Moses' Dream

New York, NY - CartLegger - Sunday, January 4th, 2009 : goo

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Big dreams often start in small bodies. According to Power Broker Author Robert Caro, it was these gantries along the Hudson that inspired urban planner Robert Moses when he was still a child.

He looked down on the industrial waterfront that lined the Hudson on Manhattan’s west shore, and even at that young age, had a better idea. His idea, of greening the shoreline of our city, was probably the greatest contribution of his decades-long career. And it started here, in Riverside Park.

Between 1937-41, Moses led the expansion of Riverside Park, building 134 acres onto Olmstead's design and Vaux’s handiwork. The biggest part of the renovation was covering over the West Side Freight Line running along the Hudson’s bustling eastern shore. Atop the cut was placed the West Side Highway and a verdant waterside park. Moses Dream was made real.

After the tunnel was abandoned in 1980, it was taken over by the homeless and the creatively inclinedd, becoming known as the "Freedom Tunnel".

The graffiti still grows on the walls, although the homeless are gone, and the Amtrak trains are back. So if you ever choose to go, beware!

I felt very lucky to have a chance to get in with Peter, to understand where and why The Freedom Tunnel is.

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tyrant: siiiiiic i wanna go down there

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