Manhattan Articles
New York City's Central Park
New York City's Central Park is a vibrant, colorful
attraction
for tourists and locals alike. The park occupies over 840 acres
in Manhattan and receives over 25 million visitors annually. It
is bordered to the north by West 110th Street, to the west by
Central Park West, to the south by West 59th Street, and to the
east by the famous 5th Avenue. Though it appears natural,
Central Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert
Vaux, is entirely landscaped with artificial lakes, a zoo,
playgrounds, walking trails, and ice skating rinks.
In the mid-nineteenth century, New York City was growing at an
unprecedented rate. Public open spaces, aside from cemeteries,
were few and far between. Poet William Cullen Bryant, among
others, began to voice a need for a larger, sanctioned public
park. In 1953, New York Legislature designated over 700 acres
of land to be used for a park, for a cost of about 5 million
dollars. A design contest was held, and Olmstead and Vaux's
"Greensward Plan" was chosen. However, after the park's
construction, public interest waivered and the park declined
quickly after it was built; the political powers in New York
City at the time were not interested in maintaining a 700 acre
public facility.
In 1934, mayor Fiorello LaGuardia appointed Robert Morris to
restore and revitalize Central park. The park underwent major
construction and redesigning; athletic fields were constructed
and the walking trails were adjusted for automobiles. In the
1960s, the park thrived as a symbol for counter-culture events
and urban revival. Many rock concerts, political events, and
Shakespearean plays took place in Central Park. In 1963, it was
declared a national historic landmark. Unfortunately, due to
budget cuts in the 1970s, the park suffered another rapid
decline. It was restored again in the 1980s and early 1990s,
and remains a lively entertainment mecca today.
Central Park's place in pop culture is secure. Legendary folk
singers Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel played a reunion concert
at Central Park, and subsequently released a recording of it
that went on to be one of their best-selling albums. In recent
years, the Park has hosted a variety of music festivals,
including the extremely popular Dave Matthews Band. It was
featured in the James Bond film Live and Let Die, as well as
Madagascar. J.D. Salinger's coming-of-age novel is partially
set in Central Park, while Edward Albee's drama The Zoo Story
is completely set in Central Park; there is even a playground
named after Diana Ross. Perhaps the most culturally significant
pop culture aspect of Central Park is Strawberry Fields—the
memorial for former Beatle and visionary John Lennon.
The park offers a wide variety of events for all ages. Tavern
on the Green is a world-famous restaurant located on the west
side of Central Park. The Central Park Zoo opened in 1981 and
remains one of the most popular attractions. The obelisk, or
Cleopatra's needle, is the oldest public monument in North
America. Finally, the Central Park carousel located at mid-park
is a quaint family attraction. The original park carousel opened
in 1871; the current carousel was built in 1951 and is one of
the country's largest merry-go-rounds.
for tourists and locals alike. The park occupies over 840 acres
in Manhattan and receives over 25 million visitors annually. It
is bordered to the north by West 110th Street, to the west by
Central Park West, to the south by West 59th Street, and to the
east by the famous 5th Avenue. Though it appears natural,
Central Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert
Vaux, is entirely landscaped with artificial lakes, a zoo,
playgrounds, walking trails, and ice skating rinks.
In the mid-nineteenth century, New York City was growing at an
unprecedented rate. Public open spaces, aside from cemeteries,
were few and far between. Poet William Cullen Bryant, among
others, began to voice a need for a larger, sanctioned public
park. In 1953, New York Legislature designated over 700 acres
of land to be used for a park, for a cost of about 5 million
dollars. A design contest was held, and Olmstead and Vaux's
"Greensward Plan" was chosen. However, after the park's
construction, public interest waivered and the park declined
quickly after it was built; the political powers in New York
City at the time were not interested in maintaining a 700 acre
public facility.
In 1934, mayor Fiorello LaGuardia appointed Robert Morris to
restore and revitalize Central park. The park underwent major
construction and redesigning; athletic fields were constructed
and the walking trails were adjusted for automobiles. In the
1960s, the park thrived as a symbol for counter-culture events
and urban revival. Many rock concerts, political events, and
Shakespearean plays took place in Central Park. In 1963, it was
declared a national historic landmark. Unfortunately, due to
budget cuts in the 1970s, the park suffered another rapid
decline. It was restored again in the 1980s and early 1990s,
and remains a lively entertainment mecca today.
Central Park's place in pop culture is secure. Legendary folk
singers Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel played a reunion concert
at Central Park, and subsequently released a recording of it
that went on to be one of their best-selling albums. In recent
years, the Park has hosted a variety of music festivals,
including the extremely popular Dave Matthews Band. It was
featured in the James Bond film Live and Let Die, as well as
Madagascar. J.D. Salinger's coming-of-age novel is partially
set in Central Park, while Edward Albee's drama The Zoo Story
is completely set in Central Park; there is even a playground
named after Diana Ross. Perhaps the most culturally significant
pop culture aspect of Central Park is Strawberry Fields—the
memorial for former Beatle and visionary John Lennon.
The park offers a wide variety of events for all ages. Tavern
on the Green is a world-famous restaurant located on the west
side of Central Park. The Central Park Zoo opened in 1981 and
remains one of the most popular attractions. The obelisk, or
Cleopatra's needle, is the oldest public monument in North
America. Finally, the Central Park carousel located at mid-park
is a quaint family attraction. The original park carousel opened
in 1871; the current carousel was built in 1951 and is one of
the country's largest merry-go-rounds.
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