Upper West Side in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

St. Gregory's Park

.231 Acre

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 30, 2021

1. St. Gregory's Park Marker

Inscription. This park takes its name from St. Gregory's Parish, founded in 1907. St. Gregory I (540-604), the church's patron saint, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from the year 590 until his death, and is best remembered for introducing Gregorian chant. The school (est. 1912) offers instruction from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade and occupies two floors above the chapel in the church parish. The fourth floor houses the rectory. The baseball legend Babe Ruth (1895-1948) was married in the rectory on April 17, 1929.

St. Gregory's Park lies on West 90th Street, nestled between the West Side Community Garden and St. Gregory's Church. The property faces the Stephen Wise Houses. Stephen S. Wise (1874-1949), a Jewish Hungarian immigrant, first became well known in 1929 for his efforts to reform Mayor James J. Walker's (1881-1946, mayor 1926-32) shady administration. Beginning in 1938, he helped lead the Zionist movement in the United States, and is considered one of the county's greatest Jewish leaders of the period between the wars.

Until 1993, St. Gregory's Park was the site of a demolished

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tenement and a neighborhood dumping ground. That year the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) acquired the land and allowed the Open Space Greening Program to begin construction of a park. Open Space is a subdivision of the Council on the Environment of New York City, a citizens' organization in the Mayor's Office that was founded in 1970 to promote environmental awareness and find solutions to environmental problems. St. Gregory's School, which had shown an interest in the property, agreed to maintain the park in return for Open Space's services in constructing the playground.

Though the property was transferred to Parks in 1997 it still serves as a playground for St. Gregory's School. The site contains a basketball court and play equipment with safety surfacing. Benches provide a place to sit, and trees provide shade.

Erected by NYC Parks.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Parks & Recreational Areas • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical date for this entry is April 17, 1929.

Location. 40° 47.378′ N, 73° 58.306′ W. Marker

St. Gregory's Park Marker - wide view image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 30, 2021

2. St. Gregory's Park Marker - wide view

The marker is visible here, mounted on the fence, immediately to the right of the entrance gate.

is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in the Upper West Side. It is on West 90th Street east of Amsterdam Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 136 West 90th Street, New York NY 10024, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in New York City.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Public School 166 (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Ballet Hispanico of New York (about 300 feet away); Richard Rodgers (about 300 feet away); Claremont Riding Academy (about 300 feet away); a different marker also named Claremont Riding Academy (about 300 feet away); The St. Urban (approx. ¼ mile away); Virginia O'Hanlon (approx. ¼ mile away); Elizabeth Cady Stanton

St. Gregory's (located adjacent to the park) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 30, 2021

3. St. Gregory's (located adjacent to the park)

(approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.

Also see . . . Our First Hundred Years (St. Gregory the Great Church). (Submitted on May 6, 2021.)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 6, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 299 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 6, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.