In the early 1970s, a small group of neighbors on New York's Upper East Side banded together to help upgrade Carl Schurz Park, giving particular emphasis to its playground, which serves the needs of neighborhood children. Their highest priority was to make sure the playground was safe and well maintained for the hundreds of families who used it.

Had it not been for the City's fiscal crisis, which threatened to swamp the City in the in the mid-70's, the group most likely would have continued to focus its energies on playground activities. But the fiscal crisis changed all that and forced the group to broaden its commitment and to take an increasingly active role in maintaining and preserving this small gem of a park. The unique response of the Association to the fiscal crisis, and its development of a series of programs to maintain and rehabilitate the park served to lay the groundwork and open the way for the series of successful projects undertaken by the Association, which continue to this day.

During the last thirty-plus years, the Carl Schurz Park Association has grown in depth and responsibilities, until today it can look back on several significant achievements, ranging from major restorations of the park, to running what many consider to be the finest outdoor professional art show in the Metropolitan area. The Association also sponsors playground parties for children, outdoor summer concerts, open-air films, astronomy sessions with the New York Amateur Astronomers Association, and always stands prepared to meet the changing need of the park and the community. The Association has been praised for its ability to attract and recruit leaders who have managed to effectively meet these challenges over the length of its existence.

Anyone who remembers the fiscal crisis of the 70's will recall that our parks suffered first. There was no money for proper maintenance, and trees and ground cover withered away. Rather than live with this situation, the Association took advantage of opportunities that under other circumstances would not have been officially sanctioned. Since the City was not in a position to provide certain services, the Association began to develop long-range plans for maintaining and restoring the park. One of its criteria was that any design plan it chose must be imaginative, but also geared to minimum maintenance; whatever was attempted would be of the highest quality and excellence - always with the approval the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

Serious planning sessions started in 1975 (realizing the importance of its goals, the Association incorporated in 1974). For starters, members spent several consecutive weekends working in the park, correcting erosion problems that had gone unchecked over the years. It was hard, exhausting work, but a small core group of dedicated volunteers showed up every weekend until the job was done.

By 1976, the Association was ready for its first major restoration project: Several large flowering cheery trees had died in the center Mall from a faulty drainage system. The City had no plans to replace them, so with the approval of the Parks Department, the Association contracted with a private concern to replace the trees and re-sod the adjacent areas. This initial project proved to be a milestone, in that its success was felt beyond the boundaries of Carl Schurz Park, and for many years it was used as an example of how community groups can have a positive impact on their neighborhood. This was the first time a major restoration of a City park was planned and funded by a community group, and completed as a joint project with the Parks Department. In this case, the Association paid for the installation of the trees and sod, and provided the necessary drainage pipes (the pipes were a gift from a member/contractor). The Parks Department provided the labor to install and repair the system. This resulted in a highly successful joint effort.

Since the 70's, the Association (a 501c.3 organization) has continued its efforts to beautify, improve and restore Carl Schurz Park. While New York has benefited, most recently, from deeper tax-fed coffers, New York City Parks remain under significant financial pressure. In order to keep the park from falling back to its earlier days of neglect, the Association has increased its public and private funding activities. Now 1,200 members strong, the Association funds the salary of a full-time park Park Enforcement Patrol Officer, seasonal gardeners and numerous horticultural, programmatic and capital improvements.

Taking the long view, in 1999 the Association retained the services of E. Timothy Marshall and Associates to complete a Management Plan for the park. Essentially an assessment of the state of the park's physical plant, its upkeep and management, the report served as the backup materials delivered to four other landscape architectural firms. In the spring of 2000, the Association solicited bids from these firms for the first park-wide improvement plan since the 1930's. The Board chose Quennell Rothschild & Partners, LLP, for the depth of their urban park experience and vision for Carl Schurz Park.

Recent New York City improvements to the park include a complete resurfacing of the perimeter sidewalks surrounding this 15 acre park, and a restoration of the vintage bluestone pavement extending from the foot of East 86th Street and East End to the graceful staircases that lead to the John Finley Walk, overlooking Roosevelt Island and the East River.

Major CSPA projects include a relandscaping of the park’s “Axis Garden”, running the length of Gracie Square on the park’s southern border, and the “Hoop Garden”, the gently sloping garden encircled by the East 86th Street staircase.