Central Park serves as New York City's backyard, its outdoor gym, its daytime pick-up bar, its concert hall, and, in summer, when dozens don bathing suits to soak up the rays, its green beach. The marvel of the park, beside its size (843 acres, a full 6% of Manhattan’s total area), is the fact that none of it is “natural” in the usual sense. This park was created in the 1850s by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux out of swampland, farms, and suburban towns. Every tree, every shrub, every lake, and most of the rolling hills were designed, planted, and blasted into existence by these two geniuses.
And it may seem familiar, even the first time you visit it, because so many other cities around the United States used the innovations and conventions established by Olmsted and Vaux as templates for their own parks. What follows are just some of Central Park’s loveliest areas and sights.
K M / Flickr
Harlem Meer
This 11-acre meer (the Dutch word for lake) wasn’t part of the original Central Park. Added in 1863, it has a natural, rugged shoreline and a community of swans. The
Charles A. Dana Discovery Center on the northern shore contains a year-round visitor center and hosts Central Park Conservancy seasonal exhibitions.
Fifth Ave. from 106th–110th Sts.
Alan Strakey / Flickr
Conservatory Garden
Commissioned by the Works Projects Administration (WPA) in 1936, this formal
garden has many showpieces: an elegant Italian garden with a classical fountain, a mazelike English garden, a bronze statue of the children from the novel
The Secret Garden in a reflecting water-lily pool. To reach the Reservoir from here, walk south through the park or, to save a mile of walking, take a bus down
Fifth Avenue to 86th Street. Fifth Ave. & 105th St.Sakeeb Sabaka/Flickr
The Reservoir
Created in 1862 as part of the Croton Water System,
the Reservoir was in use until 1994. Occupying 106 acres, it is surrounded by bridle and running paths. Many a celebrity and civilian have jogged along the 1.6-mile (2.6km) upper track, which overlooks the water and affords great skyline views. The reservoir holds a billion gallons of water and is 40 feet (12m) at its greatest depth, but these days it is only used as an emergency backup water supply.
Midpark from 85th–96th sts.
Magnus / Flickr
The Obelisk
This 71-foot (21m) artifact from Ancient Egypt was an 1881 gift to the U.S. from the khedive of Egypt.
Michael Lehenbauer / Flickr
The Great Lawn
Expansive enough for simultaneous games of softball, volleyball, and soccer,
the Great Lawn is also a plum spot for a picnic—especially on those warm summer nights when the New York
Philharmonic or
Metropolitan Opera performs for free. Bring along picnic fare from nearby gourmet grocery
Zabar’s. At the southern end,
Belvedere Castle and its surrounding duck pond are particularly picturesque.
Midpark from 79th–85th sts.Tristan Reville / Flickr
The Ramble
Designed to mirror untamed nature, this 38-acre stretch was dubbed a “wild garden” by Olmsted.
The Ramble can get a bit “adult” after dark, but during the day it’s wonderful to explore. The inviting paths that curve through the wooded area offer some of the best scouting ground for bird watchers in the city—some 230 species have been spotted here. A statue of a crouching cougar overlooks the East Drive between 76th and 77th streets.
Midpark from 73rd–79th Sts.Samuel Borges Photography
The Lake
By far the most beautiful body of water in the park, this idyllic lake was once a swamp. Rent a rowboat at the
Loeb Boathouse and take your sweetie for a turn around the lake—the views from the water are superb. (At certain times of year, a singing gondolier also plies the lake, but the hourly rate is so expensive, we're not sure it's worth the outlay).
Midpark from 71st–78th Sts.
Marla Eklind / Flickr
The Loeb Boathouse
At the eastern end of the Lake is
the Loeb Boathouse, where you can rent boats and bikes and usually dine—and dine well. If you watched
Sex and The City, you may remember this spot as the place Carrie pushed Mr. Big into the lake.
Fifth Ave. (btw. 74th & 75th Sts.). John Cunnliff / Flickr
Bethesda Terrace
The architectural heart of the park, this extraordinarily lovely area is filled with art. If you approach it from
the Mall, you’ll come to a ravishing carved gate, with symbols representing “day” and “night” (the witches on brooms). The fountain celebrates the opening of the Croton Aqueduct, which finally solved NYC’s water problems in 1842. The Angel Bethesda was sculpted by Emma Stebbins, the first woman ever to receive this sort of commission from the city.
Midpark at 72nd Street
Costas Tavernarakis / Flickr
The Mall
This beguiling promenade is shaded by a curving canopy of American elms—a favorite tree of the park’s designers. At the south end of
the Mall is the Literary Walk, flanked by statues of Shakespeare, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and other historic and literary figures.
Midpark from 66th–72nd Sts.lucianafujii / Flickr
The Carousel
The original carousel was built in 1871; fires destroyed it and a successor. Park officials searched high and low for a replacement, only to discover this treasure abandoned in an old trolley building on
Coney Island. Its 58 colorful steeds—among the largest carousel ponies in the world—were hand-carved by Russian immigrants Solomon Stein and Harry Goldstein in 1908.
Midpark at 64th St.
Tomás Fano / Flickr
Wollman Rink and Victorian Gardens Amusement Park
Remember the movie
Love Story? This is where he skated right before she died. It's still a dazzling spot to strap on skates and go for a whirl.
Fifth Ave. btw. 62nd & 63rd Sts.joevare / Flickr
The Arsenal
Predating the park, this Gothic Revival building looks like a fortress—which it briefly was, when it lodged troops in the Civil War. It was later the original site of the
American Museum of Natural History and even home to some of P. T. Barnum’s circus animals, from a black bear to white swans. Today, it holds the park headquarters and a third-floor art gallery.
Fifth Ave. & 64th St.
kowarski/flickr
Central Park Zoo