Madison Square Park

In 1839, a farmhouse located at what is now Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street was turned into a roadhouse and named "Madison Cottage", after former president, James Madison. This house was the last stop for people traveling northward out of the city, and the first stop for those arriving from the north. The name was soon attached to the adjacent park as well as Madison Avenue on the east end of the park.

On May 10, 1847, Madison Square Park opened to the public. From the 1850s to the 1870s the square was the center of an aristocratic neighborhood of brownstones. In 1859 the upscale Fifth Avenue Hotel was built on the spot where Madison Cottage once stood on the west side of Madison Square. With the success of the hotel, which could house 800 guests, the surrounding area was quickly developed.

The building that became the first Madison Square Garden at 26th Street and Madison Avenue was originally the passenger depot of the New York and Harlem Railroad. When the depot moved uptown to 42nd Street in 1871, the spacious building was used for a variety of purposes including P.T. Barnum's circus and the first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 1877. It was finally renamed 'Madison Square Garden' in 1879 and continued to present sporting events, the National Horse Show and boxing exhibitions. In1890 the building was replaced with a new Beaux-Arts structure designed by the renowned architect Stanford White. This 'second' Madison Square Garden resided there until it moved uptown in 1925.

Located between 23rd and 26th streets and Fifth and Madison avenues the park today is a welcome respite and features views of the Flatiron Building to the south and the Met-Life Tower to the east as well as eight monuments within the park. It also features temporary art installations and hosts many free live music concerts and other activities throughout year.