Recreation Department

Downing Vaux Park

In 1902, the Mayor said in his annual message that "this unused piece of the street might be cleaned up … with settees placed in good position so as to give a clear view of the river, and thus make a cool and pleasant resting place on warm summer evenings." Downing Vaux, son of noted architect Calvert Vaux, was commissioned to create a rustic oasis.

Downing Vaux Park is flanked by open space, with views of the river, where old city buildings were demolished in the 1970s.