Roosevelt Court
Roosevelt Court originally contained 74 row houses arranged in eight separate rows and was designed around four interior garden courts, making it one of the most ambitious court compositions in Sunnyside Gardens. Like Lincoln Court, the homes were organized around the perimeter of the block, but the planners introduced breaks every six to thirteen houses, creating pedestrian pathways that connected residents directly to the interior gardens.
What makes Roosevelt especially fascinating is that it tells the story of how Sunnyside Gardens evolved over time. While the northernmost garden remains largely intact, portions of the southern courts were gradually absorbed into private yards, and some of the original interior paths disappeared. As a result, Roosevelt Court provides a rare opportunity to see both the original Garden City vision and the ways residents adapted that vision over the past century.
What Makes It Unique?
• Originally designed around four interior garden courts
• Contains 74 row houses arranged in eight separate rows
• Reveals original Garden City plan and how it changed
Lincoln Court
Overview
Lincoln Court is one of the largest and most complete examples of the original Sunnyside Gardens planning concept. The court contains 78 row houses arranged around three landscaped interior gardens, all connected by a series of pedestrian pathways. Rather than filling the block with continuous rows of houses, the planners introduced shared green spaces that brought light, air, and nature into the center of the block while preserving private front and rear gardens for individual homeowners.
What Makes It Unique?
• Three separate interior garden courts within a single block
• Four pedestrian pathways connecting the gardens
• 78 original row houses surrounding shared green space