One of the most emblematic sites of New York is Central Park, the central park that is known worldwide thanks to cinema and television. And for that very reason, thanks to the media, there is no tourist who goes to this cosmopolitan city and misses it.
But Central Park is big and has history, so… do you know what corners you cannot miss, what should you know before setting foot in it or what not? Here we take out your doubts.
Central park
It is nothing but a huge urban park that is in Manhattan, New York. It measures about 4 thousand by 8 thousand meters and is really huge. The idea of shaping a park was born in the nineteenth century when the population of the city skyrocketed and the need for an open and green space for recreation was evident.
Everything followed a legal course and the park began to be born from the second half of the XNUMXth century, when the corresponding competition for its design was opened. The winners were a landscaper and an architect, both inspired by the great parks of old Europe, but with innovations typical of a time that was changing fast and envisioning new inventions. Thus, the park has, for example, paths for pedestrians, for carriages and for other vehicles, all separate, all designed for the activity that the site would have.
But nobody lived there that the park could be built? Well, when the state decides to do something on lands that are its own, people fly and this was the case. Its inhabitants, black, Irish and German immigrants, were evicted, and work was done to gain a few additional square kilometers for the additional project. The works were mainly carried out between the late 50s of the 70th century and the beginning of the XNUMXs of the same century.
The land was filled in, the land was enriched, shrubs, plants and a variety of trees were planted. The works officially ended in 1873 And although it had some good years, the truth is that social and technological changes happened very quickly and the park was not adapted, so it fell into neglect. It was only in the 30s, after the Great Crisis, that the park became important again for the city authorities.
What is Central Park like
El park it has very large green spaces, several gardens, a multitude of bridges and paths. There are also lagoons and ponds. The most important pond is the Reservoir Jackeline Kennedy Onassis, with just over 42 hectares and 12 meters. Around it is a two-and-a-half-kilometer jogging track. For its part, the Great Lawn is the largest and most well-known green space, right in the center and close to two important museums, the MoMa and the Museum of Natural History.
Another water mirror is The lake, with 7 hectares, navigable for boats and small boats and in winter, prepared for skating. Another is The Pond, Much smaller. In addition to green spaces, bridges, lakes and ponds, there are numerous monuments and other constructions: there is the Strawberry Fields honoring Lennon, killed right in the Dakota Building across the street, also the Belvedere Castle of 1865, where today the meteorological observatory operates, or the Bethesda font.
There is also a carousel, a casino, a horse-drawn carriage trail, a musical clock, laces, an obelisk, the Romeo and Juliet statue, Shakespeare's Garden, a Swiss hut, a tennis center, the statue of Thomas Moore, a zoo and much more. I like the bridges so there are seven to cross: the Bow, the Gapstow, the Greyshot, the Greywacke, the Inscope, the Trefoil, and the Willowdell.
Activities in Central Park
In addition to all these corners that we name above the park offers many activities for children and adults. For the little ones there is a special zoo with educational exhibits, basketball clinics, the carousel, an aquatic conservatory that keeps models of boats and boats for walks and also statues of Alice in Wonderland and in the Swiss Cabin there is a theater of puppets.
It also can ice skating, being this one of the funniest activities of the New York winter. The Wollman Rink It was built in 1949 and in the 80s it was renovated with money from today's President Trump. Thousands of people attend each year and you only have to visit the ice rink's website to find out times and rates. Another clue is the Lasker Skating Rink which is at the north end of the park, with instructors.
El Natural Observatory It works in a beautiful building, the Belvedere Castle, and your visit is very entertaining with maps, telescopes, microscopes and visits to the Turtle Pond or the Rambla. It opens from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. Are you not a scientist but an artist? Then you may be interested in the Shakespeare performances that take place between the end of May and the end of August. Is about Shakespare in the Park.
The Victorian Gardens They are beautiful and welcome the whole family with their attractions and birthday parties and if instead of going in winter you go in summer maybe you want one. If so, your favorites are East Green, East Meadow, Great Lawn, and Sheep Meadow. And in good weather there are also movie screenings in the Central Park Film Festival or ride a rental bike.
As you can see, the park offers a lot of things to do, it does not matter if it is hot or cold, but to summarize I leave you the 10 places you can't miss in Central Park: Conservatory Water, Wollman Skate Rink, The Imagine Mosaic at Strawberry Fields, Conservatory Garden, Central Park Reservoir, Bow Bridge, Bethesda Fountain, the Carousel, Belvedere Castle and the Zoo.
And here goes the Top 10 most romantic spots in Central Park: The Pond, Wollman Skating Rink, Conservatory Water, Cherry Hill, Shakespeare Garden, Conservatory Garden, The Boathouse Restaurant, Belvedere Castle, Bethesda Fountain and Bow Bridge.