Central Park
Good for: relaxing, Picnics, taking photos, having a picnic, meeting up with friends
- Address
- Manhattan Bounded by 5th Ave & Central Park W
- Transport
- Website
- Phone
- 212-360-3444
- Price
- free
- Hours
- 06:00-01:00
Lonely Planet review for Central Park
Like the city’s subway system, the vast and majestic Central Park, an 843-acre rectangle of open space in the middle of Manhattan, is a great class leveler – which is exactly what it was envisioned to be. Created in the 1860s and ’70s by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux on the marshy northern fringe of the city, the immense park was designed as a leisure space for all New Yorkers, regardless of color, class or creed. And it’s an oasis from the insanity: the lush lawns, cool forests, flowering gardens, glassy bodies of water and meandering, wooded paths providing the dose of serene nature that New Yorkers crave. Olmsted and Vaux (who also created Prospect Park in Brooklyn) were determined to keep foot and road traffic separate and cleverly designed the crosstown transverses under elevated roads to do so. That such a large expanse of prime real estate has survived intact for so long again proves that nothing eclipses the heart, soul and pride that forms the foundation of New York City’s greatness. Today, this ‘people’s park’ is still one of the city’s most popular attractions, beckoning throngs of New Yorkers with free outdoor concerts at the Great Lawn, precious animals at the Central Park Wildlife Center and top-notch drama at the annual Shakespeare in the Park productions, held each summer at the open-air Delacorte Theater. Some other recommended stops include the ornate Bethesda Fountain, which edges the Lake and its Loeb Boathouse, where you can rent rowboats or enjoy lunch at an outdoor cafe; the Shakespeare Garden (west side btwn 79th & 80th Sts), which has lush plantings and excellent skyline views; and the Ramble (mid-park from 73rd to 79th Sts), a wooded thicket that’s popular with bird-watchers. While parts of the park swarm with joggers, in-line skaters, musicians and tourists on warm weekends, it’s quieter on weekday afternoons – but especially in less well-trodden spots above 72nd St such as the Harlem Meer and the North Meadow (north of 97th St). Folks flock to the park even in winter, when snowstorms can inspire cross-country skiing and sledding or a simple stroll through the white wonderland, and crowds turn out every New Year’s Eve for a midnight run. The Central Park Conservancy offers ever-changing guided tours of the park, including those that focus on public art, wildlife and places of interest to kids.
Traveller reviews for Central Park (8)
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Green in the middle of the city
philkay111 recommends this,
A massive park with lots of different sections. Never gets boring.
Best place to go in NYC to relax, or when it's sunny.Good for: relaxing
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My favourite site in New York
emmabids recommends this,
during my stay in new york this june, i was only able to go to central park three times: once to sit in shakespeare's garden before going to the museum of natural history, a second time to watch 'jazz in the park' and lastly for a bike ride tour of the park. i have to say that the bike tour definitely became my favourite memory of the whole city, so i'm definitely recommending it!
Good for: relaxing, taking photos, having a picnic, meeting up with friends
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Classic beauty.
reedalvarado recommends this,
Too many beautiful places for one park! The boathouse is a great place to eat with great views. Just walk, walk, walk, and walk. You won't be disappointed.
Good for: views, parks
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Picnic the Park
raphamatics recommends this,
Take the time to check out the boathouse and ball park in Central Park. There’s a wholefoods market downstairs in Columbus Circle that's great for picnic supplies. We spent a number of days lying in the park near the Hecksher ballfield, soaking up the sun on the grass and watching the ball players.
Good for: Picnics, a sunny afternoon
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Biking in Central Park
wonderaround recommends this,
I completely agree with eyelepeople - the best way to see the park is to take a bike tour. We are still in New York and yesterday we took the bike tour around Central Park. It was amazing! There were multiple stops on the tour and the guide was great. We've been in the park before but this time our tour guide showed us some unique places that are like hidden gems in the park. There are 2 spectacular waterfalls that were so deep in the park that we would never be able to find by ourselves.
We book our tour from a company called Central Park Tours. Their website is http://www.centralparktours.net
Our tour guide's name was George and we highly recommend him! Good Luck to everyone and have a safe travelling!
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