Two Days in Central Park

We all know that Central Park in New York City is big. Lengthwise it stretches 51 city blocks or about 2½ miles, widthwise it’s three looong city blocks or roughly half a mile. It covers an area of 843 acres, or in other words, nearly 6% of the land that makes up Manhattan.

Central Park from the Top of the Rock, the Rockefeller Center

But statistics are easy to calculate and even easier to recite. And it’s not until you start tackling Central Park on foot that you realise just how BIG it really is. Put it this way, it took me the best part of two whole days to investigate this iconic piece of real estate, and I know I didn’t cover everything!

My Two Days in Central Park were actually separated by about 2½ years. The first time I spent any considerable time in the park was a blazing hot day in September, 2008. That day we mainly stayed south of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, which takes up most of the park between 86^th and 96^th Streets.

Steps cut straight into the bedrock

Belvedere Castle

Delacorte Theatre from Belvedere Castle

Central Park Great Lawn across the Turtle Pond

The San Remo Building across The Lake

Bow Bridge, crossing The Lake

Looking south across The Lake

The Naumburg Bandshell was constructed in 1862, during the creation of Central Park itself

Looking north across the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir

Despite a friend telling us, “Don’t go north of the reservoir!”, that’s just what we did in February, 2011, walking the entire length of Central Park from 59^th Street to Central Park North. Although we kept our wits about us and left the park before dusk.

The weather couldn’t have been more different from our first visit. Scorching September sunshine was replaced by dismal February drizzle. But we still had a great time.

Southern Central Park in the winter

Umpire Rock, in the south part of the park

The Pool, in the north part of Central Park

It’s hard to believe you’re in the heart of Manhattan!

Blockhouse No. 1, a small fort from 1814 in the northernmost part of the park, is the oldest structure in Central Park

Entrance to Blockhouse No. 1

Looking south across the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir

Midtown Manhattan across the frozen surface of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir

This post was inspired by the theme A Change in the Weather from Nancy (of Nancy Merrill Photography).

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