Small New York City Parks

One of the unique aspects of New York City is the multitude of small parks that dot Manhattan. When people think of parks in the city, their thoughts are naturally drawn to Central Park or, perhaps, Bryant or Battery Park. Yet, the stories behind other, lesser known, parks are just as interesting.

Adjacent to the theater district in Hell’s Kitchen, Ramon Aponte Park is a small, but vibrant park on West 47th Street (Between 8th and 9th Avenues). The odd shape of the park is because the property line was originally shaped by the farm land of Charles Kelley. In the 19th century (1860), the New York City Police Department build a station on the land of the park and for over one hundred years the site served as a precinct. Perhaps the most famous person arrested and brought to the precinct was Mae West, who in 1926, was incarcerated for appearing in the play “Sex,” which was deemed offensive by city officials. In defending the play, West said, “I think that ‘Sex’ is one of the cleanest plays on Broadway. There is no nudity and no obscene language in the whole play” (New York Times, 5 March 1927).

In the 1960s the land would be transferred to the Fire Department and ultimately the lot would stand empty and abandoned in the 1970s. Thanks to the efforts of local residents, including the leadership of Ramon Aponte, a playground was erected and opened on the spot in 1979. By 1981, the park received the official designation of a public playground and later as a park.