The Place of the Boulder in Landscape Design

In 2011, there was talk of demolishing the house at the fork in the road at Hudson's northern gateway and creating what proponents of the plan called "Gateway Park." This rendering of the proposed park, created by Morris Associates, caused some outrage, although those wags in City Hall at the time--Mayor Rick Scalera and his aide Carmine Pierro--claimed the rendering was meant to be a joke.

The focal point of the park, beneath the welcoming arch, was a boulder, to be generously donated by A. Colarusso & Son. Whether or not the rendering was a hoax, the boulder as a major element in the design seemed serious. After all, there was precedent: this bed at the entrance to Cedar Park Cemetery, which has a boulder as its central design feature.

Last summer, boulders were installed at Rick's Point in Henry Hudson Riverfront Park as barriers to prevent cars from driving beyond the graveled area or tumbling into the inlet.

Today, more boulders appeared at riverfront park. Their purpose, other than being purely decorative or meant to impede parking along that strip, is not immediately clear, but there are three of them on the west side of Water Street, between the street and the park fence, each positioned on a bed of mulch.

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