New York City’s Central Park was the first landscaped city park in America. It opened to the public in 1858. The Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883. The Statue of Liberty, across the East River, was dedicated in 1886. Not until twelve years later (1898) were the five boroughs — Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Kings (Brooklyn), and Richmond (Staten Island) — consolidated into one municipality. Read more about New York City history and the immigrants who were welcomed by the Statue of Liberty in On the Shore. To learn why NYC is called “Gotham” see BEHIND THE STORY.
