By Lisa Kitchens
The Eco-History of The Vladek Houses
Where you are right now is part of Lenapehoking, which is the Lenape name for the Lenape homeland (this includes all of NYC). The Vladek Houses at Corlears Hook Park sit on the original homeland of the Munsee Lenape Nation. They have lived on and stewarded this land for thousands of years. In the 17th century during the colonization of America, European settlers inhumanely forced them out of their homeland leaving them displaced across the country. While reparations are still needed, over the years some Lenape people have moved back to their homeland and live here in NYC.
Where you are right now was once marshland! Because of its gradual coastal incline, the Lenape people used it to land canoes, and later, in the 1600s, Dutch settlers used it to unload transport vessels. Then, in the 1800s, during the rise of industrialization and immigration, there was pressure put on the city to create a park that could be used by residents of the tenement housing in the neighborhood. The city purchased Corlears Hook Park in 1893 and opened it in 1905. Through the years, the park has seen many changes, including the construction of FDR Drive. Now, connected to the East River Park by footbridges and paths, Corlears Hook Park offers the neighborhood fresh air, recreation, and community connections.
Nearby, the Vladeck Houses are named in honor of Baruch Charney Vladeck, a Jewish political activist who was appointed to the New York City Housing Authority in 1934 to help address the city’s housing problems. Vladeck was a dedicated advocate for low-cost public housing for working New Yorkers. Because of his tireless efforts toward better living conditions, the Vladeck Houses were named in his honor.
Corlears Hook Park Highlights : NYC Parks. (2026). Nycgovparks.Org. https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/corlears-hook-park/history
Vladeck Park Highlights : NYC Parks. (2026). Nycgovparks.Org. https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/vladeck-park/history