☞ REMEMBER: The Harlem Polo Grounds Part II

In special observance of NYC baseball today, we will take a trip back and see the second incarnation of the Harlem Polo Grounds located right above West 155th Street, on the northern borders of Harlem. The Yankees played here starting in 1913, but the three versions of the stadium that would stand in this area known as Coogan's Hollow would be mostly known for the original New York Giants baseball team. The top photo, circa 1905, shows Coogan's Bluff, which is the elevated portion of the hill in the background -- and one can see the Morris-Jumel Mansion at the right hand corner. The second photo is also that of the field's third incarnation, and one can see Edgecombe Avenue on top of the famous bluff with views of the Harlem River High Bridge and the water tower in the distance.

After many heady years of baseball and football, the city eventually took over the field from the Coogan family by using Eminent Domain laws to build public housing (last photo) in 1964. As designed, Eminent Domain was used for public benefit so private developers and land owners would lose out for the greater good. Today the local government is sort of doing the reverse and has been taking away property these days to build stadiums for private developers in downtown Brooklyn and private university complexes in Manhattanville. Click on all photos to enlarge. See the previous post on the original Polo Grounds off of north Central Park: LINK