The restaurant close to Central Park, Tavern on the Green, was originally designed as a pen for sheep. In 1870, the design of Jacob W. Mould was built to house the two hundred sheep that fed on the grass of the Park. For sixty four years the building served this purpose. But in 1934, Robert Moses, the New York Parks Commissioner, decided the building was up for a change. On the other side of the park at that time, was the Central Park Casino. Moses wanted to get rid of the casino, as the swanky and sometimes questionable activities that happened were threatening the integrity of the park, something with in which Moses was concerned.

During the time that Moses was suing the casino owner, he moved the sheep to Prospect Park in Brooklyn, and gave the Shepperd a job in the house for the lions at the Central Park Zoo. The renovations to the building were begun far before he announced to the city, in February of 1934, that this site would now be home to Tavern on the Green. The opening day was October 20th in that year of 1934, and what a night that was. The doormen were decked out and Mayor LaGuardia was the first to open the door with a key made of brass. And so, along with many of the newly constructed New York hotels rated as five star, the Tavern became the newest of Central Park’s attractions.

The people of the city quickly embraced the restaurant and it soon became one of the most popular places to see and be seen. In 1950, after many years, the building was again in need of refurbishing and renovation. One of the top architectural designers of the time, Raymond Loewy, was hired to perform that task, a process that involved the addition of the Elm Room, now referred to as the Park Room. Between the years of 1950 and 1962, the restaurant management changed hands many times, and was eventually shut down in 1974.

But two years later in 1976, a widely successful restaurateur, Warner Leroy, put ten million dollars into, yet again, another renovation project. A project that included the addition of stained glass, original art work and paintings, chandeliers and etched mirrors, and voila…Tavern on the Green breathed new life. Leroy ran the work in progress for many years, always changing the building and adding to its style and to its character. Leroy passed away in 2001, but his daughter continues the work, in progress. New murals are commissioned every year, and now future generations will be able to visit the historical restaurant, whether they are visiting from out of town, or just walking from their flat for a splendid night out. A great hotel to stay at in NYC is the Soho Grand Hotel.

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