While named for the mid-19th-century Romantic-era residential enclave that developed on the family retreat of the famed naturalist, Audubon Park today is an exemplary representation of early 20th-century urban residential and civic architecture, designed by some of the most renowned and prolific New York architects and firms of the period. The district in upper Manhattan includes an incredible, if little-known, Beaux-Arts cultural complex, known as Audubon Terrace, comprising eight monumental buildings. The blocks beyond are densely developed with multi-story apartment houses with well-appointed facades. The neighborhood reflects a transformative period in speculative residential architecture as developers all but ceased building single-family row houses, though the district includes twelve such houses.

This nomination was produced to address the shortcomings of earlier preservation efforts, namely that they excluded significant contributing buildings. The expanded district was listed to the National Register of Historic Places in August 2024.