When you pass through Downtown do you gaze at the architecture, read those blue and yellow signs or imagine how the street looked 150 years ago? Albany has a rich and complex history dating back hundreds of years and Downtown is home to some of the oldest of the old (sites that is). While you may notice buildings and businesses that have stood the test of time, what about the open spaces that have remained as such for centuries.
Where Liberty Street meets Hudson Avenue, among parking lots and backs of buildings sits a small circular patch of grass. This small oasis is Albany’s oldest park, Liberty Park.
Maybe you’ve sat on one of the benches for a moment with a friend, maybe your great grandparents stood and listened to the 1912 World Series game there, or perhaps you know nothing at all about it. (Pictured above, courtesy of Albany Institute of History & Art, crowds gather for the 1912 Boston Red Sox vs. New York Giants World Series game.)
Through the years, over three hundred actually, the name has changed, the size has shrunk and perhaps the popularity has diminished a bit too but nonetheless Liberty Park continues to serve its original purpose; an open space within the city.
This historic spot perfect for picnics, summer strolls, and relaxation is also this year’s location for the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District’s 2013-2014 Sculpture in the Streets Garden Party. In celebration of Historic Albany and the soon to be revitalized ghost signs of Downtown, holding the party in Liberty Park is no coincidence.
We’ve all taken the places around us for granted but why not celebrate Liberty Park and the long Albany history it stands for? I’d suggest June 14, 2013 when there will also be live music, food and a silent auction to enjoy. Get you tickets now. Downtownalbany.org/events/sculpture-streets-garden-party-1
See you Downtown.
-JD
