Lush lawns, cool forests, flowering gardens, glassy bodies of water and meandering, wooded paths provide a dose of serene nature amid the urban rush of New York City. Today, this ‘people’s park’ is still one of the city’s most popular attractions.
Great For…
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yDon’t Miss
Free or inexpensive tours with the Central Park Conservancy (www.centralparknyc.org/tours), including ones that focus on public art, wildlife, and places of interest to kids.
8Need to Know
MAPGOOGLE MAP;www.centralparknyc.org;59th to 110th Sts, btwn Central Park West & Fifth Ave;
h6am-1am;
c
5Take a Break
Class things up with an afternoon martini at the Loeb Boathouse(MAPGOOGLE MAP;
%212-517-2233;www.thecentralparkboathouse.com;Central Park Lake, Central Park, near E 74th St;mains lunch $26-38, dinner $29-45;
hrestaurant noon-4pm Mon-Fri, from 9:30am Sat & Sun year-round, 5:30-9:30pm Mon-Fri, from 6pm Sat & Sun Apr-Nov;
bB, C to 72nd St; 6 to 77th St).
oTop Tip
To escape the crowds, try the North Meadow (north of 97th St) or the Harlem Meer.
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.
Throughout the year, visitors find 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...
