Central Park

Central Park is an 843-acre public park in the heart of Manhattan, New York City, extending from 59th Street at the south to 110th Street at the north, flanked by Fifth Avenue and Central Park West. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in the 1850s and completed over the following decades, it remains one of the most carefully planned and visited urban parks in the world. The southern end contains the most concentrated attractions: the Dairy Visitor Center near 65th Street, the Sheep Meadow — a broad lawn where picnickers spread out on warm days — and the Wollman Rink, which operates as an ice skating rink in winter and an amusement park in summer. Bethesda Terrace and its ornate Bethesda Fountain, at the level of 72nd Street, is one of the park's most photographed spots. Bow Bridge, a cast-iron Victorian bridge spanning the Lake nearby, offers views of the Central Park skyline including the distinctive towers of the San Remo and El Dorado apartments. Strawberry Fields, a teardrop-shaped memorial area at 72nd Street on the West Side, centers on a black-and-white mosaic reading IMAGINE in memory of John Lennon. The Ramble, a wooded section north of the Lake, is renowned as one of the best urban birdwatching sites in North America. The Central Park Zoo at 64th Street has penguins, red pandas, and sea lions and is well suited to shorter visits. Conservatory Garden, the park's only formal garden, occupies six acres in the northeast corner near 105th Street. Biking along the 6-mile loop road — closed to cars during daylight hours on weekdays and all weekend — is a popular way to cover the park's full length.