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Central Park
Rating Details »
- Nearest Transit:
-
86th St (B, C)
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
439 reviews for Central Park
I strolled from the 66th street entrance on a cold, brisk February afternoon into the park. It was a Sunday if I remember. Already visitors from all walks of life, from all corners of the globe wanted to visit the Gates, the Jeanne-Claude/Christo installation - nearly twenty-five years from conception to completion. Hushed whispers blended with joyful laughter of toddlers running throughout the park.
Rubbing my chin and thinking to myself, "What an undertaking!" I knew weeks before, volunteers were prepping the walks with mounts, posts and frames for the saffron drapes to hang freely in the breeze. Some anticipated the forthcoming project while others commented how silly the city was spending on this installation. What they didn't know or yet know, it was entirely funded privately. It costs about over $20 million dollars but brought nearly 5 million visitors during its three-week stint and close to a quarter of a billion dollars in revenue to the city.
Not a bad investment Mr. Bloomberg. Not bad.
I found a perch high above on a rock outcropping overlooking the valley facing southward towards Wollman... whoops, the rink formally known as Wollman. Grabbing a few photos and enjoying the view, I recognized a few faces such as actors James Cromwell, Liev Schrieber and Diane Sawyer, the anchorwoman. Yes, I even wondered if Holden Caulfield was here as well. It was a good day in Central Park.
(In tribute to Jeanne-Claude who passed away recently.)
It is as if it was all just a dream.
One of the highlights of any trip to New York is taking some time to stroll through the park. All of my recent visits have been in the month of November when the fall colors are stunning. I find myself practically breathless when I'm in New York because there is so much I want to see and do. This is the one place where I truly slow down and take it all in. I feel like I can breathe here.
Fall colors in Central Park compel people to do strange things. Like run 6 miles in the rain. (?!?!?!?!!!!!)
Central Park, you had me at hello.
Central Park...those times when I went row boating with my friends, ice skating, having picnics...oh yea and that time having a picnic on a HUGE rock because the soil was all soggy from the rain, frisbee tossing, a stroll with my camera, seeing very interesting people and musicians, walk-a-thons, having allergies like I've never had allergies before once I walk into the deeper forestry areas, and of course the beautiful autumn leaves! It's the closest thing to nature, while it's located right in the middle of Manhattan, how awesome is that?
Beautiful any time of the year. Usually, with all the shopping, and the shows, and the museums, and all the other myriad things you get to do in NY, this is one place that's easy to skip. Don't. Please go here, it is beautiful. My absolute favorite is the skating rink. Also, check out the zoo. The carriage rides look good, but they are expensive. If you've got money to burn, then do it. Otherwise, walk around (comfortable shoes, please) and you'll really enjoy yourself.
A Top 10 urban park as far as size but definitely tops in my heart.
Central Park was my "backyard" growing up and will forever be my favorite park in the world.
From rolling hills filled with kids on sleds and people on ice skates in the winter time to roller-bladers and sun-bathers in the summer, this park has a little for everyone. Concerts and plays, lakes and waterfalls, playgrounds and carousels, hiking trails and bike-paths, etc. etc. etc.
Went skateboarding with my massive longboard and two friends around the park on Saturday afternoon. Ive never had so much fun on my skateboard ever! I tried some new tricks, almost ate it a few times, and just loved the gentle slopes of the road. It was very smooth, there was no rocky asphalt to be found. It was a glorious 2 hour ride and just one of the many possible adventures to be had in this place.
I think enough people have said all that can be said about Central Park:
Beautiful, peaceful, smack dab in the middle of the city, close enough to the wildlife that is NYC, but secluded enough that you would think you were somewhere in the wilderness at times ( try getting lost and you'll know what I mean!)
Everyone MUST TAKE A DAY AND GO TO CENTRAL PARK.
Picnic, jogging, walking, eating, lounging.. whatever it is, everyone must go!
The most AWESOME BEAUTIFUL park EVER. the scenery and backdrop just take your breath away. seeing people jog and taking leisurely walks in person and on tv thru Central Park really inspires me to move here one day and be amongst the legions who make Central Park into their own backyard.
luckily i grew up a few blocks away from Golden Gate Park in SF. don't get me wrong, i love Golden Gate Park just as much, as its served many years of my wonderful childhood. but i just wanna see more of what Central Park has to offer.
Who doesn't love Central Park and just about everything about it?
Rowing on Central Park Lake, listening to awesome musicians, the bridges, the hills, the trees....... I could go on but I won't.
What would New York be without Central Park? It is so massive that you can never really walk the exact same path or see the same thing. The great thing about this place is that there is always something new to discover. When you get deep towards the center of the park, the city sounds are drained out and you truly feel in touch with nature. I'm not much of a nature person, but this park is just enough to get me relaxed when I need a quick break from the city. It is beautiful in any season, and the more I see, the more I love.
I visited Central Park during Spring..I spent most of my day there and I loved it. We even rode the the horse carriage..Romantic? Sure.. It was beautiful at night and I'm glad I got to see it during my visit in NYC.
I would want to go back during summer though...
Absolutely the most beautiful park I've ever seen! Who would expect, that right in the middle of one of the busiest, most urban city of the country, lies a giant, green haven to explore and enjoy. Visiting Central Park was the very first thing I did on my first trip to NYC. I was blown away by the beautiful landscaping, stunning views, and sights this park has to offer. You can easily spend hours, if not, days exploring the entire park; especially if you hit up the Met or Museum of Natural History.
There are plenty of paths to bike, jog, or take a leisure stroll on. If you're feeling super touristy or all mushy and romantic, you can even get pulled along in a horse-drawn carriage. Shoot, you can even row yourself around the lake if you want. It's $12 for the first hour and $3 for every 15 minutes after.
There's plenty to see and do for all ages. There's the zoo for the kiddos (and kids at heart). The grassy areas scattered throughout the park are ideal for a lot of things... you can bust out a good book, have a picnic, daydream, or just veg out. If you're feeling pasty white, you can plant yourself on a nice plot of grass and soak up some sun... I never saw so many people plopped out on beach towels, swimsuits and all, with no beach in sight. If you are drawn to entertainment, there always seems to be something going on (street performers, musicians, artists etc). You an even go running around to find all the different locations filmed in movies and tv shows.
The list of things to do here can go on forever. In fact, I'll just stop now and let you do the exploring yourself. So if you're in the city, do not leave without a visit to Central Park! It's my favorite place in NYC, and can quite possibly become yours.
So massive & huge! This park is not just a park, but an oasis in the middle of THE urban jungle. This park blows away any other park, makes Discovery Green look like, a small patch of grassy swamp..
My bad, I like Discovery Green, but i LOVE Central Park =)
Visit the MET ..... pending
Visit the MOma....pending
statue of liberty......probably never gona happen
Central park? CHECK.
On my list of things to do in NY, I'm glad i did complete at least one - central park is absolutely amazing and on a perfect fall day, it's great for a stroll, to people watch and to just relax. New-found appreciation for parks.....i hope that doesn't mean I'm aging....
Central Park. What hasn't been said? It is the epitome of what a park should be like. It is what our normal parks are like on steroids. I only had the opportunity to walk about 1/3 of it but what I saw was simply beautiful.
You have everything from an animal zoo to a lake to an ice skating rink inside. It offers different activities for all walks of life. I was able to climb up some of the gynormous rocks throughout the park, one of which had a nice view of the infamous Plaza Hotel. I love how all the locals bring their kids inside for a nice calm stroll. Either that or they just lay down on the grassy areas to read with their dogs. The trees and the benches put me at peace.
I want to come back and rent a boat out on their lake one day. Amazing.
Yes, just another fan of Central Park. As large (okay, 80% as big) and cool as our beloved Golden Gate Park in SF, it is a joy to jog or stroll or loiter in. (I managed all three).
A soweet, sweet park.
And opportunities to pet nice dogs do avail themselves. (Bonus).
Before doing a bunch of window shopping in New York, La Novia and I walked through half of Central Park. Trust me, that is a lot of walking.
When I was a kid, I rode the school bus and the bus came to a central location in my neighborhood called Silver Leaf Park. Some of the kids called it central park as it was in the "center" of the 'hood. And well, if you take that park and multiply it by approximately 894,127,745.12 you get Central Park. It's that freakin' big.
I saw little kids playing in the playground. I saw people playing tennis and basketball. I saw a lot of people jogging on various paths. I saw old people discussing the news of the day on benches. I saw plenty of young lovers sneaking kisses on the grass. I might have kissed La Novia once or twice.
The park was so scenic, she even allowed it. The New York Weather Gods were nice and gave us a beautiful day so the reservoir looked gorgeous.
During our walk, we noticed the Met was close by, but it was closing. So we decided the next day would require a visit there. And if weather permitting, another stroll through the most amazing park we have ever seen.
Wow.
Central Park is just an amazing place to experience the spectacular colors of autumn; yellow, orange, red and some remaining green blend together to highlight the beauty of nature's life cycles. This is the eternal transition from the end of one season to the beginning of another and is the pre-requisite of rebirth and renewal. I know I'm sounding a little philosophical here but that is what Central Park does to me.
Central Park has been a haven for my troubled psyche during this past year of being unemployed; it was a place I could escape to that was free of charge. However, when the very localized storm damaged hundreds of trees last August I realized that repair and restoration of the park does not come free. I viewed the website of The Central Park Conservancy and became aware of the tremendous clean up effort needed but I was not in a financial position to help at that time.
Just as seasons change so has my luck in the job market. I have been working fairly steady even though it has been at temporary positions. (Thank goodness for Suzanne's Temporary Agency... they have been wonderful!) This allowed me to make a small donation to the Conservancy and become a member. This is my way of showing appreciation for this "free" park and hope others will do the same.
I.
LOVE.
Central Park.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Yes'm, I do.
It's a necessary stop in NY. It provides a perfect getaway from the (beautiful) chaos of NYC. It has a calm bustle to it. There is a lot of activity, but it's very understated.
Seriously, go.
A must see. You can walk through central park from the American Museum of Natural History to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is a easy stroll. Takes about 7 to 10 minutes max!
The only place in NYC that I like.
America's most famous urban park ought to start out with five stars.
Subtract one star for that inane exhibit of cheap shower curtains some years back.
Subtract one more for the legion of damn fools who claimed to enjoy it; those folks won't appreciate this star rating, but at least they'll be happy with its color.
i'd love to give central park five stars, but 1) its so hard to go to the restrooms and 2) it was depressing to share a bench with a bat shit crazy lady who put her small dog in a bag and then fully zipped up said bag.
God damn, what a large park.
For a frame of reference, it's across the street where the Apple Store is.
I was blown away at the size of the place the other week. I cannot understand how some people can possibly walk the length of this park wearing dress shoes (I saw several people all dapered).
For New Yorkers, though this is currently the largest park in America, be on the lookout for Irvine, California. They're out to create the Great Park, which would surpass Central Park in terms of size.
While here the other week, I managed to do something quite traditional and play a game of chess at the area where you're allowed to play chess. I just caught them at the tail-end of their business hours, so I managed to snag a board and asked them to let us play one game. In the end, I was able to kick some ass and feel like I exercised my brain a little.
Further up north, there are running tracks and the large reservoir/lake where people can ride boats and do other mushy things.
Though the place is exactly how you picture it from movies and television, the one aspect that you don't get with those visuals is the smell of horse shit. There are horse-drawn carriages that go around and drop piles of fecal matter randomly. Just be on the lookout for any while trying to get back onto Fifth Avenue.
I've been here before but walked through again yesterday.
I can't say anything that hasn't already been said already but it's so nice to just relax in the middle of city with a gorgeous park like this.
Central Park is a great place to spend some time and have fun, I went here last July during my 2nd trip to NY and I loved it, it's a lot of fun just walking around the park and sightseeing, it's beautiful everywhere, it's clean everywhere, it's HUGE and I will be back here again when I visit NY again since I didn't get to see all of Central Park since it started to rain very badly when I was here.
I spent a fair amount of time in Central Park during my youth, college and my post-college years. Some fantastic memories filled with friends, picnics, music, acoustic guitars, beverages, sun bathing, "lazy man" lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, flag football and other things.
At 21, I used to live on 72nd Street, in between Broadway and Columbus, so just 1.5 blocks from the Dakota Building and the Strawberry Fields entrance to the park. After work and on weekends, I would enter this part of the park and go for a skate.....and yes, sometimes I'd break out one of my few NY Rangers jerseys on my way to a pick up roller hockey game. Yes, I'd see JFK Jr skating around the Park too, but inevitably, I'd run into someone I knew either skating, jogging or just chilling....
During my college years, I'd take my little cousin (at the time) to the Diana Ross Playground to push him on the swing or we'd go to the Wolman Rink and I'd teach him and his friends how to skate. That rink is just so cool, great views, a mellow place to skate outdoors in Manhattan.
Shakespeare in the Park, movies at night, orchestra events...great, great times. Sadly, I never took advantage of those massive live concerts in the park - Paul Simon, Dave Matthews, etc; I'm not much for super-huge crowds.
Yes, Tavern on the Green, the Alice in Wonderland figures, the Bandshell, the footbridge, the Jackie O reservoir, so much to experience, such a great oasis in the middle Manhattan....
On a side note, when I was 15 or so, right by the Alice in Wonderland figures/statues, I ran into the actor that played Niedermeyer in Animal House. He turned out to be a really nice guy, he chatted with myself and some friends for a while, told us a few behind the scenes stories...
http://www.youtube.com...
Nothing to do w/ Central Park, but a great version of this song by James Taylor....
http://en.wikipedia.or...
Olmstead created Central Park and improved upon it with Prospect Park in Brooklyn
http://en.wikipedia.or...
History of Central Park
http://en.wikipedia.or...
Central Park Zoo (I've never been to it)
http://en.wikipedia.or...
Central Park West
Central park is beautiful, but it's so easy to get lost here. The maps that are posted throughout the park do not have a "You are here" marker, so it's difficult to determine what path to take (or what path you are on) to get to where you've parked or are meeting someone.
I've give this place a 5 star review if I didn't get lost for over an hour trying to go cross town to meet someone.
Central park is so beautiful...and the POINT is to get lost there - unlike what some other yelper's who shall remain nameless believe, you should make a point to spend a bit of time in this park...don't be afraid to get a little lost! It's best to escape the more popular areas, like sheep meadow, and wander up to the very top of central park, where there are very beautiful and wooded areas.
I recently found myself at the strawberrry fields area of the park, which I was pleasantly surprised with. I love the summerstage concert series, but wish people would be better about cleaning up after their pets.
Pack a lunch, bring a blankie, settle in with a good book and share a bottle of wine with some friends...but make sure you bring plastic cups because they'll bust your ass...
Came here for one of the shows put on by Central Park's Summer Concert Series. The line was incredibly long to get into the theater so we just sat outside on a blanket under the trees. We could hear the performers just fine. It was a muggy day so the sun would have made it perfect.
The performers:
Case ( who did "Touch Me Tease Me" from the Nutty Professor Soundtrack) Jon B, who was on stage for a good 30 minutes--my brother and I agreed that he was on 29 minutes too long, this other guy i never heard of, and Deborah Cox (Nobody's Supposed to be Here) She hit this high note that made everyone go crazy. It was pretty cool to hear the wave of cheers coming from the theater all the way through the surrounding park area. She sang 3 songs then split. What a dream job. The headliner was Jazmine Sullivan, who was good.
Overall, it's a nice clean park that does well for the city of New York. Great place to go running, have a picnic, take a carriage ride, or have one of those guys pull you around on a chariot thing with their bike.
If Golden Gate Park in San Francisco had anything like a free concert series with the artists that Central Park brings in, I would probably pee my pants.
First Day I flew into New York we couldn't check into our hotel until 3pm. So we killed time at Central Park. This is by far the best park I ever walked into. But don't wonder and frolic in the park at night unless you have some kind of protection i.e. AK-47 lol anyways this is a MUST VISIT spot in NY and please PLEASE bring your camera!
For your cupcakers try out the horse carriage ride around the park. This is a good place to exercise such as riding a bicycle or jogging.
There are different spots to play softball, soccer, basketball or even football.
Great spot to just relax or sleep on a rock while rejuvinating on a rock the sweet sound of a saxophone play. Be sure after you wake up to tip the saxophone guy.
There are also human statues like Captain Jack Sparrow. He actually does a pretty good impression of Captain Jack Sparrow looking exactly like him and almost sounding like him.
Nonetheless you should definitely I repeat take a bicycle or roller blades or a skate board and roam around this park freely because you'll be very tired walking around the park.
Amazing, beautiful, full of culture and history.. The perfect park..
What more can one say really?
Big ass environmental oasis in the middle of a concrete jungle. I'm pretty sure without Central Park, the people of New York would not get enough oxygen and die. If there were more trees people would get more oxygen and not be as grouchy. True Story. q=D.
All kidding aside, Central Park is a great refuge from the fast-paced city life. You can catch some rays, relax, read a book, and throw a football around, away from the loud city noises. The jogging and biking trails seem to be pretty popular. I saw a few boats on the lakes as well. When you get hungry, there are food stands nearby.
Best. park. ever.
I've probably been here 30+ times and likely still have seen less than 1/30th of it. Back when I interned in NY, I used to come here all the time to chill and read, because when you're an intern, free a heck of a lot better than, well, not free.
In any case, the girlfriend and I had a picnic in Central Park, chock full of NY pizza (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), cheap Chinese (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and dessert to boot (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). It was, naturally, delicious, with the added bonus of watching the world go by. Upon finishing our lunch, the girlfriend promptly fell asleep in the soft grass. I watched some dudes play softball and saw a couple try to teach their dog how to play fetch.
Best. afternoon. ever.
Best running spot in the city. I love the gentle slopes and shady paths that make it great for training.
Here's the deal if you're a runner: RUN COUNTER-CLOCKWISE against the traffic. It's the "official" way to run, and it's much safer to face the bikes and the cars. If you pay attention to the signs on the lamp posts, you'll see those same directions.
Pros:
- Sheep Meadow
- The North Woods
- Rollerskating dance parties
- Rowboats
- Live music
- Blockhouse
- Geocaches galore
- Reservoir loops at dusk
Cons:
- That nasty hill (NW corner of the loop)
- Tourists who take photos of squirrels
- Non-car-free days
- Often feels unnatural and crowded
- NYRR races
Verdict:
Central Park is a monster. In terms of city parks, it's unmatched. On a hot summer day, there are few places better than Sheep Meadow.
Haiku:
It's the Heart that Beats
Inside the Beautiful Beast
In the Universe.
Perfect. I just spent a week in NYC and ran in CPK everyday. It is the most perfect place to run IMHO and I have run all over the world.
IT'S ALL THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE AND SO MUCH MORE...
You seriously need to take about 3-5 days just to check this place out! It's HUGE but it's worth going on the adventure of every little corner this place holds! You can pick up a map of the park to help direct you around or just walk and stumble on to things.
The bottom end of the park is more of the touristy areas like the pond, Sheep's Meadow, The Mall, The Zoo, Strawberry Field, and other cool fountains and lakes and the upper end is more where the locals ride bikes and run!
Take it from me, take a couple days to explore this place and make sure you have good walking shoes!
Parks are the gems of large cities. Central Park is definitely a classic and a "city" of its own.
Being from San Francisco, I'm lucky enough to get a taste of Central Park through Golden Gate Park. But of course, Central Park has its own swag. I actually spent a little bit of my birthday here for an introspective moment. Had a picnic with a friend and was fortunate to find myself on a sunny summer day in a spot where young 20-somethings chose to use the area as a tanning bed.
I would highly recommend adding Central Park to your walk when visiting the Met. Unfortunately some people forget it's a NY "must see", it isn't some gigantic sky scrapper or towering monument but it is a NY landmark of its own.
