Central Park is the largest public park in Manhattan, occupying an area of 840 acres. It was conceived in the 1840s by editor William Cullen Bryant and landscape architect Andrew Jackson Downing, who were concerned with the increased urbanization of Manhattan and called for a large public park to be built. At this time, the population of the city was only around 300,000, with most residing south of 14th Street, so this area was a barren landscape.
The clearing of the site started in 1857 and involved the removal of shanties, squatters, free roaming livestock, open sewers, and bone-boiling works. During construction over 5 million trees and shrubs were planted, and roads and bridges were constructed.
The park finally opened in 1876; a masterpiece in artificial landscaping offering lakes, swathes of grass, gentle slopes and rocky walks. Wherever you are, you’ll find a beautiful vista and as a result it has become a featured location in many films and TV shows; When Harry Met Sally, Home Alone and Friends.
True to Bryant and Downing’s vision, Central Park really is an oasis in the heart of the city; the perfect place to escape the frenetic pace of modern-day, urban Manhattan.
©TotalTrips.com
Tips
- Combine with a trip to The Metropolitan Museum of Art (“the Met”). To see Central Park’s key highlights once you've finished at the Museum, walk slightly back down 5th Avenue from The Met. Take the footpath into Central Park opposite 79th Street and head towards The Loeb Boathouse. From here, take the path anti-clockwise around the lake to the viewing area, then onto Strawberry Fields before making your way back to 5th Avenue Station via Bethesda Terrace.
- Alternatively, combine with a visit to the American Museum of Natural History, on the opposite side of the park.
Highlights
- There are lots of sights and areas to explore within the park but it’s a huge area, so it really does depend on how much time you have to spare, some of the key highlights are:
o Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, considered to be the heart of the park by its designers.
o Beautiful Bow Bridge.
o Taking a boat out on the lake.
o Strawberry Fields, named after the Beatles song, and dedicated to John Lennon who lived in the nearby Dakota Building. Its central feature is the ‘Imagine’ mosaic, inspired by Lennon’s most famous solo work, which was donated by the city of Naples, Italy. - Perhaps the beauty of Central Park is just allowing yourself time to get lost and really discover it…