Without the miracle of civic planning that is Central Park, Manhattan would be a virtual unbroken block of buildings. Instead, smack in the middle of Gotham, an 843-acre natural retreat provides a daily escape valve and tranquilizer for millions of New Yorkers.
While you're in the city, be sure to take advantage of the park's many charms -- not the least of which is its sublime layout. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a competition with a plan that marries flowing paths with sinewy bridges, integrating them into the natural rolling landscape with its rocky outcroppings, man-made lakes, and wooded pockets. The park's construction, between 1859 and 1870, provided much-needed employment during an economic depression and drew the city's population into the upper reaches of the island, which at that time were still quite rural. Nevertheless, designers predicted the hustle and bustle to come, and tactfully hid traffic from the eyes and ears of park-goers by building roads that are largely hidden from the bucolic view.
On just about any day, Central Park is crowded with New Yorkers and visitors alike. On nice days, especially weekend days, it's the city's party central. Families come to play in the snow or the sun, depending on the season; in-line skaters come to fly through the crisp air and twirl in front of the band shell; couples come to stroll or paddle the lake; dog owners come to hike and throw Frisbees to Bowser; and just about everybody comes to sunbathe at the first sign of summer. On beautiful days, the crowds are part of the appeal -- folks come here to peel off their urban armor and relax, and the common goal puts a general feeling of camaraderie in the air. On these days, the people-watching is more compelling than anywhere else in the city. But even on the most crowded days, there's always somewhere to get away from it all, if you just want a little peace and quiet, and a moment to commune with nature.
Central Park in the Snow -- There are few sights as lovely as Central Park after a snowstorm. It's as though our otherwise clamorous city is temporarily hushed, blanketed by the fresh fallen snow. If you are lucky enough to be in New York during a snowfall, head up to Central Park and experience the magic.
Orientation & Getting There -- Look at your map -- that great green swath in the center of Manhattan is Central Park. It runs from 59th Street (also known as Central Park S.) at the south end to 110th Street at the north end, and from Fifth Avenue on the east side to Central Park West (the equivalent of Eighth Ave.) on the west side. A 6-mile (9.5km) rolling road, Central Park Drive, circles the park, and has a lane set aside for bikers, joggers, and in-line skaters. A number of transverse (crosstown) roads cross the park at major points -- at 65th, 79th, 86th, and 97th streets -- but they're built down a level, largely out of view, to minimize intrusion on the bucolic nature of the park.
A number of subway stops and lines serve the park, and which one you take depends on where you want to go. To reach the southernmost entrance on the west side, take an A, B, C, D, 1, or 9 to 59th Street/Columbus Circle. To reach the southeast corner entrance, take the N, R to Fifth Avenue; from this stop, it's an easy walk into the park to the Information Center in the Dairy (tel. 212/794-6564; open daily 11am-5pm, to 4pm in winter), midpark at about 65th Street. Here you can ask questions, pick up park information, and purchase a good park map.
If your time for exploring is limited, I suggest entering the park at 72nd or 79th streets for maximum exposure (subway: B, C to 72nd St. or 81st St./Museum of Natural History). From here, you can pick up park information at the visitor center at Belvedere Castle (tel. 212/772-0210; open Tues-Sun 10am-5pm, to 4pm in winter), midpark at 79th Street. There's also a third visitor center at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (tel. 212/860-1370; open daily 11am-5pm, to 4pm in winter), at the northeast corner of the park at Harlem Meer, at 110th Street between Fifth and Lenox avenues (subway: 2, 3 to Central Park N./110th St.). The Dana Center is also an environmental education center hosting workshops, exhibits, music programs, and park tours, and lends fishing poles for fishing in Harlem Meer (park policy is catch-and-release).
Food carts and vendors are set up at all of the park's main gathering points, selling hot dogs, pretzels, and ice cream, so finding a bite to eat is never a problem. You'll also find a fixed food counter at the Conservatory, on the east side of the park north of the 72nd Street entrance, and both casual snacks and more sophisticated New American dining at The Boat House, on the lake near 72nd Street and Park Drive North (tel. 212/517-2233).
Guided Walks -- The Central Park Conservancy offers a slate of free walking tours of the park; call tel. 212/360-2726 or check www.centralparknyc.org for the current schedule (click on the "Walking Tours" button on the left). The Dana Center hosts ranger-guided tours on occasion (call tel. 212/860-1370 or 800/201-PARK for schedule). Also consider a private walking tour; many of the companies listed in "Tours," offer guided tours of the park.
For Further Information -- Call the main number at tel. 212/360-3444 for recorded information, or 212/310-6600 or 212/628-1036 to speak to a live person. Call tel. 888/NY-PARKS for special events information. The park also has two comprehensive websites that are worth checking out before you go: The city parks department's site at www.centralpark.org, and the Central Park Conservancy's site at www.centralparknyc.org, both of which feature excellent maps and a far more complete rundown of park attractions and activities than I have room to include here. If you have an emergency in the park, dial tel. 800/201-PARK, which will link you directly to the park rangers.
Safety Tip -- Even though the park has the lowest crime rate of any of the city's precincts, keep your wits about you, especially in the more remote northern end. It's a good idea to avoid the park entirely after dark, unless you're heading to one of the restaurants for dinner or to a Summerstage or Shakespeare in the Park event, when you should stick with the crowds.
Exploring The Park -- The best way to see Central Park is to wander along the park's 58 miles of winding pedestrian paths, keeping in mind the following highlights.
Before starting your stroll, stop by the Information Center in the Dairy (tel. 212/794-6464; open daily 11am to 5pm, to 4pm in winter), midpark in a 19th-century-style building overlooking Wollman Rink at about 65th Street, to get a good park map and other information on sights and events, and to peruse the kid-friendly exhibit on the park's history and design.
The southern part of Central Park is more formally designed and heavily visited than the relatively rugged and remote northern end. Not far from the Dairy is the Carousel with 58 hand-carved horses (tel. 212/879-0244; open daily April-November 10am to 6pm, to 4:30pm in winter; rides are $1); the zoo (below); and the Wollman Rink for roller- or ice-skating (see "Activities," below).
The Mall, a long formal walkway lined with elms shading benches and sculptures of sometimes forgotten writers, leads to the focal point of Central Park, Bethesda Fountain (along the 72nd St. transverse road). Bethesda Terrace and its grandly sculpted entryway border a large lake where dogs fetch sticks, rowboaters glide by, and dedicated early morning anglers try their luck at catching carp, perch, catfish, and bass. You can rent a rowboat at or take a gondola ride from Loeb Boathouse, on the eastern end of the lake (see "Activities," below). Boats of another kind are at Conservatory Water (on the east side at 73rd St.), a stone-walled pond flanked by statues of both Hans Christian Andersen and Alice in Wonderland. On Saturday at 10am, die-hard yachtsmen race remote-controlled sailboats in fierce competitions that follow Olympic regulations. (Sorry, model boats aren't for rent.)
If the action there is too intense, Sheep Meadow on the southwestern side of the park is a designated quiet zone, where Frisbee throwing and kite flying are as energetic as things get. Another respite is Strawberry Fields, at 72nd Street on the West Side. This memorial to John Lennon, who was murdered across the street at the Dakota apartment building (72nd St. and Central Park W., northwest corner), is a gorgeous garden centered around an Italian mosaic bearing the title of the lead Beatle's most famous solo song, and his lifelong message: IMAGINE. In keeping with its goal of promoting world peace, the garden has 161 varieties of plants, donated by each of the 161 nations in existence when it was designed in 1985. This is a wonderful place for peaceful contemplation.
Bow Bridge, a graceful lacework of cast iron, designed by Calvert Vaux, crosses over the lake and leads to the most bucolic area of Central Park, the Ramble. This dense 38-acre woodland with spiraling paths, rocky outcroppings, and a stream is the best spot for bird-watching and feeling as if you've discovered an unimaginably leafy forest right in the middle of the city.
North of the Ramble, Belvedere Castle is home to the Henry Luce Nature Observatory (tel. 212/772-0210), worth a visit if you're with children. From the castle, set on Vista Rock (the park's highest point at 135 ft./40.5m), you can look down on the Great Lawn, where softball players and sun worshipers compete for coveted greenery, and the Delacorte Theater, home to Shakespeare in the Park. The small Shakespeare Garden south of the theater is scruffy, but it does have plants, herbs, trees, and other bits of greenery mentioned by the playwright. Behind the Belvedere Castle is the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (tel. 212/988-9093), hosting various marionette plays for children throughout the year; call to see what's on.
Continue north along the east side of the Great Lawn, parallel to East Drive. Near the glass-enclosed back of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is Cleopatra's Needle, a 69-foot (21m) obelisk originally erected in Heliopolis around 1475 B.C. It was given to the city as a gift from the khedive of Egypt in 1880. (The khedive bestowed a similar obelisk to the city of London, which now sits on the Embankment of the Thames.)
North of the 86th Street Transverse Road is the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, so named after the death of the beloved first lady, who lived nearby and often enjoyed a run along the 1 1/2-mile (2.5km) jogging track that circles the reservoir.
North of the reservoir is my favorite part of the park. It's much less traversed and in some areas, absolutely tranquil. The North Meadow (at 96th St.) features 12 baseball and softball fields; it's here that the Harlem Little League, which made it to the Little League World Series in 2002, plays many of their games, so you might just spot the next Jeter out there. Sadly, the North Meadow is circled by a not very attractive fence and six months of the year that fence is locked and the Meadow closed. An unfortunate recent trend in Central Park has been the proliferation of fences. They have become so prevalent, that at times you get the feeling you are not really in a park, but a museum.
North of the North Meadow, at the northeast end of the park is the Conservatory Garden (at 105th St. and Fifth Ave.), Central Park's only formal garden, with a magnificent display of flowers and trees reflected in calm pools of water. (The gates to the garden once fronted the Fifth Ave. mansion of Cornelius Vanderbilt II.) The Lasker Rink and Pool (tel. 212/534-7639) is the only swimming pool in Central Park and in the winter its converted to a skating rink that offers a less hectic alternative to Wollman Rink (see "Activities," below). Harlem Meer and its boathouse were recently renovated and look beautiful. The boathouse now berths the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, near 110th Street between Fifth and Lenox avenues (tel. 212/860-1370), where children learn about the environment and borrow fishing poles for catch-and-release at no charge. The Pool (at W. 100th Street), possibly the most idyllic spot in all of Central Park, was recently renovated and features willows, grassy banks and a small pond populated by some very well-fed ducks. You might even spot an egret and a hawk or two lurking around here.
Softball for the Stars -- Every spring and summer, Central Park is home to dozens of softball leagues. One of the oldest and most celebrated is the Broadway Show League (tel. 212/944-3849; www.broadwayshowleague.com), which plays at Hecksher Fields, around 63rd Street on the west side of the park (check the website for schedule). The league features representatives from all the major Broadway productions; in 2002 The Producers beat out the team from 42nd Street to capture their second consecutive league championship. The co-ed games, which are open for all to watch, can get pretty intense and you might be surprised who you see out there shagging flies; Al Pacino, Matthew Broderick, and Robert Redford have all played in the league. I once witnessed Edie Falco slide headfirst into second base. And yes, she was safe.
Activities -- The 6-mile (9.5km) rolling road circling the park, Central Park Drive, has a lane set aside for bikers, joggers, and in-line skaters. The best time to use it is when the park is closed to traffic: Monday to Friday 10am to 3pm (except Thanksgiving-New Year's) and 7 to 10pm. It's also closed from 7pm Friday to 6am Monday, but when the weather is nice, the crowds can be hellish.
Biking -- Off-road mountain biking isn't permitted; stay on Central Park Drive or your bike may be confiscated by park police.
You can rent 3- and 10-speed bikes as well as tandems in Central Park at the Loeb Boathouse, midpark near 72nd Street and Park Drive North, just in from Fifth Avenue (tel. 212/517-2233 or 212/517-3623), for $9 to $15 an hour, with a complete selection of kids' bikes, cruisers, tandems, and the like ($200 deposit required); at Metro Bicycles, 1311 Lexington Ave., at 88th Street (tel. 212/427-4450), for about $7 an hour, or $35 a day; and at Toga Bike Shop, 110 West End Ave., at 64th Street (tel. 212/799-9625; www.togabikes.com), for $30 a day. No matter where you rent, be prepared to leave a credit-card deposit.
Boating -- From March through November, gondola rides and rowboat rentals are available at the Loeb Boathouse, midpark near 74th Street and Park Drive North, just in from Fifth Avenue (tel. 212/517-2233 or 212/517-3623). Rowboats are $10 for the first hour, $2.50 every 15 minutes thereafter, and a $30 deposit is required; reservations are accepted. (Note that rates were not set for the summer season at press time, so these may change.)
Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides -- At the entrance to the park at 59th Street and Central Park South, you'll see a line of horse-drawn carriages waiting to take passengers on a ride through the park or along certain of the city's streets. Horses belong on city streets as much as chamber pots belong in our homes. You won't need me to tell you how forlorn most of these horses look; if you insist, a ride is about $50 for two for a half hour, but I suggest skipping it.
Ice-Skating -- Central Park's Wollman Rink, on the east side of the park between 62nd and 63rd streets (tel. 212/439-6900; www.wollmanskatingrink.com), is the city's best outdoor skating spot, more spacious than the tiny rink at Rockefeller Center. It's open for skating generally from mid-October to mid-April, depending on the weather. Rates are $8.50 for adults, $4.50 for seniors and kids under 12, and skate rental is $4.75; lockers are available (locks are $6.75). Lasker Rink tel. 212/534-7639, on the east side around 106th street is a less expensive alternative to the much more crowded Wollman Rink. Open November through March. Rates are $4.50 for adults, $2.25 for kids under 12, and skate rental is $4.75.
In-Line Skating -- Central Park is the city's most popular place for blading. See the beginning of this section for details on Central Park Drive, the main drag for skaters. On weekends, head to West Drive at 67th Street, behind Tavern on the Green, where you'll find trick skaters weaving through an NYRSA slalom course at full speed, or the Mall in front of the band shell (above Bethesda Fountain) for twirling to tunes. In summer, Wollman Rink converts to a hotshot roller rink, with half-pipes and lessons available (see "Ice-Skating," above).
You can rent skates for $20 a day from Blades Board and Skate, 120 W. 72nd St., between Broadway and Columbus Avenue (tel. 212/787-3911; www.blades.com). Wollman Rink (above) also rents in-line skates for park use at similar rates.
Playgrounds -- Nineteen Adventure Playgrounds are scattered throughout the park, perfect for jumping, sliding, tottering, swinging, and digging. At Central Park West and 81st Street is the Diana Ross Playground, voted the city's best by New York magazine. Also on the west side is the Spector Playground, at 85th Street and Central Park West, and, a little farther north, the Wild West Playground at 93rd Street. On the east side is the Rustic Playground, at 67th Street and Fifth Avenue, a delightfully landscaped space rife with islands, bridges, and big slides; and the Pat Hoffman Friedman Playground, right behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art at East 79th Street, is geared toward older toddlers.
Running -- Marathoners and wannabes regularly run in Central Park along the 6-mile Central Park Drive, which circles the park (please run toward traffic to avoid being mowed down by wayward cyclists and in-line skaters). The New York Road Runners (tel. 212/860-4455 or www.nyrrc.org), organizers of the New York City Marathon, schedules group runs 7 days a week at 6am and 6pm, leaving from entrance to the Park at 90th Street and Fifth Avenue. (For the NYRRC's list of the suggested running routes, see "Running the City," below.)
Swimming -- The only pool in Central Park, Lasker Pool (on the east side at around 106th Street; tel. 212/534-7639) is open July 1 through Labor Day weekend. Rates are $4 for adults, $2 for kids under 12. Bring a towel.
Running the City -- Here are the New York Road Runners's top picks for running routes in Manhattan.
Central Park Reservoir: Possibly the most famous running route in the world. Bill Clinton jogged this 1 1/2 mile flat dirt track during the 1992 Democratic convention -- wonder if we'll see George W. chugging around it when the Republicans come to town in 2004.
The Loop in Central Park: I used to run past Madonna and her male bodyguards when she was a frequenter of the 6-mile loop. Now I see Howard Stern jogging, no bodyguards in sight, but usually with a female companion or two.
East River: Entering on 63rd Street and York Avenue and running up to 125th Street and back is a 6-mile jog where you will pass Gracie Mansion, high-rises overlooking the river, and fishermen testing the river waters.
Hudson River South: Enter at Chelsea Piers at West 23rd Street and continue down to Battery Park City and back for this approximately 5-mile run. In the warm months it's a carnival downtown with in-line skaters, kayakers, musicians, and cyclists crowding the slim downtown park.
Hudson River North: This approximately 6-mile run starts at Riverbank State Park at 145th Street on the Hudson River and continues through lovely Riverside Park, passing the 79th Street Boat Basin, and ending at the Intrepid Air & Space Museum.
For more information on city parks, go online to nycparks.completeinet.net.
