The woman who launched the restoration of Central Park in the 1980s, Elizabeth Barlow Rogers here explores the natural and the human histories of seven key green spaces in and around New York City, and how they have transformed over time. From Staten Island's Greenbelt, a nature refuge that runs along land once intended for a highway, to Jamaica Bay, a mosaic of preserved marshes near JFK Airport, these fascinating profiles include commentary from their caretakers, guides, local residents, guardians, and visitors. You'll also visit the FDR memorial on Roosevelt Island, the former landfill Freshkills, Inwood Hill, the High Line elevated promenade in Manhattan, and Rogers's beloved Central Park Ramble.