St. Nicholas Park

Construction began in 1906 on the same rugged Manhattan schist ridge as Harlem's other 'ribbon parks,' with the park extended south to 128th Street in 1909. Landscape architect Samuel Parsons Jr. designed it to make 'a rugged slope more rugged' rather than smooth over the terrain. Its southern end holds the Point of Rocks, where George Washington positioned his troops during the 1776 Battle of Harlem Heights, and Alexander Hamilton's 1802 home, Hamilton Grange, was moved to the park's northern end in 2008. Monarch butterflies gather on the butterfly bushes during migration, and the grounds also hold basketball and handball courts, playgrounds, and a dog park.