NYC Parks Cuts Ribbon on Restored Historic John T. Brush Stairway

As reported today. July 10, 2015, at Broadway.com, the ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the John T. Brush Stairway.

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP joined New York Yankees Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost, Executive Vice President of Communications and Senior Advisor to the CEO for the San Francisco Giants Staci Slaughter, former New York Met and Yankee Lee Mazzilli, Assembly Member Herman D. Farrell, Jr. and Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez to cut the ribbon on the newly restored historic John T. Brush Stairway on the 102nd anniversary of its dedication. The stairway connects Edgecombe Avenue at 158th Street in Washington Heights to the Harlem River Driveway where the old Polo Grounds used to sit.

For more information see the Stairway to Heaven
post on this site.

Rebuilding New York's Open Air Stairways

Grand Stairway of The High Bridge (Bronx)
As seen in the late 19th Century

The Wall Street Journal has reported on New York City's desire to rebuild many of its Open Air Stairways.  Since 20 of these stairways are in Washington Heights, this should be of some interest to our readers.

The first stairway of note (and note that it is not even in Manhattan) is the Highbridge Park Steps at West 170th Street in the Bronx, which will become a grand gateway to the newly reopened High Bridge spanning the Harlem River. It was originally built in the 19th century and was partially destroyed with the development of the Major Deegan Expressway. It will now be demolished and rebuilt over the next three years. 
The next stairway of note (but not mentioned in the Wall Street Journal Article) is the Stairway to Heaven (John T. Brush Stairway) at Coogan's Bluff along Edgecombe Ave.

John T. Brush Stairway

This stairway has only recently been reconstructed with a generous gift from Major League Baseball, the Giants, the Mets, and the Yankees.

Now that the High Bridge has been renovated, perhaps the powers that be might consider redoing the stairway on the Manhattan side of the High Bridge.  Right now it is a metal and wood stairway of about 103 stairs that is very steep.  It is currently impossible for bicyclists to go down or up without dismounting and carrying their bicycles or traveling down the trail to 165th St. and then returning back up to 173rd St. to get to the other end of the stairs.