33. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorials
Martin Luther King Jr. is perhaps best known for his actions in cities like Memphis and Washington D.C., but MLK has also had a significant impact on NYC, from leading a march from Central Park to the United Nations over the Vietnam War to giving speeches at Riverside Church in Morningside Heights. For his leadership during the Civil Rights movement, New York City has celebrated him across the city through parks, road names, and monuments.
At the Esplanade Gardens along the Harlem River is a bronze statue of MLK, designed by Stan Sawyer in 1970 with a plaque containing an excerpt of his “I Have a Dream Speech.” Also in Harlem is the Martin Luther King Jr. Park on Lenox Avenue, a few blocks south of the Martin Luther King Jr. Towers that house more than 3,000 residents. In Mott Haven, Bronx, MLK is honored at the Martin Luther King Jr. Triangle, a small green space with benches. Additionally, the New York Times recently listed eight places in New York City that commemorate MLK’s achievements, such as the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, where he delivered a sermon titled “The Death of Evil Upon the Seashore,” and the Harriet Tubman Memorial in Harlem.