20 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN CENTRAL PARK

Central park It is a mythical place and a must see in New York. The green lung of the city is possibly the most famous urban park in the world and you will love it. Between a fofisana squirrel and a lot of places that will remind you of "Home alone" you can come here to recharge your batteries ... although if you want to see everything there is what to see and do in Central Park you will also have to put them on (the batteries I say).

First of all let us tell you a curiosity: did you know that it is not really a natural park? When Manhattan began to be increasingly populated, it was decided to create that park out of nowhere, so that it could become the green lung of the big apple. In 1858 Frederick Law Olmsted and Calveet Vaux won the public contest and “designed” the “Central Park” project

Now, let's go to the mess:what to see and do in Central Park? What are the most characteristic places of this park? To begin, we will divide the park into two zones: south and north.

Tip: if you only have a couple of hours of time, it is best to focus on the South Zone and walk it as the bikes can only circulate on the roads of the park and not on the trails (which are the ones that lead to the main attractions from Central Park). But if you have a whole day to explore the park in tranquility or about 4-5 hours of time, the bike option is very cool: since you can also know the northern area, much quieter and “wild”.

15 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN CENTRAL PARK (SOUTH ZONE)

- Columbus Circle: ok, technically it is outside the part (at the south-west tip) but it is worth going through this square and not only because it is a point full of life and with a statue of Columbus, but because here is the Whoole Foods where you can buy Takeaway (remember to pay by weight: $ 9.99 / pound).

- Strawberry fields: is a mosaic with the phrase “Imagine”, Dedicated to John Lennon. It is located just in front of the Dakota building,where the artist lived with Yoko Ono and in which, on December 8, 1980, he was killed.

- Belvedere Castle : a replica of a gothic-style castle, somewhat rare, but with sublime views of Central Park.

- Shakespeare garden: It is close to Belvedere Castle and is one of the most beautiful gardens in the park, especially if you are lucky enough to see it in spring.

- Statue of Alice in Wonderland: It is, perhaps, the most famous statue in the park, although it is not the only one ... You can also see Hans Christian Andersen himself, author of many stories such as The Little Mermaid or The Little Cerillera.

- Sheep Meadow and Great Lawn: They are two huge grassy areas and always full of New Yorkers and tourists. It is the ideal place to deploy your tablecloth and set up a picnic (or take a nap).

- The mall: It is a tree-lined walk that you will take to the Bethseda Terrace (which, Gossip Girl geeks, knows well that it is the place where they married SPOILER! Blair and Chuck).

- Bethesda Fountain: This fountain is one of the strengths of Central Park, you will find it just down the stairs of the Bethseda Terrace.

- Bridges, bridges everywhere (or well, where there are lakes). Cross as many as you can but if you have to choose, enter these 3 names: Bow Bridge, Oak Bridge and Gapstow Bridge

- Central Park Carousel: one of the park's most vintage and very photogenic sites.

Although there are many more things to see: in the south-east area you will find a authentic egyptian obelisk (and in spring it is surrounded by trees full of flowers!), is the Balto statue, the Conservatory Water, a few viewpoints that will leave you with your mouth open (like the Cherry hill), super photogenic lakes, the Wollman Rink: the park's skating rink that has appeared in many movies ... Buah, if the southern part of Central Park is a real wonder!

5 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN CENTRAL PARK (NORTH ZONE)

It does not have as many things as the southern area but, without a doubt, it is beautiful (and less touristy). We do not recommend doing it on foot ... the best thing to do is visit a bike to visit this area (below we leave you a link to rent it at a super discount!).

If you decide to pull north you get lost:

- A walk around the vicinity of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, the largest lake in the park, always full of rushing people and with amazing views!

- If you visit the park in autumn, The RavineIt is a beautiful little forest (although it is all year long, eh hehe).

- The Conservator Garden, everyone who loves to walk among flower gardens will like it.

- Stop to rest and disconnect for a little while in the area of Harlem meer, a very handsome little lake where there are people who fish (well, when we went there was a rare Chinese fish in a rare way XD), who teach self-defense classes, families eating ... come on, relaxed atmosphere but not boring!

- North meadow It is an area full of baseball / soccer / softball courts (apparently there are about 12!) and in summer it is one of the places that families and groups of friends in New York choose to picnic, read or disconnect from the Steel jungle of the city.

But come on, the best thing about the north of Central Park is to be able to ride a bike between tree-lined walks, the typical rocks of Central Park and charming corners: in the end you will end up stopping more than you think 🙂

OTHER MUST VISITS IN CENTRAL PARK (AND SURROUNDINGS)

Important: apart from the visits inside the Central Park, there is some building that deserves to be mentioned. It is the case of:

- Dakota Building, we saw that it is the place where John Lennon was killed, but his story does not end here, many argue that it is a cursed building thanks to the fame and misfortunes of some of his famous tenants: in the early 1900s Aleister Crowley, famously lived here For his black magic. Gerald Brossau Garder, also stayed here and held witchcraft rituals, invoking hidden presences. It was in which Polanski was inspired for "The Devil's Seed" and what happened next, with the murder of his pregnant wife, is history ...

- Ghostbusters BuildingGhostbusters fans can see 55 Central Park West, the famous building where many of the most memorable scenes in the saga took place.

- Plaza Hotel, we give you a hint: Only at Casa XD (we don't know if they accept chewing gum tips).

- MET, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is an essential stop, not only for its huge art collection, but because from its terrace the views over Central Park and New York are beautiful.

- Museum of Natural History, famous for dinosaur skeletons and for being one of the best in the world in its specialty. Also sure that you've seen it on your screen in the movie Night at the Museum.

- Guggenheim Museum, if you like modern art you cannot miss a visit to the first Guggenheim.

Lobby of the Natural History Museum

Please try to be a responsible tourist and do not ride in horse carriages, since these romantic rides are not pleasant for animals: they have to drag heavy cars for many hours. Much better to walk! If you want to know more about responsible tourism visit this website.

Be careful because the birds fall here, and much! And they do it in a way that you don't realize ... we both ended up with bird poop without even knowing it! Warned man, from saved bird poop! ( or not )

If your intention is to rent a bicycle that you know that on many of the trails, the smallest ones, it is not allowed to go by bike. So you will have to walk with her during good times ... We did it walking and after seeing so many people "dragging" their bicycles, we wanted to rent one (yes, if you want to see the entire park ... is the best way and more if you take something to eat and are looking for an ideal place to picnic, you can book your bike online for 2, 3, 5 hours or the whole day.

We have already told you before: a great idea is to buy something to improvise a picnic in some corner of the park. It is best to do it at the Whole Foods in Columbus Circle

Calculate 2-3 hours to visit the south of Central Park (not to mention the visits of the Natural History Museums and the MET, both highly recommended).

Check out this post if you want to know a few curiosities of Central Park.

Do you know more stuff what to see and do in Central Park?

Video: TOP 15 THINGS to do in Central Park. New York City Hidden Secrets & More ! (May 2024).