Il Central Park a New York is a green space of over 300 hectares located in the borough of Manhattan. It's surely one of the main attractions and things to see of the Big Apple. The park it hosts artificial lakes, pedestrian paths, an ice skating rink, a wildlife park, sports meadows and outdoor games.
With an average of 25 million visitors a year, Central Park is the most visited park in the United States. The park was completed in 1873, after thirteen years of construction. Since then it has not only been the green lung of the Big Apple, but also the meeting place and leisure for New Yorkers and tourists. Almost 100 people go there a day to walk, meet, play sports and play on its extensive green lawns.
The park stretches from 59th to 110th Streets, between 5th and 8th Avenues. Its dimensions are impressive, this public garden is the largest green space in New York City.
The curious thing is that this green oasis is located in the middle of the forest of skyscrapers of Manhattan, in the north of the island, where the buildings are less high. The park has an extension of 3,41 km², has a length of almost 4 km and a length of 800 meters, the perimeter of the park is almost 10 km.
To do
- walk along the tree-lined avenues of the park.
- Playing sports. A 9,7 km long road, relatively invisible to motorists, surrounds the park. Here pedestrians, cyclists, runners and sportsmen in general walk and train at all hours of the day. If you want to do some sport in the Big Apple this is the best choice.
- rent a canoe (the cost is low) and do a boat trip del lago to The Loeb Boathouse.
- rent a bike to be able to enjoy pleasant bike rides, but also to visit the park more quickly.
- playing frisbee o to relax on the extensive green lawn of Sheep Meadows. There are many, especially on sunny days, who choose this lawn for have a picnic on its soft grass.
- A carriage ride for the most romantic.
To see
Central Park is so large that it would take several days to visit it entirely, so we recommend aiming for the main attractions.
- the Central Park Zoo, a wildlife park consisting of four zoos and an aquarium managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society. The zoo is home to an indoor rainforest, over 130 different species of animals, tropical birds, a chilled penguin house, and a polar bear pool.
- 21 playgrounds for children. The largest (12.000 square meters) is the Heckscher playground called August Heckscher.
- lo Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, a typical Swedish cottage. It was imported to the United States in 1876 for the Swedish Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Today it is a puppet theater.
- Strawberry Fields, the Mosaic with the inscription “Imagine”.
- Central Park Carousel, installed in 1951, is one of the largest rides in the United States.
- The Mall, the most important avenue in the park.
- the Belvedere Castle one of the most interesting historical buildings in the whole of New York.
- the Bethesda Terrace and its fountain represent the heart of the park.
- the Bow Bridge, one of the most photographed bridges in the park, also for its particular charm in autumn.
Opening Hours
The park is always open 24 hours a day, 24 days a week. However, we recommend a visit in the central hours of the day, both to fully experience and enjoy this green oasis, and for greater safety.
Admission prices
Entrance to the park is free. Some attractions such as the Central Park Zoo require a fee.
Getting around
Inside the park you can move in different ways. You can rent a bike, you can walk, run or take a carriage ride. It is advisable, in order not to get lost and to plan the itineraries, to obtain a detailed map of the park.
The park is also crossed by numerous lines of bus traveling from east to west along the cross roads.
How to reach us
Central Park is easily accessible by the subway. The lines to take are: A, B, C, D and 1 which stop at Columbus Circle (at the southwest corner of the park). If you want to reach the western side, take the metro lines B and C which continue to Central Park West.
