and reflect on the perfection of our planet!

Links to the HDC's "Six to Celebrate" Walking Tour Guide for Inwood - now in both Spanish and English

Translated by Diego Robayo

In late 2010, Volunteers for Isham Park successfully submitted Inwood to the Historic Districts Council for its new "Six to Celebrate" program.

After the public announcement of the award in early 2011, Pratt Historic Preservation Program graduate students offered their assistance and a basic architectural survey of the neighborhood was completed.

One benefit of the new program was a Walking Tour Guide Book for Inwood that was published in the summer of 2012. Originally printed in English, it was translated into Spanish after Diego Robayo, the Historic Districts Council's Public Relations Specialist for Hispanic Communities, was hired in 2017.

Now you can also read them on-line via these links to pdf copies:

Walking Tour Guide Books for Inwood:

Spanish: http://6tocelebrate.org/…/uploads/2018/07/Inwood-Spanish.pdf
English: http://sixtocelebrate.wpengine.com/…/2013/09/HDC-6toC-Inwoo…

For perfect bound paper copies go to: http://6tocelebrate.org/category/books/

A reliable sign of renewal in Isham Park

An old Lonicera fragrantissima (Winter Honeysuckle) blooming in Isham Park

Earth Day 2019

Star Magnolia blooms on a windy April day, Isham Park.

First VIP post in 2019. Spring has been very beautiful so far, due in no small part to the abundance of rain in our area over the past year.

It has been five years since the completion of the water service restoration for Isham Park. Watering has been immensely important for the establishment and maintenance of plantings, especially during periods of drought we commonly experience.

To water! one of the most important elements for our survival and that of our planet.

Happy Earth Day!

No fences surround VIP Gardens

The Evergreen garden, originally planted 2011-14; this photo: June 2018

(March 17, 2020 update: Since this post in fall of 2018, the Evergreen Garden has been fenced) 

Gardens added by VIP in Isham Park share one feature: no fencing surrounds them, so that the experience of the landscape is not interrupted or privatized.

Below is a list of the gardens VIP has planted since the group formed in June 2009. A couple of links to blog posts describing their origin are included here:

The Memorial garden, planted in fall 2010; shown in summer 2018.

• "The memorial" garden (in memory of the Isham family) at the circular stone terrace above Broadway; this has a bronze plaque detailing gifts of land made for the park by Isham family members. The area had no garden until this was planted by VIP in 2010 in advance of the Isham Park Centennial (September 29, 2012). Dorothy Rowan was NYC Parks Gardener for the initial planting. The garden consists of a concentric semi-circular strip around west side the circular stone terrace and its carved stone benches. See the post in this blog: http://volunteersishampark.blogspot.com/2010/12/fall-2010-volunteers-for-isham-park.html

• "The evergreen" garden. A grouping of evergreen trees and shrubs in the north lawn west of the fence surrounding Bruce's Garden, planted by master gardener John Emmanuel in 2010. This was added to by VIP with NYC Parks gardeners, including Dorothy Rowan, in 2013-14 in advance of the Water Service Restoration project which had been funded by money allocated by then NYC Council Member Robert Jackson. Please note, this garden has recently been expanded as a curved border along the north end of the lawn almost to PTW.

"The Margin" garden along PTW, planted in 2009, this was taken in spring 2018

•  "The margin" garden - a formerly barren strip of ground between a stone retaining wall and the sidewalk along the northeast end of Park Terrace West (PTW), south of West 215th Street. See the post about the planting in this blog: http://volunteersishampark.blogspot.com/2010/05/thank-you-for-great-help-in-isham-park.html and a later post with images: http://volunteersishampark.blogspot.com/2010/07/sidewalk-margin-garden-along-park.html

• "The Triangle" garden at the beginning of the Park Terrace East Circle south of Bruce's Garden which was cleared of weeds and planted by VIP after the completion of the Water Service Restoration in 2016. This is at the location of the NYC Parks job box and water connection south of Bruce's Garden.

• "The PTW Tray," Daffodils and Tulips were planted in this existing abandoned bed on the west side of PTW below the diagonal steps for Its My Park Day in October 2014.

Most of these gardens are edged with a ditch to divide them from lawns. This method was suggested by Bradley Romaker, NYC Parks Designer. Exceptions are the Margin and the Tray, which have barriers formed by existing features; the Tray had an existing low fence of railroad ties along its sidewalk and the Margin has just the edge of the sidewalk and some reinforcing Belgian Block or stones for much of its length, with the exception of a NYC Parks pipe-rail fence at the ramp-like entrance to the park.

Plants have been added over time in most of these.  VIP continues to maintain them and related paths and edges.  NYC Parks Gardener Walter Markham has given some plants, advice, and assistance since he came on board here in 2014.  He and longtime Inwood resident and early VIP Maria Lall are to be thanked for their work in the fenced gardens along the south Broadway entrance path, Isham Street, and Seaman Avenue and for their planting up the steps above the park's legendary Ginkgo.

News! Inwood may have its first small historic district close to Isham Park in the related "Park Terrace" area:
https://patch.com/new-york/washington-heights-inwood/row-inwood-homes-may-be-way-landmark-status

Landmarks Conservancy supports preservation for Inwood

In July 2018, the New York Landmarks Conservancy published an on-line statement of support for the preservation of Inwood's historic elements, including Isham and Inwood Hill Parks, covering much of the same material as the 2016 Request for Evaluation VIP submitted known as "Broadway Corridor Historic District for Inwood":

http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_urges_lpc_to_protect_inwood_before_rezoning_complete/

The NYC Council will vote to rezone Inwood this Wednesday August 8th. 
To  comment on the rezoning, please email Ydanis Rodriguez today (yrodriguez@council.nyc.gov)

Today: NYT's article on historic Broadway includes Isham Park & Inwood

Slide from the Broadway Corridor historic district proposed in 2016

   Today's New York Times has an article by Sam Roberts on front page of the Arts section (read the paper copy if you can) that supports some of the many historic elements in the VIP/IP proposed Broadway Corridor Historic District for Inwood!:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/14/arts/design/broadway-walking-tour-hidden-gems.html

Will the new chair of the LPC see the light and correct the fact that there are no Historic Districts in Inwood today?

LPC designate a Broadway Corridor Historic District for Inwood!