Another story about the stairs. Here we get a plug!
NEW YORK — On Thursday afternoon, the 102nd anniversary of the building of the John T. Brush Stairway, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation cut the ribbon on the newly renovated set of 80 steps running through Highbridge Park in Harlem, connecting Edgecombe Avenue to Harlem River Drive. For 50 years, from the opening of the stairway in 1913 to the demolition of the Polo Grounds in 1964, the stairs carried millions of sports fans from the top of the famous Coogan’s Bluff to the ticket booths behind home plate.
NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver officiated a ceremony that included remarks from San Francisco Giants executive vice president Staci Slaughter, New York Yankees chief operating officer Lonn Trost, former Mets and Yankees player Lee Mazzilli, New York City Assemblyman Herman D. Farrell Jr. and New York City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez.
“I’m so thrilled this has finally come to fruition,” said Slaughter. “We are still so deeply connected to New York and deeply honored to be a part of this. This is a perfect example of good things happening if you wait a little while. I thank you all for your patience and your perseverance. This is an incredible addition to the community and a fitting tribute to the rich history of the Giants and the entire baseball family and what this area meant to baseball in its early beginnings.”
For nearly half a century following the demolition of the Polo Grounds, the stairway ran to and from the high-rise housing project that sits on the former site of the stadium. But by the early 2000s, the stairwell had fallen into such a state of disrepair that it was closed, adorned by the Parks Department with signs that read, “Danger: No Trespassing.” Continue reading →