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Central Park is a rectangular park in Manhattan, New York City. It measures 4km (2.5 miles) by 800m (0.5 miles), and covers an area of 843 acres or 3.41 sq km. It is one of the most famous parks in the world, having been featured regularly in movies and television shows. Central Park draws 25 million visitors every year, and is the most visited park in the United States. It is managed by the Central Park Conservancy, a non-profit organisation under contract with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Central Park is border by West 110th Street to the north, Central Park West to the west, West 59th Street to the south and Fifth Avenue to the east. Along the park's borders, these streets are called Central Park North, Central Park West, Central Park South and Fifth Avenue retaining its name. Although large areas of the park appear natural, in reality the entire park was landscaped. It contains, among others, several lakes and ponds, walking tracks, two ice-skating rinks, a zoo, the Central Park Conservatory Garden, a wildlife sanctuary, a large wooded area, 106 acre of reservoir, an outdoor amphitheater, and grassy area for informal recreation. Central Park was created in answer for a need of public space. The population of New York City quadrupled between 1821 and 1855. In 1844, William Cullen Bryant, editor of Evening Post (now called New York Post) and Andrew Jackson Downing, an American landscape artist, publicised the city's need of a public park similar to Hyde Park in London and the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. In 1853, the New York legislature designated 700 acre between 59th and 106th Streets for a park. The land cost was more than $5 million, and it was to be the biggest park in New York. The Central Park Commission was tasked with developing the park. In 1857, and landscape design contest was held. It was won by writer Frederick Law Olmsted and English architect Calvert Vaux. Olmsted's design, called the Greensward Plan, bore influences to parks he visited in Europe, particularly Birkenhead Park near Liverpool, England. The most influential innovation in the design of Central Park were the "separate circulation systems" for pedestrians, horseback riders and pleasure vehicles. The crosstown traffic was entirely concealed in sunken roadways and densely planted shrubs, so that to preserve the rustic surroundings. There were 36 bridges, all designed by Calvert Vaux, ranging from granite to cast iron ones, no two alike. To construct the park, the people living there had to be evicted. They were mostly poor people who are either free African-Americans or immigrants of German or Irish background. About 1600 people were evicted under the rule of eminent domain in 1857 and their ramshackle abodes torn down. Between 1860 and 1873, over 500,000 cubic feet of topsoil were transported to Central Park from New Jersey. The original soil was found to be unsuitable for the various trees and plants called for by the Greensward Plan. When the park opened in 1873, over ten million cartloads of material have been manually dug up and removed. As soon as it was completed, Central Park began to deteriorate out of lack of management. The invention of motorcars contributed to increased pollution. By 1895, the maintenance of it had declined, and the authorities did little to prevent vandalism and littering. A makeover only came about in 1934, when Fiorello LaGuardia became mayor of New York City. He hired the phenomenal Robert Moses to clean up Central Park. Moses, soon to be known as one of the mightiest men of New York City, within a single year not only cleaned up Central Park, but also other parks in New York City. He directed the lawns and flower beds to be replanted, the trees and shrubs replaced, walls and bridged repaired. By the 1960's, Central Park evolved into a venue for concerts as well as demonstrations and political rallies. In 1996, a zone-based management system was implemented in the park, with every zone managed by a specific individual accountable for its day-to-day maintenance. The park has its own New York City Police Department precinct. In 2005, safety measures held down the number of crimes in the park to fewer than one hundred per year - a tenth the figure of the 80s, making Central Park one of the safest urban parks in the world. Find a hotel
 Central Park, New York City Photo: Urban, GNU Free Documentation License  Another view of Central Park Photo: Urban, GNU Free Documentation License | ||||||||
Local Tours of New York City
Check out some of the Local Tours of New York City that you may want to pre-book for your trip.Return to Manhattan Travel Guide,
New York City Travel Guide,
or to United States Travel Guide
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