Fodor's Expert Review Central Park

Central Park City Park Fodor's Choice
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Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Central Park's creators, landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, had a simple goal when they submitted their plan in 1858: to design a place where city dwellers could go to forget the city. Even though New York eventually grew far taller than the trees planted to hide it, the park has always been an urbanized Eden that gives residents and visitors alike a bite of the apple. Indeed, without Central Park's 843 acres of meandering paths, tranquil lakes, ponds, and open meadows, New Yorkers (especially Manhattanites) might be a lot less sane. Olmsted and Vaux also designed Brooklyn's Prospect Park and the grounds of the White House.

The busy southern section of Central Park, from 59th to 72nd Street, is where most people get their first impression. But no matter how many people congregate around here, you can always find a spot to picnic, ponder, or just take in the foliage, even on a sunny weekend day. Playgrounds, lawns, jogging and biking paths, and striking... READ MORE

Central Park's creators, landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, had a simple goal when they submitted their plan in 1858: to design a place where city dwellers could go to forget the city. Even though New York eventually grew far taller than the trees planted to hide it, the park has always been an urbanized Eden that gives residents and visitors alike a bite of the apple. Indeed, without Central Park's 843 acres of meandering paths, tranquil lakes, ponds, and open meadows, New Yorkers (especially Manhattanites) might be a lot less sane. Olmsted and Vaux also designed Brooklyn's Prospect Park and the grounds of the White House.

The busy southern section of Central Park, from 59th to 72nd Street, is where most people get their first impression. But no matter how many people congregate around here, you can always find a spot to picnic, ponder, or just take in the foliage, even on a sunny weekend day. Playgrounds, lawns, jogging and biking paths, and striking buildings populate the midsection of the park, from 72nd Street to the reservoir. You can soak up the sun, take in the public art, take pictures at Bethesda Fountain, visit the penguins at the Central Park Zoo, or join the runners huffing counterclockwise on the dirt track that surrounds the reservoir. North of the reservoir and up to 110th Street, Central Park is less crowded and feels more rugged. The Central Park Conservancy is currently revitalizing the area around the Harlem Meer at the north end of the park to add a full-scale ice rink, an additional new skating experience on the Meer, a larger-than-Olympic-size pool, and revamp the parkland around it. The work is scheduled for completion in mid-2024. To find out about park events and year-round walking tours, check the website of the Central Park Conservancy,  www.centralparknyc.org.

If you're taking the subway to the park's southernmost parts, the stops at either Columbus Circle (southwest corner) or 5th Avenue–59th Street (southeast corner) are handy. If headed for points north, the A, B, C, and D subway lines travel along Central Park West (beware of local versus express stops); the 4, 5, and 6 lines travel along Lexington Avenue, three blocks east of 5th Avenue and the park.

There are many paved pedestrian entrances into the park from 5th Avenue, Central Park North (110th Street), Central Park West, and Central Park South (59th Street). Four roads, or transverses, for cars and city busses cut through the park from east to west—66th, 79th, 86th, and 96th Streets. The East and West drives are both along the north–south axis; Center Drive enters the south edge of the park at 6th Avenue and connects with East Drive around 66th Street. Cars are no longer allowed on the drives, which are exclusively for pedestrians, cyclists and horse-drawn carriages. Along the main loop, lampposts are marked with location codes that include a letter—always "E" (for east) or "W" (for west)—followed by numbers, the first two of which tell you the nearest cross street. For example, E7803 means you're near 78th Street; above 99, the initial "1" is omitted, so W0401 is near West 104th Street. Download the Central Park Conservancy's free app for a GPS-enabled map to help you navigate the park. The app also includes an audio guide, self-guided tours, and current events in the park, as well as a new interactive Cherry Blossom Tracker Map to help visitors and locals track when and where the flowers will peak in the park in spring. 

If you haven't packed a picnic and you want a snack, you can usually find one of those rather tired-looking food carts selling hot dogs, pretzels and ice-cream sandwiches. Specialty food carts are often around, too, mostly in the park's southern half, especially when there are concerts or other major events—your taste buds will thank you. Other reliable options include the café next to the Boathouse Restaurant (midpark at 74th Street), or the park's branch of Le Pain Quotidien (midpark at 69th Street). Both serve sandwiches, soups, pastries, and other satisfying on-the-go grub (and Le Pain also has free Wi-Fi). For something a little more elegant, you can stop for brunch, lunch, or dinner at the Tavern on the Green.

As part of a parkwide restoration project named Plan for Play, all 21 playgrounds have undergone (or are still scheduled to receive) updates. Most have seen renovations to play structures, plus other improvements that will ensure each one's structural stability and ongoing maintenance for years to come.

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City Park Fodor's Choice Family Green Romantic Pet Friendly Free

Quick Facts

New York, New York  USA

212-794–6564-for Dairy Visitor Center

www.centralparknyc.org

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