Located at the corner of 9th Avenue and West 57th Street in Manhattan is Balsley Park. This little corner is a little urban spot for passers by to stop and take a rest, or for those who may be working close by to stay for a moment to eat a packed lunch.

Balsley Park was not always the way it is today. Previously, it was just a typical drab urban plaza. It was built in 1978 and originally known as Sheffield Plaza. Its status came from zoning laws that allowed developments to “sponsor” additional spaces.

What was unusual was that the plaza’s “sponsor building” was an apartment block half a block away.

Balsley Park: An Urban Space

When the original Sheffield Plaza failed due to poor maintenance and a lack of use, it fell on Thomas Balsley Associates, landscape architects, to redesign and find new life for the space.

This led to the development of the current Balsley Park.

Today, Balsley Park at the corner of West 57th Street & 9th Avenue has been redesigned to be a better defined space.

Features that can be found at Balsley Park include multi-layered spaces. These are better created with a ribbon wall panels that lay out the boundaries for the park. This approach has led the small park to be divided into various spaces. There is the mound and the garden and a sectioned off play area.

At the northern end of the small park, there is space for a cafe and a cafe terrace.

Planters and fences allow Balsley Park to be closed off in the evenings with entry points.

While it is not a destination park, Balsley Park does serve the neighborhood by providing a public space for residents and those working close to come out and have a seat outdoor. It is rather functional in nature and provide a relief from the concrete jungle, even though it only mainly has one green patch.

Balsley Park is just about two blocks away from Columbus Circle (where the Museum of Arts and Design can be found) and the southwest corner of Central Park.

If you enjoyed this story, you may also enjoy this one on another New York City park.