Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux redesigned Central Park in 1857 to over 700 acres of space to accommodate people in the city from all walks of life. By 1865 the park had welcomed 7 million visitors, but a ban on recreational activities like picnics, catered to upper class visitors and steered away the working class. Baseball was only allowed for school-aged boys with a written note from their principals. In addition, it was easy fro the upper class to arrive by carriage, whereas city laws restricted the commercial wagons small tradesmen would otherwise use for family outings.
The transition to a more democratic space began when the New Yorkers that had felt shut out petitioned for concerts in the park on Sundays - their only day off. Parks officials eventually made concessions from carousels to tennis, but it wasn't until the 1950s that parks commissioner Robert Moses finally established permanent softball fields to host corporate softball teams and neighborhood little league games. Now there is something for everyone in Central Park!
Read the original article here.