The Wooden Fence

Tudor City's parks were ringed by iron fences when it opened, and there are iron fences in place today. But in 1953, as part of the U.N. neighborhood spruce-up, the original fencing is removed and a rustic, split-rail version installed in its place.

North Park entrance gate. 

Local reaction was swift and harsh. Tudor City View, the community newsletter, summed it up in a story headlined "Those Wooden Fences."

With wooden fences now up in front of our two parks. there is much spirited discussion among residents as to whether the enclosures are to be used for horses or cattle.

It may be well to explain, therefore, that these chestnut fences were installed because fifteen of them could be erected for what it would cost to replace the iron fences which the city removed. 

The chestnut poles are to be backed by wire netting to keep animals out of the parks and the privet hedges which are soon to be planted will make the wooden rail less conspicuous. So we may well reserve judgement. By the end of next summer, these fences will look much better than many residents suppose.

In fact, the fencing never looked much better to the residents, and it remained in place for an amazing 41 years.

Above, the photo accompanying the Tudor City View story. "New Look" is a sardonic reference to Christian Dior's New Look, very much in the news at the time.

Al Pacino and the South Park fence in a scene from the 1983 film Scarface. The fence endures until 1994, when it is removed and replaced with the current iron fencing as part of an overall redesign of the parks.