Places / Park / Citywide
On the MUSEENYC M ListThe M List — one we'd cross the city for, and keep going back to. See the list →
Central Park
843 acres of engineered wilderness that the rest of the city was built around.
- Where
- Central Park, Manhattan, CitywideOpen in Google Maps ↗
- Cost
- Free
- Go when
- Weekday mornings, before the loop fills up
- Website
- www.centralparknyc.org
Everything in it was put there on purpose: the meadows, the ponds, the rocky outcrops that look like the island simply came that way. Olmsted and Vaux drew it in 1858 and the city grew up around the edges. It is easy to get lost in, and the beauty is spread evenly enough that getting lost is the recommendation rather than the risk.
What to know
It’s large enough that “meet me in Central Park” is not a plan. Pick a landmark — Bethesda Terrace, the Bow Bridge, the Ramble, the Reservoir loop. The northern end above 97th is quieter than anything below it and just as good.