Things to do in Central Park New York

In the center of Manhattan, New York, there’s a huge and beautiful recreation area, Central Park. The primary public park in the United States that has trails, bridges, huge artificial lakes, skating rinks, nature reserve, zoo, an incredible museum, and of course, lots of flowers and trees. Since 1873 the park is probably the main meeting points for residents and highly frequented by tourists from different parts of the world. In an earlier post, the Central Park was highlighted in road map for three days in Manhattan. It requires a long time to explore its more four kilometers long, but it is great to know the very best attractions that Central Park can give.

Inside the park, which are not lacking in options, a favorite of children and adults is the Central Park Zoo, with over one hundred thirty species of animals from all over the world. Red pandas, seals, polar bears and penguins are some of the most famous site. For kids, a good attraction is the Children’s Zoo. In it, children can enter into contact with goats, pigs and other animals. Admission is $ 18 for adult, $ 15 for older and $ 13 for children under twelve. Another fun for all ages is the Wollman Rink. During the winter, visitors can ice skate while enjoying the scenery of the place. In the summer it works as an amusement park. Ticket prices and hours of operation vary by day of the week, but you can check the details on the official website of the attraction. Also under the administration of the Wollman Rink is the Central Park Carousel which attracts about 250,000 people a year. For $ 3, you can take a ride on the classic carousel.

Be sure to check the Belvedere Castle, Constructed in 1865. Within it functions Henry Luce Nature Observatory, a small natural history museum and observation center, where you can meet several species of migratory birds. Other beautiful buildings within the park are the Bethesda Terrace and Bethesda Fountain. The terrace provides a magnificent view of the gardens of the park, lake and fountain gift inside. Also be sure to visit the famous Turtle Pond. The lake was named for the enormous amount of turtles present in it, but also is home to fish, aquatic birds, amphibians and reptiles. The tranquility of this place makes a great point to pause the tour. But do not stop there: are several gardens and fields still worth a visit. The Great Lawn, for example, hosts performances by famous artists and orchestras of the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera. Now Conservatory Garden brings flowers and plants in different styles of gardens, such as English, French and Italian.

The Central Park is also space for several honors. Shakespeare Garden is one of them: the large garden with roses, violets, lilies and other flowers mentioned in the works of the author. To identify the species several bronze plaques using snippets of stories of William Shakespeare along the path. There is also honored the book’s characters “Alice in Wonderland”. Alice and her friends won a great bronze statue, that can be selected and climbing for children. However, one of the most famous was done by John Lennon. Inaugurated in 1985, a teardrop-shaped area was called Strawberry Fields in a reference to the music composed by former Beatles. A black and white mosaic with the word “Imagine” title of one of his best known songs, is at the center of the site. Every year, fans filled with flowers to mark the anniversary of the artist (the ninth of October).

There are many other points that can be visited, and the list can be checked on the official website of Central Park. The area is large, and then is recommended to use bike, scooter or the famous carriages.

For being a full ride, there are various options of bars and restaurants nearby or within the site. One of the most famous restaurants in Central Park is the Tavern of the Green. Its main attractions are the crystal room and the award-winning menu. Unfortunately, the site is closed for renovations. The expected reopening is August of this year. Another restaurant highly sought after by visitors and tourists is the Loeb Boathouse, which is also used for events. Besides wonderful dishes, it is still possible to rent boats and bikes and buy gondola tours for one of the lakes in the park.

There are also the Sheep Meadow Café, the Leaping Frog Café, the Kerbs Ice Cream Café and Ferrara Italian Café. Scattered around along the Central Park, they serve drinks and snacks in general.

Central Park is in midtown Manhattan, between West 110th Street (north), West 59th Street (south), Eighth Avenue (west) and Fifth Avenue (east).

Subway
To arrive at Central Park by subway, just pick one of the trains with the line (letters or numbers) of blue, yellow, orange, red or green. All of these stop at stations near the park.

By Walking or Cycling
Who is walking or cycling can have access to the park by Fifth Avenue, Eighth Avenue, West 59th Street and West 110th Street.