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CNN Saturday Morning News
Interview With Doug Blonsky
Aired July 19, 2003 - 09:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: For 150 years, New Yorkers have been flocking to more than 800 acres of green space right in the center of Manhattan. From Rolling Meadows to the heavily wooded Ramble, ballparks, and a zoo, Central Park has become an oasis in the middle of a concrete jungle.
Doug Blonsky of the Central Park Conservancy joins us now live this morning.
Hi, Doug. Are you having a good day out there?
DOUG BLONSKY, CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY: You bet you we are. We've got thousands of people out here having a good happy birthday time.
COLLINS: Excellent. Tell us why this day is so special.
BLONSKY: Well, it's celebrating 150 years at Central Park. And look how magnificent it is today, 150 years later, after land was put aside, and I think that is just a great celebration for not only the city but for the world, that this great democratic space can last this amount of time and still be probably at its most glorious that it's ever been.
COLLINS: We're reading on the screen here that Central Park was once a swamp. I did not know that. Tell us how this all came about.
BLONSKY: Well, I think it was some incredible foresight from the city politicians back in 1853 that realized the city was growing so fast that they had to put some land aside for a great park.
And it was. It was just a track of swampy, scrubby land. Very few houses on it. And the city really was not growing above 23rd Street, and they realized that they needed to create a magnificent park, and they really chose from 59th Street all the way up to 110th Street.
COLLINS: What do you think New Yorkers would do without Central Park at this point?
BLONSKY: I think they would move out. I think Central Park is clearly the backyard for all New Yorkers, and, over the years, we've seen more and more tourists come to Central Park. It is clearly one of the most important destinations in New York City for people throughout the world. But I live in New York, and it makes my life wonderful coming here, obviously, working here. But just coming with my wife to picnic is really one of our favorite things to do.
COLLINS: Yes, I think you really don't visit New York without checking out Central Park before you leave, that's for sure.
Let me ask you, also, Doug -- what are some of the biggest changes that we have seen in Central Park over those 150 years?
BLONSKY: I think Central Park, unfortunately, has gone through many series of ups and downs, and, in the '60s and the '70s, the park was really kind of at its lowest point. Graffiti really dominated the park, and the lights broken, and the benches were all destroyed, and crime was really bad.
But, really in 1980, with the advent of the Central Park Conservancy and that wonderful partnership with the City of New York, the Central Park over the last 23 years has gone through a magnificent renaissance.
COLLINS: How many people do you think come and visit Central Park on a daily basis? Any idea what those numbers might be?
BLONSKY: Sure. You know, some of the busiest days -- actually, a day like today, you'll probably get 50,000 people in the park. We have 5,000 people right behind me that just ran in a happy birthday running race, celebrating the birthday. So, on a busy weekend, you can get a quarter of a million and, on any given day, 150,000.
COLLINS: And remarkably enough space for everybody, if you're careful, right?
BLONSKY: That's right. The -- don't trample on the grass.
COLLINS: Yes, this is true.
Doug Blonsky of the Central Park Conservancy.
Thank you so much for being with us this morning.
BLONSKY: Thanks a lot.
COLLINS: And happy birthday, Central Park.
BLONSKY: All right!
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 19, 2003 - 09:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: For 150 years, New Yorkers have been flocking to more than 800 acres of green space right in the center of Manhattan. From Rolling Meadows to the heavily wooded Ramble, ballparks, and a zoo, Central Park has become an oasis in the middle of a concrete jungle.
Doug Blonsky of the Central Park Conservancy joins us now live this morning.
Hi, Doug. Are you having a good day out there?
DOUG BLONSKY, CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY: You bet you we are. We've got thousands of people out here having a good happy birthday time.
COLLINS: Excellent. Tell us why this day is so special.
BLONSKY: Well, it's celebrating 150 years at Central Park. And look how magnificent it is today, 150 years later, after land was put aside, and I think that is just a great celebration for not only the city but for the world, that this great democratic space can last this amount of time and still be probably at its most glorious that it's ever been.
COLLINS: We're reading on the screen here that Central Park was once a swamp. I did not know that. Tell us how this all came about.
BLONSKY: Well, I think it was some incredible foresight from the city politicians back in 1853 that realized the city was growing so fast that they had to put some land aside for a great park.
And it was. It was just a track of swampy, scrubby land. Very few houses on it. And the city really was not growing above 23rd Street, and they realized that they needed to create a magnificent park, and they really chose from 59th Street all the way up to 110th Street.
COLLINS: What do you think New Yorkers would do without Central Park at this point?
BLONSKY: I think they would move out. I think Central Park is clearly the backyard for all New Yorkers, and, over the years, we've seen more and more tourists come to Central Park. It is clearly one of the most important destinations in New York City for people throughout the world. But I live in New York, and it makes my life wonderful coming here, obviously, working here. But just coming with my wife to picnic is really one of our favorite things to do.
COLLINS: Yes, I think you really don't visit New York without checking out Central Park before you leave, that's for sure.
Let me ask you, also, Doug -- what are some of the biggest changes that we have seen in Central Park over those 150 years?
BLONSKY: I think Central Park, unfortunately, has gone through many series of ups and downs, and, in the '60s and the '70s, the park was really kind of at its lowest point. Graffiti really dominated the park, and the lights broken, and the benches were all destroyed, and crime was really bad.
But, really in 1980, with the advent of the Central Park Conservancy and that wonderful partnership with the City of New York, the Central Park over the last 23 years has gone through a magnificent renaissance.
COLLINS: How many people do you think come and visit Central Park on a daily basis? Any idea what those numbers might be?
BLONSKY: Sure. You know, some of the busiest days -- actually, a day like today, you'll probably get 50,000 people in the park. We have 5,000 people right behind me that just ran in a happy birthday running race, celebrating the birthday. So, on a busy weekend, you can get a quarter of a million and, on any given day, 150,000.
COLLINS: And remarkably enough space for everybody, if you're careful, right?
BLONSKY: That's right. The -- don't trample on the grass.
COLLINS: Yes, this is true.
Doug Blonsky of the Central Park Conservancy.
Thank you so much for being with us this morning.
BLONSKY: Thanks a lot.
COLLINS: And happy birthday, Central Park.
BLONSKY: All right!
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
