114-708: Highbridge Park is a public park on the western bank of the Harlem River in Washington Heights , Manhattan , New York City . It stretches between 155th Street and Dyckman Street in Upper Manhattan . The park is operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation . The City maintains the southern half of the park, while the northern half is maintained by the non-profit New York Restoration Project . Prominent in
228-743: A New York City landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1967. The Play Center was designated a New York City landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2007. The commission had also considered the pool for landmark status in 1990, along with the other ten WPA pools in the city. Harlem River The Harlem River is an 8-mile (13 km) tidal strait in New York City , New York , flowing between
342-594: A $ 100,000 check to the Italian Consul General, part of a total $ 700,000 raised from Italian-Americans to help fund the invasion. La Guardia sponsored labor legislation and railed against immigration quotas. His major legislation was the Norris–La Guardia Act , cosponsored with Nebraska senator George Norris in 1932. It circumvented Supreme Court limitations on the activities of labor unions, especially as those limitations were imposed between
456-433: A Democrat, but Tammany Hall leader James Joseph Hines opposed him and had the nomination given to James J. Lanzetta . Lanzetta defeated La Guardia in the election due to the coattail effect of Franklin D. Roosevelt 's victory in the presidential election . Robert M. La Follette Jr. stated that "the people have temporarily lost one of their most faithful servants". La Guardia was interested in airplanes and served as
570-589: A black New York newspaper, the Amsterdam News , subsequently published it in serial form. La Guardia governed in an uneasy alliance with New York's Jews and liberal WASPs , together with ethnic Italians and Germans. An unorthodox Republican, he also ran as the nominee of the American Labor Party , a union-dominated anti- Tammany left wing group that supported Roosevelt for president beginning in 1936. La Guardia supported Roosevelt, chairing
684-668: A clerk at the U.S. consulate in Budapest and worked there from 1901 to 1904. He then served as the agent in charge of the US consulate in Fiume from 1904 to 1906. He left Europe after failing to gain a promotion to consul-general in Fiume or an appointment as consul-general in Belgrade . He worked as an interpreter for the immigration services at Ellis Island from November 6, 1907, to 1910. He
798-402: A common design for these proposed aquatic centers. Each location was to have distinct pools for diving, swimming, and wading; bleachers and viewing areas; and bathhouses with locker rooms that could be used as gymnasiums. The pools were to have several common features, such as a minimum 55-yard (50 m) length, underwater lighting, heating, filtration, and low-cost construction materials. To fit
912-424: A concrete architrave , and a bronze sign with the words highbridge play center at the top of the architrave. Just inside the portico, there is a circular turret with a second-story loft, overlooking the first-floor entrance. The north and south wings respectively contain the women's and men's locker rooms and are nearly identical. Both have nine windows separated by eight brick pilasters . The stone capitals of
1026-604: A director and attorney for Giuseppe Mario Bellanca 's company. He enlisted to fight in World War I and was promoted to captain by October 1917. He and Major General William Ord Ryan trained Italian pilots in Foggia . La Guardia became certified to fly on December 12, 1917. King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy gave him the Flying Cross. La Guardia rose to the rank of major in command of a unit of Caproni Ca.44 bombers on
1140-534: A former Democrat, running as the Liberty Party candidate. La Guardia supported Republican presidential and gubernatorial candidates Warren G. Harding and Nathan L. Miller during the 1920 election. However, he later attacked Miller for his public transit policies and getting rid of welfare programs. His opposition to Miller ruined his chances in the 1921 mayoral election and the Republican nomination
1254-603: A list of 23 pools around the city, including one at Highbridge Park. The pools would be built using funds from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a federal agency created as part of the New Deal to combat the Depression's negative effects. Eleven of these pools were to be designed concurrently and open in 1936. Moses, along with architects Aymar Embury II and Gilmore David Clarke , created
SECTION 10
#17327726111071368-600: A main entrance at 159th Street. That June, the secretary of the city's Board of Street Opening was asked to prepare a resolution setting the park's northern and southern borders at 186th and 155th Streets, respectively. The borders were revised in December 1888 to encompass the land between Tenth (Amsterdam) Avenue to the west and the Harlem River to the east. Three men were appointed in April 1889 to appraise 1,976 lots on
1482-541: A minority of reform-minded Democrats, Socialists, a large proportion of middle-class Jews, and the great majority of Italians, whose votes had previously been overwhelmingly loyal to Tammany. During his mayoralty, La Guardia served as president of the United States Conference of Mayors from 1935 until 1945. La Guardia came to office in January 1934 with five main goals: La Guardia achieved most of
1596-471: A mistake, it's a beaut." La Guardia criticized the gangsters who brought a negative stereotype and shame to the Italian community . His first action as mayor was to order the chief of police to arrest mob boss Lucky Luciano on whatever charges could be found. La Guardia then went after the gangsters with a vengeance, stating in a radio address to the people of New York in his distinct voice, "Let's drive
1710-491: A primary with Miller. La Guardia favored Smith, the Democratic nominee, during the 1928 presidential election . La Guardia ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 14th congressional district during the 1914 election . He chose to run as he noticed during a 25th Assembly district Republican club meeting that nobody was nominated for it as Frederick Marshall unexpectedly withdrew. The district
1824-599: A reputation for his disdain of isolationism ; instead he supported using American influence abroad on behalf of democracy or for national independence or against autocracy. He used his influence to speak in favor of the League of Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union as well as peace and disarmament conferences. Keeping in line with these beliefs, La Guardia supported the Irish independence movement and
1938-587: A steamship company clerk, stenographer at Pratt Institute , and a clerk for Abercrombie & Fitch . In 1912, around 60,000 garment workers went on strike and La Guardia, who was friends with August Bellanca , gave speeches in Italian and Yiddish in support of the strike. La Guardia graduated from the Dwight School , a private school on the Upper West Side of New York City. He graduated from
2052-542: A volunteer talent program, and dancers to start a physical fitness program. That led to widespread ridicule and the president replaced both of them in December 1941 with a full-time director James M. Landis . The war ended the Great Depression in the city. Unemployment ended, and the city was a gateway for military supplies and soldiers sent to Europe, with the Brooklyn Navy Yard providing many of
2166-723: A worker from joining a union. La Guardia opposed an attempt to raise the sales tax during the Great Depression and instead supported taxes on luxury items and a graduated income tax for people earning more than $ 100,000. La Guardia supported the League of Nations . He called for Fiume to be given to Italy despite it being promised to Yugoslavia by the Treaty of London . He supported the February Revolution , but criticized Ambassador David R. Francis for supporting Alexander Kerensky rather than Lavr Kornilov . La Guardia had
2280-564: A year. Achille, a former Catholic , was an atheist and Irene was a nonpracticing Jew. Achille prohibited his children from speaking Italian and Fiorello would not become proficient in Italian until his time as a consular agent. Achille enlisted in the United States Army in 1885, and served in the 11th Infantry Regiment as a warrant officer and chief musician. His family lived in the Dakota Territory , New York, and
2394-430: Is below the northern wing. The Highbridge Pool contains two rectangular pools: a main pool to the east and a wading pool to the west. The main pool measures 228 feet (69 m) wide by 165 feet (50 m) long, with the wider dimension extending north-south, and a depth of 10.5 feet (3.2 m). The wading pool measures 228 feet (69 m) wide by 97 feet (30 m) long. A 29-foot-wide (8.8 m) promenade surrounds
SECTION 20
#17327726111072508-486: Is given credit for many massive public works programs administered by his powerful Parks Commissioner Robert Moses , which employed thousands of voters. The mayor's relentless lobbying for federal funds allowed New York to develop its economic infrastructure. To obtain large-scale federal money the mayor became a close ally of Roosevelt and New Deal agencies such as the CWA , PWA , and WPA , which poured $ 1.1 billion into
2622-435: The 1912 presidential election and replaced William Chadbourne as district captain due to Chadbourne's support for Theodore Roosevelt 's third-party campaign. La Guardia refused to support John Purroy Mitchel 's Fusion campaign during the 1913 mayoral election despite Mitchel's support among Republicans. Republican political boss Samuel S. Koenig convinced La Guardia to run in the 1919 special election for President of
2736-802: The 1939 New York World's Fair at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park , Queens, opened New York Municipal Airport No. 2 in Queens (later renamed Fiorello H. La Guardia Field), and had the city buy out the Interborough Rapid Transit Company and the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation , thus completing the public takeover of the New York City Subway system. The U.S. arrival of Georg and Maria Von Trapp and their children from Austria that fall at Ellis Island who would eventually become
2850-496: The 1975 New York City fiscal crisis . Particularly in Highbridge Park, large sections set aside as natural areas, had been taken over by homeless people who built permanent shacks made of sheet metal and steel pipes driven into the earth. Prostitutes, drug dealers and drug users frequented the park. NYC Parks commenced a project to restore the pools in several parks in 1977, including at Highbridge Park, for whose restoration
2964-577: The American Jewish Congress . In 1935, La Guardia caused an international stir when he denied a masseur license to a German immigrant, stating that Germany had violated a treaty guaranteeing equal treatment of American professionals by discriminating against American Jews. Despite threats from Germany (including a bomb threat against New York City's German Consulate), La Guardia continued to use his position as mayor to denounce Nazism. During his reelection campaign in 1937, speaking before
3078-696: The American Revolution , General George Washington used the Morris-Jumel Mansion , adjacent to the southern end of the park near Edgecombe Avenue and West 160th Street, as his headquarters in September and October 1776. The New York City Department of Public Parks acquired a 2.25-mile (3.62 km) strip of land on the Harlem River between 155th and Dyckman Streets in May 1884. Afterward, several commissioners were appointed to assess
3192-660: The Arizona Territory during his time at Fort Sully, Madison Barracks , Fort Huachuca , and Whipple Barracks . Fiorello was enrolled in the Episcopal Church in Prescott, Arizona , and practiced that religion all his life. The onset of the Spanish–American War led to their transfer to St. Louis, Missouri, and then Achille was sent to Mobile, Alabama . Fiorello attempted to join the army, but
3306-581: The Columbia University crew, and the river is the home course for the university's crew. Since 1952, a large flat rock face, called the "(Big) C Rock" has been painted with Columbia's varsity "C". Also on the river are the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse and Harlem River Community Rowing, two community rowing facilities. The river is used by crews from New York University , Fordham University , and Manhattan University , though
3420-1095: The Croton Aqueduct across the river. It is the oldest bridge in New York City. The New York City Department of Transportation advises that while they make every effort to ensure that all bridges are operating, many of them are under repair at any time, and outside contractors are responsible for opening of bridges under repair. Top: closed position bottom: open position Download coordinates as: Notes Further reading 40°50′05.00″N 73°56′02.85″W / 40.8347222°N 73.9341250°W / 40.8347222; -73.9341250 ( Harlem River ) Fiorello H. La Guardia Fiorello Henry La Guardia ( / f iː ə ˈ r ɛ l oʊ l ə ˈ ɡ w ɑːr d i ə / fee-ə- REL -oh lə- GWAR -dee-ə ; born Fiorello Raffaele Enrico La Guardia , Italian pronunciation: [fjoˈrɛllo raf.faˈɛ.le enˈriːko la ˈɡwardja] ; December 11, 1882 – September 20, 1947)
3534-678: The Espionage Act of 1917 and stated that "if you pass this bill and if it is enacted into law you change all that our flag ever stood for and stands for". He supported the League of Women Voters in the 1920s. He voted in favor of the Child Labor Amendment . He proposed legislation to create a holiday in honor of Christopher Columbus . As a congressman, La Guardia was a tireless and vocal champion of progressive causes, including relaxed restriction on immigration, removal of U.S. troops from Nicaragua to speaking up for
Highbridge Park - Misplaced Pages Continue
3648-563: The Great Depression , La Guardia campaigned on his support for Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal programs and won the 1933 election . As mayor during the Great Depression and World War II , La Guardia unified the city's transit system; expanded construction of public housing, playgrounds, parks, and airports; reorganized the New York Police Department ; and implemented federal New Deal programs within
3762-417: The Harlem River and places for horseback riding and other outdoor sports. By the 1920s dirt and other materials from the build-up of the new Washington Heights neighborhood threatened to ruin the nascent park; a harbinger of bad times to befall the park. In 1934, mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia nominated Robert Moses to become commissioner of a unified New York City Department of Parks and Recreation . At
3876-697: The Harlem River Speedway , along the riverbank of the park; the project started construction in 1894 and opened in July 1898. The Speedway later became the Harlem River Drive, and regular motorists were first allowed on the drive in 1919. The Harlem River is spanned by seven swing bridges, four lift bridges, and four arch bridges, and is navigable to any boat with less than 55 feet (17 m) of air draft . However, any boat requiring more than 5 feet (1.5 m) of clearance will require
3990-776: The Hudson River and the East River and separating the island of Manhattan from the Bronx on the United States mainland. The northern stretch, also called the Spuyten Duyvil ("spewing devil") Creek , has been significantly altered for navigation purposes. Originally it curved around the north of Marble Hill , but in 1895 the Harlem Ship Canal was dug between Manhattan and Marble Hill, and in 1914
4104-486: The Italian-Austrian front . While he was away at war his office was managed by Harry Andrews and Marie Fisher while constituent services were handled by Representative Isaac Siegel . A petition with over 3,000 signatures was given to Speaker Champ Clark on January 8, 1918, asking for La Guardia's seat to be vacated, but Clark refused to allow a motion to vacate La Guardia's seat. During La Guardia's tenure in
4218-486: The New York City Board of Aldermen created by Al Smith 's resignation to become governor . La Guardia defeated William M. Bennett for the Republican nomination and Paul Windels worked as his campaign manager. During the campaign he was endorsed by The New York Times and Citizens Union . He defeated Democratic nominee Robert L. Moran . Moran suffered from a spoiler effect caused by Michael Kelly,
4332-829: The New York University School of Law and was admitted to the bar in 1910. He became a member of the Garibaldi Lodge of the Masonic Order in 1913. Frederick C. Tanner recommended La Guardia for a job working for the Attorney General of New York on September 15, 1911, and he served as the deputy attorney general from January 1, 1915, to 1917. He left the American Bar Association in the 1930s stating that it devoted "its efforts to special interests rather than to
4446-507: The Spuyten Duyvil Bridge to swing open. All other movable bridges on the Harlem River provide at least 24 feet (7.3 m) of clearance while closed, so boats and ships requiring between 5 and 24 feet (1.5 and 7.3 m) of clearance need only have one bridge swing open. These bridges replaced fixed bridges or lower bridges in the late 19th century to improve navigation. High Bridge was erected between 1837 and 1848 to carry
4560-567: The burlesque theaters, whose shows offended his sensibilities. He also came to the assistance of comic book creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby , when they were openly threatened by sympathizers of Nazi Germany with their new superhero character, Captain America , when he arranged police protection. As part of his campaign against organized crime in the early 1940s, La Guardia banned pinball games, calling them gambling machines. The ban held until 1976, when avid player Roger Sharpe proved
4674-514: The 1936 book New York Advancing: A Scientific Approach to Municipal Government, edited by Rebecca B. Rankin . In 1935, a riot took place in Harlem. Termed the Harlem riot of 1935 , it has been described as the first modern race riot because it was committed primarily against property rather than persons. During the riots, La Guardia and Hubert Delany walked through the streets in an effort to calm
Highbridge Park - Misplaced Pages Continue
4788-433: The 1990s, a practice called "whirlpooling" became common in New York City pools such as Highbridge Park, wherein women would be inappropriately fondled by teenage boys. By the turn of the century, crimes such as sexual assaults had decreased in parks citywide due to increased security. The condition of Highbridge Park has gotten better, and it is no longer a haven for petty crime and other illegal activities. In November 1991,
4902-558: The Committee of Independent Voters for Roosevelt and his running mate, Henry A. Wallace , with Senator George Norris during the 1940 presidential election . La Guardia was the city's first Italian-American mayor, but was not a typical Italian New Yorker. He was a Republican Episcopalian who had grown up in Arizona and had a Triestine Jewish mother and a lapsed Catholic father. He spoke several languages; when working at Ellis Island, he
5016-555: The Fusion Party platform, which was supported by Republicans, reform-minded Democrats, and independents. La Guardia had enormous determination, high visibility, the support of reformer Samuel Seabury and a divisive primary contest. He also represented previously underrepresented communities, appealed to a wide range of cultural backgrounds with his lineage. He secured the nominations and expected an easy win against incumbent Mayor John P. O'Brien ; however, Joseph V. McKee entered
5130-640: The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), worked to design and install the trails; the opening weekend featured a festival and cross-country mountain bike race. Around 2010, the waterfront Speedway was rehabilitated and reopened as the Harlem River portion of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway . By late 2011, despite the efforts of both the NYRP and NYC Parks, the infrastructure of
5244-606: The Mecca Temple on 55th Street from demolition. Together with New York City Council President Newbold Morris , La Guardia converted the building to the New York City Center of Music and Dance. On December 11, 1943, City Center opened its doors with a concert from the New York Philharmonic —La Guardia even conducted a rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner." 1939 was a busy year, as he opened
5358-571: The People", which aired from December 1941 until December 1945, expanded his public influence beyond the borders of the city. Fiorello Raffaele Enrico La Guardia, with Raffaele later removed and Enrico Americanized to Henry, was born in Greenwich Village , New York City, on December 11, 1882, to Achille Luigi Carlo La Guardia and Irene Luzzatto-Coen. He was named in honor of his maternal grandmother, paternal grandfather, and uncle. Achille
5472-402: The Republican nomination on August 1, 1929. In 1929, La Guardia ran for Mayor once again. This time, he received the Republican nomination, once again defeating William Bennett. However, he lost the general election to Walker in a landslide. Mayor Jimmy Walker and his Irish-run Tammany Hall were forced out of office by scandal and La Guardia was determined to replace him. La Guardia ran on
5586-459: The Republican nomination. He appealed to the different ethnic groups in the district and was endorsed by New Yorker Staats-Zeitung which traditionally supported Democratic candidates. He defeated Farley by 357 votes. Tammany Hall and the Democrats supported La Guardia in the 1918 election in order to prevent an anti-war Socialist victory. He defeated Socialist nominee Scott Nearing in
5700-740: The Speedway into the Harlem River Drive , a 6-lane highway from the Manhattan end of the Triborough Bridge at 125th Street , to the tunnels under Manhattan to the George Washington Bridge . New fences blocked public recreational access to the riverfront. It was this series of actions, according to Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe, that "ruined" the park. The Highbridge Play Center bathhouse
5814-457: The Trapp Family Singers was another significant decade-ending event that year in La Guardia's mayoralty. Responding to popular disdain for the sometimes corrupt City Council, La Guardia successfully proposed a reformed 1938 City Charter that created a powerful new New York City Board of Estimate , similar to a corporate board of directors. La Guardia was also a supporter of the Ives-Quinn Act , "a law that would ban discrimination in employment on
SECTION 50
#17327726111075928-419: The U.S. House, he served on the Judiciary committee. Oswald Garrison Villard , editor of The Nation , stated that he was "the most valuable member of Congress today". La Guardia supported impeaching Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon on the grounds of him serving as a director of a private company, the Aluminum Company of America , while serving in the presidential cabinet . La Guardia requested
6042-433: The Women's Division of the American Jewish Congress , he called for the creation of a special pavilion at the upcoming New York World's Fair , "a chamber of horrors" for "that brown-shirted fanatic," referring to Hitler. He also led anti-Nazi rallies and promoted legislation to facilitate the U.S. rescue of the Jewish refugees. He also appointed more racially and religiously diverse judges to various New York courts, which
6156-406: The actual skill involved in the game. La Guardia spearheaded major raids throughout the city, collecting thousands of machines. The mayor participated with police in destroying machines with sledgehammers before dumping the remnants into the city's rivers. La Guardia's admirers credit him, among other things, with restoring the economy of New York City during and after the Great Depression . He
6270-415: The agency set aside an estimated $ 5.8 million. These projects were not carried out due to a lack of money. By March 1981, NYC Parks had only 2,900 employees in its total staff, less than 10 percent of the 30,000 present when Moses was parks commissioner. In 1982, the NYC Parks budget increased greatly, enabling the agency to carry out $ 76 million worth of restoration projects by year's end; among these projects
6384-442: The anti-tsarist February Revolution of 1917 but later opposed the October Revolution , as he disapproved of Vladimir Lenin . In 1946, President Harry S. Truman sent the ex-mayor as an envoy to Brazil but diplomacy was not his forte. Truman then gave him a major job as head of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), with responsibility for helping millions of desperate refugees in Europe. La Guardia
6498-445: The ban was lifted. In 1936, La Guardia had special prosecutor Thomas E. Dewey , a future Republican presidential candidate, single out Lucky Luciano for prosecution. Dewey led a successful investigation into Luciano's lucrative prostitution operation, eventually sending Luciano to jail with a 30–50 year sentence. The case was made into the 1937 movie Marked Woman , starring Bette Davis . La Guardia proved successful in shutting down
6612-457: The bases of 'race, creed, color or national origin' and task a new agency, the New York State Commission Against Discrimination (SCAD), with education and enforcement." The bill passed in 1945, making New York the first state in the country to create an agency tasked with handling employment discrimination complaints. In 1941 during the run-up to American involvement in World War II , President Roosevelt appointed La Guardia first director of
6726-479: The bums out of town." In 1934 he went on a search-and-destroy mission looking for mob boss Frank Costello 's slot machines , rounding up thousands of the "one armed bandits," swinging a sledgehammer and dumping them off a barge into the water for the newspapers and media. In 1935 La Guardia appeared at the Bronx Terminal Market to institute a citywide ban on the sale, display, and possession of artichokes , whose prices were inflated by mobsters. When prices went down,
6840-525: The city from 1934 to 1939. In turn, he gave FDR a showcase for New Deal achievement, helped defeat FDR's political enemies in Tammany Hall (the Democratic party machine in Manhattan). He and Moses built highways, bridges and tunnels, transforming the physical landscape of New York City. The West Side Highway , East River Drive , Brooklyn Battery Tunnel , Triborough Bridge , and two airports ( LaGuardia Airport , and, later, Idlewild, now JFK Airport ) were built during his mayoralty. In 1943, La Guardia saved
6954-510: The city's Anchor Parks program. At the time, NYC Parks postponed plans for an ice-skating rink due to a lack of interest. The first phase of Highbridge Park's renovations started in December 2018. This entailed upgrades to lighting and paths, cleanup of a 10-block section of the park, restoration of the "Grand Staircase", creation of a "welcome garden" at Dyckman Street, and creation of an ADA-accessible entrance plaza at 184th Street. The second phase, which started in July 2019, included restoration of
SECTION 60
#17327726111077068-569: The city. He pursued a long series of political reforms, curbing the power of the powerful Irish-controlled Tammany Hall political machine that controlled the Democratic Party in Manhattan. He also re-established merit-based employment and promotion within city administration. La Guardia was a highly visible national political figure. His support for the New Deal and relationship with President Roosevelt crossed party lines, brought federal funds to New York City, and cut off patronage to La Guardia's Tammany enemies. La Guardia's WNYC radio program "Talk to
7182-520: The eastern United States. La Guardia, running with the Socialist nomination, raised $ 3,764.25 (equivalent to $ 66,923 in 2023) and defeated Frank and Siegel in the election . La Guardia's partisan affiliation in Congress was labeled as Socialist and Victor L. Berger , the only other Socialist in Congress, described him as "my whip". La Guardia returned to the Republican Party in the 1926 election and won by 55 votes against Democratic nominee H. Warren Hubbard and Socialist nominee George Dobsevage. He
7296-479: The election. La Guardia resigned from the United States House of Representatives on December 31, 1919. He was given the Republican nomination for New York's 20th congressional district to succeed retiring Representative Isaac Siegel in the 1922 election . He defeated Democratic nominee Henry Frank and Socialist nominee William Karlin . La Guardia attended the Conference for Progressive Political Action in 1922. Koenig told La Guardia that his renomination
7410-649: The enactment of the Clayton Antitrust Act in 1914 and the end of the 1920s. Based on the theory that the lower courts are creations not of the Constitution but of Congress, and that Congress, therefore, has wide power in defining and restricting their jurisdiction, the act forbids issuance of injunctions to sustain anti-union contracts of employment, to prevent ceasing or refusing to perform any work or remain in any relation of employment, or to restrain acts generally constituting component parts of strikes, boycotts, and picketing. It also said courts could no longer enforce yellow-dog contracts , which are labor contracts prohibiting
7524-556: The end of 1946. Despite his declining health, La Guardia attacked the emerging " Truman Doctrine " that promised American financial and military intervention to stop the spread of Communism. La Guardia opposed Prohibition in the United States . He was one of the first Republicans in Congress to voice their opinions against prohibition. He testified to that effect before the first session of Congress in 1926. On June 19, 1926, La Guardia mixed near beer and malt extract, which were legal, to create 2% beer in order to protest prohibition. He
7638-417: The first four goals in his first hundred days, as FDR gave him 20% of the entire national CWA budget for work relief. La Guardia then collaborated closely with Robert Moses , with support from the governor, Democrat Herbert Lehman , to upgrade the decaying infrastructure. The city was favored by the New Deal in terms of funding for public works projects. La Guardia's modernization efforts were publicized in
7752-452: The first pool sites to be selected, having been announced by The New York Times in April 1934. By mid-1936, ten of the eleven WPA funded pools were completed and were being opened at a rate of one per week. The Highbridge Pool was the fifth of these pools to open, being opened on July 14, 1936. The complex included a 166-by-288-foot (51 by 88 m) main pool and 166-by-288-foot (51 by 88 m) wading pool. In 1940, Moses turned portions of
7866-458: The issues of the campaign entirely in the Yiddish language. Frank, although he was Jewish, could not speak the language and was forced to decline—and lost the election. La Guardia's 1933 campaign coincided with the rise of racial and religious hostilities in Germany, and he supported a more anti-Nazi response while in office. He publicly supported groups that engaged in boycotts of German goods and spoke alongside Rabbi Stephen S. Wise , leader of
7980-429: The left under New York's electoral fusion laws . A panel of 69 scholars in 1993 ranked him as the best big-city mayor in American history. Born to a family of Italian immigrants in New York City, La Guardia quickly became interested in politics at a young age. Before his mayoralty , La Guardia represented Manhattan in the U.S. House of Representatives and later served in the New York City Board of Aldermen . Amidst
8094-495: The mid-1980s, Highbridge had become so degraded that during a manual cleanup in 1986, 250 tons of garbage and 25 auto wrecks were removed, but garbage again began to fill the park within a matter of days. For the summer of 1991, mayor David Dinkins had planned to close all 32 outdoor pools in the city, a decision that was only reversed after a $ 2 million donation from a trust created upon the death of real estate developer Sol Goldman and $ 1.8 million from other sources. Additionally, in
8208-440: The new Office of Civilian Defense (OCD). Roosevelt was an admirer of La Guardia; after meeting Winston Churchill for the first time he described him as "an English Mayor La Guardia". The OCD was the national agency responsible for preparing for blackouts, air raid wardens, sirens, and shelters in case of German air raids . The goal was to psychologically mobilize many thousands of middle-class volunteers to make them feel part of
8322-481: The new park, approximately 30 acres (12 ha), was to incorporate the original High Bridge Park on the same site. The area between 190th and 192nd Streets was occupied by the Fort George Amusement Park , a trolley park / amusement park , from 1895 to 1914; its site is now a seating area in Highbridge Park. A racetrack for horses, the Harlem River Speedway , was opened along the riverbank of
8436-536: The only university with permanent facilities on the river is Columbia. Historically, the west bank of the Harlem River was also an amusement destination. The area between 190th and 192nd Streets was occupied by the Fort George Amusement Park , a trolley park / amusement park , from 1895 to 1914. Its site is now a seating area in Highbridge Park . In the 1890s, the City of New York built a racetrack for horses,
8550-631: The opening of the Croton Aqueduct, the High Bridge system became less relied upon; during World War I it was taken out of service when sabotage was feared. In 1949 the tower was disconnected from the system, and a carillon , donated by the Altman Foundation , was installed in 1958. The tower's cupola was damaged by an arson fire in 1984. The tower and cupola were rehabilitated and restored in 1989–1990. The High Bridge Water Tower
8664-727: The original course was filled in. Harlem River Drive and Harlem River Greenway run along the west bank of the river, and the Metro-North Railroad 's Hudson Line and Major Deegan Expressway on the east. The Harlem River was the traditional rowing course for New York, analogous to the Charles River in Boston and the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia . On the Harlem's banks is the boathouse for
8778-425: The pardon of Thomas Mooney . In 1931, James Smith, a black railroad porter, was put on trial for assault but was unable to pay for a lawyer. La Guardia took the case pro bono after being requested by A. Philip Randolph and Smith was acquitted on September 26. La Guardia's supporters wanted him to run for mayor in the 1925 election , but he declined as he would be unlikely to defeat Jimmy Walker . He received
8892-694: The park are the Manhattan end of the High Bridge , the High Bridge Water Tower, and the Highbridge Play Center. Highbridge Park derives its name from New York City’s oldest standing bridge, the High Bridge (1848), which was built to carry the Old Croton Aqueduct over the Harlem River . From the 17th to the 19th centuries, the area was sparsely populated with scattered farms and private estates. During
9006-436: The park between West 173rd and 174th Streets, was built in 1866–1872 to help meet the increasing demands on the city's water system. The 200-foot (61 m)-tall octagonal tower was designed by John B. Jervis in a mixture of Romanesque Revival and neo-Grec styles, and was accompanied by the 7-acre (2.8 ha) Highbridge Reservoir . The High Bridge system was inaugurated in 1872, and reached its full capacity by 1875. With
9120-539: The park had decayed significantly. The city announced plans for a skatepark under the Hamilton Bridge in 2013, and it opened the following year. The city also announced plans for an ice-skating rink in 2014. A citizen-driven restoration movement culminated in a grant from the Bloomberg administration to repair the bridge and make some other improvements. The restored bridge was reopened on June 9, 2015. However,
9234-570: The park in 1898. The cliffside area from West 181st Street to Dyckman Street was acquired in 1902, and the parcel including Fort George Hill was acquired in 1928. In 1934 the Department of Parks obtained the Highbridge Tower and the site of the old Highbridge Reservoir . By the early years of the 20th century, upper-middle class New Yorkers would promenade along the wide boardwalks in top hats and bustles. The park provided access to
9348-497: The park itself still faced several problems. A writer for Curbed NY observed that there were homeless encampments under the Harlem River Drive, and that much of the park south of Washington Bridge remained overgrown. In contrast, the NYRP-maintained northern section of the park was extremely clean. In 2016, about $ 30 million in funding was allocated for further improvements to the park's recreational facilities as part of
9462-422: The pilasters line up with the lintels of the windows. Ramps lead from the extreme ends of each wing. The ground slopes down northward, so that the northern wing is at a higher elevation above the ground than the southern wing. The eastern facade is similar to the western facade, except that it contains entrances to both genders' respective locker rooms, as well as a bronze clock hanging from the architrave. A cellar
9576-406: The pool area on the north, south, and east sides. A set of concrete bleachers is to the north of the pool area. A short brick wall encloses the pool area, and niches along the eastern boundary provide another seating area. Just east of the pool area is a set of stairs that leads to the High Bridge. The water tower is at the northeast corner of the pool area. The High Bridge Water Tower was designated
9690-402: The race as the nominee of the new "Recovery Party" at the last minute. McKee was a formidable opponent, sponsored by Bronx Democratic boss Edward J. Flynn . La Guardia promised a more honest government, championing for greater efficiency and inclusiveness. La Guardia's win was based on a complex coalition of Republicans (mostly middle-class German Americans in the boroughs outside Manhattan),
9804-534: The requirement for cheap materials, each building would be built using elements of the Streamline Moderne and Classical architectural styles. The buildings would also be near "comfort stations", additional playgrounds, and spruced-up landscapes. Construction for some of the 11 pools began that October, with work commencing on the Highbridge and Hamilton Fish Pools. Highbridge Park had been among
9918-483: The rest of the structure is made of brick. The building is rectangular: the longer side is on a north-south axis (i.e. parallel to Amsterdam Avenue), while the shorter side is on a west-east axis (i.e. parallel to 173rd Street). Its main entrance is on an elevated, slightly projecting portico at Amsterdam Avenue and 173rd Street. Stone staircases on either side ascend to the portico. The portico itself consists of two brick towers with flagpoles, two concrete piers that carry
10032-528: The rights and livelihoods of striking miners, impoverished farmers, oppressed minorities, and struggling families. He supported progressive income taxes , greater government oversight of Wall Street , and national employment insurance for workers idled by the Great Depression. He supported allowing the direct election of the Governor of Puerto Rico . In domestic policies, La Guardia tended toward socialism and wanted to nationalize and regulate; however, he
10146-492: The site; one of the appointees, former U.S. President Grover Cleveland , declined the position. Property owners continued to oppose the new park, speaking out against a proposed northward extension to Dyckman Street that would have cost $ 2.5 million. In December 1889, the Board of Street Opening formally decided to reduce the park from 79 to 52.62 acres (31.97 to 21.29 ha), running only from 170th to 181st Street. The majority of
10260-523: The situation. After the riots, La Guardia convened the Mayor's Commission on Conditions of Harlem to determine the causes of the riot and a detailed report was prepared. The report identified "injustices of discrimination in employment, the aggressions of the police, and the racial segregation" as conditions which led to the outbreak of rioting; however, the mayor shelved the committee's report, and did not make it public. The report would be unknown, except that
10374-533: The time, the United States was experiencing the Great Depression ; immediately after La Guardia won the 1933 election , Moses began to write "a plan for putting 80,000 men to work on 1,700 relief projects". By the time he was in office, several hundred such projects were underway across the city. Moses was especially interested in creating new pools and other bathing facilities, such as those in Jacob Riis Park , Jones Beach , and Orchard Beach . He devised
10488-570: The uplift and welfare of the profession". In 1925, La Guardia formed the La Guardia Publishing Company using his savings and a second mortgage to publish L'Americolo , an Italian-language magazine. He competed against Generoso Pope's Il Progresso Italo-Americano and Corriere d'America . The magazine failed, with La Guardia losing $ 15,000 and his mortgage. La Guardia joined the Republican club while attending NYU School of Law. He supported William Howard Taft during
10602-450: The value of existing land lots within the park. Local landowners complained about a New York state law that would force them to pay for half of the park's assessed value. A New York Supreme Court judge halted the project in 1886 following disputes over property appraisals. The park hosted the 1887 USA Cross Country Championships . In February 1888, Samuel Parsons Jr. and Calvert Vaux were ordered to prepare plans for Highbridge Park, with
10716-785: The war effort. At the urging of aviation advocate Gill Robb Wilson , La Guardia, in his capacity as Director of the OCD, created the Civil Air Patrol with Administrative Order 9 , signed by him on December 1, 1941, and published December 8, 1941. La Guardia remained Mayor of New York, shuttling back and forth with three days in Washington and four in the city in an effort to do justice to two herculean jobs. La Guardia focused on setting up air raid systems and training volunteer wardens; however, Roosevelt appointed his wife Eleanor Roosevelt as his assistant. She issued calls for actors to lead
10830-403: The warships and the garment trade providing uniforms. The city's great financiers, however, were less important in decision-making than the policymakers in Washington, and very high wartime taxes were not offset by heavy war spending. New York was not a center of heavy industry and did not see a wartime boom, as defense plants were built elsewhere. Roosevelt refused to make La Guardia a general and
10944-729: The water tower and the Adventure Playground at 164th Street. 10–15 acres of dense brush caught fire in November 2024, as part of a series of wildfires in the Northeast United States due to a drought. For many hours, smoke from it billowed over Harlem River Drive . The section that burned is steep, dense, and without much water. There are six playgrounds in Highbridge Park: The High Bridge Water Tower , in
11058-579: The water tower was restored. The New York Restoration Project , chaired by Bette Midler , has been working since 1999 to restore the park. The park also received a renovation in 1996, which included a $ 305,000 pool filtration system and a $ 445,000 renovation of heating and ventilation in the pool area. On May 19, 2007, the first legal mountain bike trails and dirt jumps in New York City were opened in Highbridge Park. New York City Mountain Bike Association, working with NYC Parks & Recreation, and
11172-606: Was a Croatian, Italian, and German interpreter and Felix Frankfurter , who met La Guardia during his time at Ellis Island, described him as "a gifted interpreter". Upon returning to the U.S., La Guardia worked as a fireproof brick manufacturer in Portsmouth, Ohio . He returned to New York City and worked a series of odd jobs such as a translator for the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children ,
11286-416: Was a strongly Democratic and Tammany Hall . He lost to Democratic nominee Michael F. Farley , whom he accused of being illiterate. Clarence Fay, the Republican district leader in the 25th Assembly district, sought to have Hamilton Fish III nominated for the seat in the 1916 election . Tanner unsuccessfully attempted to convince La Guardia to not run. Fish withdrew before the primary and La Guardia won
11400-497: Was an American attorney and politician who represented New York in the U.S. House of Representatives and served as the 99th mayor of New York City from 1934 to 1946. He was known for his irascible, energetic, and charismatic personality and diminutive, rotund stature. An ideologically socialist member of the Republican Party , La Guardia was frequently cross-endorsed by parties other than his own, especially parties on
11514-592: Was born in Foggia , Kingdom of the Two Sicilies , on March 26, 1849, and his father, Don Raffaele La Guardia, was a municipal official. Achille visited the United States in 1878, while on tour with Adelina Patti . Irene, a member of the Sephardic Jewish Luzzatto family, was born in Trieste , Austria , on July 18, 1859. They married on June 3, 1880, after having known each other for half
11628-551: Was built in 1934-36 in the Art Moderne style, during the Fiorello LaGuardia administration . The supervising architect was Aymar Embury II , and the landscape architect was Gilmore D. Clarke , among others. It was built on the site of the reservoir which had formerly served the High Bridge Water Tower, and features a swimming pool. The bathhouse is set on an ashlar base above the surrounding street level, while
11742-530: Was certified as an interpreter for Italian , German , Yiddish , and Croatian . It served him well during a contentious congressional campaign in 1922. When Henry Frank, a Jewish opponent, accused him of antisemitism, La Guardia rejected the suggestion that he publicly disclose that his mother was Jewish as "self-serving". Instead, La Guardia dictated an open letter in Yiddish that was also printed in Yiddish. In it, he challenged Frank to publicly and openly debate
11856-634: Was dependent on him supporting the Republicans in the 1924 presidential election . La Guardia considered supporting the Democrats but declined to do so after the nomination of John W. Davis . He gave his support to Robert M. La Follette and the Progressive Party . La Guardia announced his departure from the Republican Party on the front page of The New York Times . He and Gilbert Roe managed La Follette's presidential campaign in
11970-507: Was designated a New York City landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1967. The High Bridge Water Tower underwent a 10 year, $ 5 million renovation, and reopened to the public for scheduled tours in November 2021. Tours are free through NYC Parks Department and usually take place several times a month. The Highbridge Play Center , on Amsterdam Avenue between West 172nd and West 174th Streets,
12084-666: Was exhausted and after seeing the horrors of war in Europe called for a massive aid program. Critics ridiculed that as worldwide WPA and the biggest boondoggle ever. He sided with Henry A. Wallace in calling for peaceful coexistence with the Soviet Union, and attacked the new breed of Cold Warriors. He provided UNRRA funds to the Soviets despite warnings that the Kremlin was funneling the money towards its military. UNRRA shut down at
12198-482: Was given to Henry Curran. He attempted to defeat Curran in the primary, despite warnings from Koenig and Windels and was defeated. La Guardia considered running in the 1922 gubernatorial election and published his ideas for the Republican state platform in the column in the New York Evening Journal given to him by William Randolph Hearst . Koenig was able to compromise with La Guardia to avoid
12312-696: Was never close to the Socialist Party and never bothered to read Karl Marx . When Benito Mussolini 's Fascist Italy invaded Ethiopia on October 3, 1935, a Black protest of Italian vendors at the King Julius General Market on Lenox and 118th Street turned into a riot and 1,200 extra New York City policemen were deployed on "war duty" to quell the riot. In December 1935, at an Italian-American rally, attended by 20,000, in Madison Square Garden, La Guardia presented
12426-463: Was one of his most powerful weapons against Nazi prejudice. These appointments included Rosalie Loew Whitney , Herbert O'Brien, Jane Bolin , and Hubert Thomas Delany . La Guardia would soon regret appointing O'Brien, who used his position as Domestic Relations judge to oppose some New Deal policies, leading to La Guardia's condemnation of him with the famous line, "Senator, I have made a lot of good appointments and I think I am good ... but when I make
12540-574: Was rejected. He was accepted as a war correspondent for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Achille and Fiorello did not reach Cuba because Achille contracted hepatitis and malaria after consuming embalmed beef . He was discharged from the military on account of his illness and given a pension of $ 8 per month (equivalent to $ 293 in 2023). The La Guardia family moved to Trieste , and Achille died in Capodistria on October 21, 1904. La Guardia became
12654-437: Was restored in the 1960s, during which the original murals by Charles Clarke were destroyed or covered over. The 1,200-foot (370 m)-long, 116-foot (35 m)-tall High Bridge walkway was closed to regular public use around 1970. The controversial ' Daisy Girl ' political advertisement was filmed in Highbridge Park in the summer of 1964. By the 1970s, Highbridge Park and other city parks were in poor condition following
12768-471: Was the only Republican elected to the U.S. House from New York City. He defeated Democratic nominee Saul J. Dickheiser in the 1928 election . He defeated Democratic nominee Vincent H. Auleta in the 1930 election . La Guardia considered running for reelection to Congress as a Democrat in the 1932 election and the option received support from William Green , John L. Lewis , and Robert F. Wagner . Political boss John H. McCooey supported him running as
12882-434: Was the restoration of the Highbridge Park pool. The play center and pool were completely renovated over a three-year period following a design by architect Stephen B. Jacobs . The play center reopened on June 14, 1985. NYC Parks continued to face financial shortfalls in the coming years, and the pools retained a reputation for high crime. In June 1984, a man set fire to the Highbridge Tower roof before jumping to his death. By
12996-407: Was unable to provide fresh money for the city. By 1944, the city was short of funds to pay for La Guardia's new programs. La Guardia was frustrated and his popularity slipped away and he ran so poorly in straw polls in 1945 that he did not run for a fourth term. In July 1945, when the city's newspapers were closed by a strike, La Guardia famously read the comics on the radio. La Guardia opposed
#106893