Alive in the City: Memoir of an Ex-Commissioner

Former New York City Parks Commissioner August Heckscher wrote this memoir of his years in office (1966-1973) describing a period of dramatic social and environmental change in the nation's most exciting city. He followed into office Thomas Hoving who brought "happenings" to city parks (festivals) prior to his term as director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.Heckscher's tenure saw the rise of local control over government that impacted on programs to create "vest pocket parks," community swimming pools, and recreation centers. Imaginative architectural designs for playgrounds and park facilities replaced the cookie-cutter type of amenities that permeated the city's parks for the 30 previous years.An important administrator during the administration of NYC Mayor John V. Lindsay, Heckscher is able to bring the exciting times to life for the reader. Whether describing a midnight raid to replace a black nationalist flag with the Stars and Stripes during a sit-in at a site in Harlem to the charm and enchantment of Philharmonic and opera concerts in Central Park, the author captures the excitement of those turbulent times, showing that there was a soft side to the perceived harsh city.Alive in the City is an interesting and lively account of how one man sought to improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers by making their parks a true resource. The reader can judge Heckscher's success, but will enjoy taking the journey back to the era when "flower people" and others sought to regain control over the city's park resources.