Tivoli Nature Preserve
Encyclopedia
The Tivoli Nature Preserve, also Tivoli Park, in Albany
is the state of New York
's second largest urban wildlife
nature preserve after Central Park
.
was built from Fuller Road to the Albany Lumber District
through the Tivoli Hollow and the northern end of the future park. In 1850 the city of Albany purchased the land in order to dam the Patroon Creek
to form a reservoir for the public water system. In 1851 dams were constructed across Patroon Creek forming Upper and Lower Tivoli lakes, the upper lake was for storing and the lower for distribution. The lakes served the population of the city east of North Pearl Street.
Plans to extend Manning Boulevard from its then current terminus at the intersection of Clinton Avenue and Central Avenue through the waterworks property were proposed in the 1870s and though grading and preliminary work proceeded, the street laid out was never a grand boulevard as proposed and the portion inside the park was never completed. Due to neglect after being abandoned as a water source around the turn of the 20th century, the park became the site of an informal dumping ground in the 1920s and the lake became heavily polluted to the point where it allegedly was red with pollution from nearby slaughterhouses. In 1957 the city turned the waterworks property into the Tivoli Lakes Nature Study Sanctuary, though by 1974 the area was in such neglect again that the Albany Times Union published a faux obituary
describing the park's "death". As part of a 1998 settlement closing the waste incinerator in the Sheridan Hollow
neighborhood, the state funded a clean-up and upgrade of the preserve into an educational center in conjunction with the neighboring Philip Livingston Middle School
.
Proposed in 2002 the Patroon Path will be a 10 feet (3 m) wide path from the Corning Preserve at the Hudson River
west through the preserve along the Patroon Creek and Interstate 90
(I-90) to Rensselaer Lake
and the Pine Bush Preserve.
, large mouth bass, and pumpkinseed
; birds in the preserve include woodpeckers, turkeys, red-winged blackbird
s, and red tailed hawks. Mammals include squirrels, deer, and opossums. Nature walks and birdwatching is a popular activity in the preserve.
Behind the Livingston Village Apartments is a 70 plot community garden within the Tivoli Preserve, it is Albany's largest community garden.
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
is the state of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's second largest urban wildlife
Urban wildlife
Urban wildlife is wildlife that can live or thrive in urban environments. Some urban wildlife, such as house mice, are synanthropic, ecologically associated with humans. Different types of urban area support different kinds of wildlife...
nature preserve after Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
.
History
The land now comprising the Tivoli Preserve was originally owned by the Van Rensselaer family as part of the patroonship of Rensselaerswyck. In 1844 the Tivoli Hollow RailroadTivoli Hollow Railroad
The Tivoli Hollow Railroad was chartered in 1893. It was completed 1.23 mi. in City of Albany, New York prior to 1903 . It was merged into New York Central and Hudson River Railroad in 1913....
was built from Fuller Road to the Albany Lumber District
Albany Lumber District
The lumber district of Albany, New York was relatively small in the 1830s with around six wholesale lumber merchants, but by the 1870s Albany was the largest lumber district in the United States by value, though by that time it had recently been outstripped in feet sold by Chicago...
through the Tivoli Hollow and the northern end of the future park. In 1850 the city of Albany purchased the land in order to dam the Patroon Creek
Patroon Creek
Patroon Creek is a stream in Albany County, New York, United States and is a tributary of the Hudson River which flows south to New York Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. The creek's source is Rensselaer Lake in the western section of the city of Albany and flows along the northern border of said city...
to form a reservoir for the public water system. In 1851 dams were constructed across Patroon Creek forming Upper and Lower Tivoli lakes, the upper lake was for storing and the lower for distribution. The lakes served the population of the city east of North Pearl Street.
Plans to extend Manning Boulevard from its then current terminus at the intersection of Clinton Avenue and Central Avenue through the waterworks property were proposed in the 1870s and though grading and preliminary work proceeded, the street laid out was never a grand boulevard as proposed and the portion inside the park was never completed. Due to neglect after being abandoned as a water source around the turn of the 20th century, the park became the site of an informal dumping ground in the 1920s and the lake became heavily polluted to the point where it allegedly was red with pollution from nearby slaughterhouses. In 1957 the city turned the waterworks property into the Tivoli Lakes Nature Study Sanctuary, though by 1974 the area was in such neglect again that the Albany Times Union published a faux obituary
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
describing the park's "death". As part of a 1998 settlement closing the waste incinerator in the Sheridan Hollow
Sheridan Hollow, Albany, New York
Sheridan Hollow is a neighborhood in Albany, New York located in a ravine north of Downtown Albany. Capitol Hill to the south and Arbor Hill to the north flank the ravine. Often the neighborhood is overlooked by city residents, and outsiders who work in the neighborhood often don't recognize the...
neighborhood, the state funded a clean-up and upgrade of the preserve into an educational center in conjunction with the neighboring Philip Livingston Middle School
Philip Livingston Magnet Academy
Philip Livingston Magnet Academy is one of four middle schools in the City School District of Albany, Albany, New York. The school opened in 1932 with an enrollment of 1,392 students....
.
Proposed in 2002 the Patroon Path will be a 10 feet (3 m) wide path from the Corning Preserve at the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
west through the preserve along the Patroon Creek and Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
(I-90) to Rensselaer Lake
Rensselaer Lake
Rensselaer Lake is an artificial lake in Albany, New York, United States named for Major-General Stephen Van Rensselaer, last patroon of Rensselaerswyck. The lake was Albany's first municipally-owned source of water. It is part of a park and the state's Albany Pine Bush Preserve...
and the Pine Bush Preserve.
Activities
Fish in Tivoli Lake include bluegillBluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, large mouth bass, and pumpkinseed
Pumpkinseed
The pumpkinseed sunfish is a freshwater fish of the sunfish family of order Perciformes. It is also referred to as "pond perch", "common sunfish", "punkys", and "sunny".-Range and distribution:...
; birds in the preserve include woodpeckers, turkeys, red-winged blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
The Red-winged Blackbird is a passerine bird of the family Icteridae found in most of North and much of Central America. It breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and Guatemala, with isolated populations in western El Salvador, northwestern Honduras, and...
s, and red tailed hawks. Mammals include squirrels, deer, and opossums. Nature walks and birdwatching is a popular activity in the preserve.
Behind the Livingston Village Apartments is a 70 plot community garden within the Tivoli Preserve, it is Albany's largest community garden.