Once known as East End Park, this promontory was renamed in 1911 to honor Carl Schurz (1829-1906), a famous 19th-century German immigrant who eventually served the United States as a minister to Spain, a major general in the Union Army, and a senator from Missouri. During the Hayes administration, Schurz was secretary of the interior; he later moved back to Yorkville and worked as editor of the New York Evening Post and Harper's Weekly.

From the park's southern entrance at East 86th Street, a curved stone staircase leads up to the wrought-iron railings at the edge of John Finley Walk, which overlooks the churning East River. You can see the Triborough, Hell Gate, and Queensboro bridges; Wards, Randall's, and Roosevelt islands; and, on the other side of the river, Astoria, Queens. The view is so tranquil you'd never guess you're directly above the FDR Drive. Behind you along the walk are raised flower beds, recreation areas, and a playground. Although the park doesn't compare in size with the West Side's Riverside Park, Upper East Siders cherish it nonetheless. Stroll to the north end of the park to reach Gracie Mansion, where the city's mayor usually resides. The park tapers to an end at East 90th Street, where there's a dock from which ferryboats depart to lower Manhattan and up to Yankee Stadium. Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th St.