Elysian Fields
New York’s First Central Park
Fast, reliable ferry service run by the Stevens family brought New Yorkers to Hoboken in droves. To attract riders, the Stevens' turned the waterfront into a semi-public park. They opened paths, pavilions, and breath-taking views, and named it Elysian Fields, after the paradise of ancient mythology. It opened with fanfare on July 11, 1831. The park stretched from this site to Weehawken Cove. Sports games, rides, and outdoor events gave people reasons to return. Tens of thousands packed the park daily in summer months. Then Central Park opened in 1857, replacing Hoboken as the park of choice, and Elysian Fields vanished beneath new development.
Marker can be reached from Frank Sinatra Drive.
Courtesy hmdb.org
