Paley Park: A hidden oasis in midtown

Formerly the site of the Stork Club, Paley Park is a hidden oasis in midtown

Hidden amongst the office buildings on East 53rd Street, Paley Park provides a welcome respite from the concrete jungle. Paley Park is located at 3 East 53rd Street and was designed by the landscape  architectural  firm of Zion & Breen. Since it opened on May 23, 1967, the park has been favored by both midtown businessmen and those tourists who happen upon it. A waterfall, trees, and ivy covered walls transport visitors to an oasis and away from the sights and sounds of the city.

Paley Park was named one of the best parks in the world by the Project for Public Spaces. One of their favorite aspects of the park is that it provides “an intimate relationship with the street.” The park appears to be an extension of its midtown surroundings while simultaneously transporting you away from the hustle and bustle. The next time you are in midtown take a break and enjoy Paley Park.

When you visit Paley Park make sure to stop by 520 Madison Avenue

Completed in 1984, and designed by Swanke, Hayden, and Connell, 520 Madison Avenue is an unnamed gem of a pocket park. A 1990 addition to the park on the north side of East 53rd Street, just west of Madison Avenue, included a piece of the Berlin Wall.  The five sections were originally located along the Waldemarstrasse and were decorated by German artists Thierry Noir and Kiddy Citny in 1985.

The five 12 foot high, 5,000 pound sections of the Berlin Wall