132-572: The Ramble and Lake are two geographic features of Central Park in Manhattan , New York City. Part of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux 's 1857 Greensward Plan for Central Park, the features are located on the west side of the park between the 66th and 79th Street transverses. The 38-acre (150,000 m) Ramble, located on the north shore of the Lake, is a forested area with highly varied topography and numerous winding walks, designated by
264-544: A 10-year, $ 100 million "Central Park Management and Restoration Plan". The long-closed Belvedere Castle was renovated and reopened in 1983, while the Central Park Zoo closed for a full reconstruction that year. To reduce the maintenance effort, large gatherings such as free concerts were canceled. On completion of the planning stage in 1985, the Conservancy launched its first campaign and mapped out
396-533: A 15-year restoration plan. Over the next several years, the campaign restored landmarks in the southern part of the park, such as Grand Army Plaza and the police station at the 86th Street transverse; while Conservatory Garden in the northeastern corner of the park was restored to a design by Lynden B. Miller . Real estate developer Donald Trump renovated the Wollman Rink in 1987 after plans to renovate it were delayed repeatedly. The following year,
528-573: A 2.5-acre (1.0 ha) landscaped memorial, is southwest of the Lake. It is dedicated to the memory of former Beatles member John Lennon , who was murdered outside his nearby home, the Dakota . The memorial was dedicated in his honor in 1981 and rebuilt completely in 1985. Its most notable feature is the " Imagine " memorial mosaic in the center. The Ramble and Lake were two of the first features to be built in Central Park. Together they formed
660-489: A few exotics, such as Phellodendron and Sophora . Smaller natives include sassafras . Aggressively self-seeding black cherry and black locust later came to dominate the Ramble. A 1979 census of the Ramble's trees, taken by Bruce Kelly, Philip Winslow, and James Marston Fitch, found 6,000 trees, including 60 specimen trees of landscape value. The Lake, covering 20 acres (8.1 ha), unified what Calvert Vaux called
792-445: A landscape designer, to survey the park and create a plan for improvement. Merkel's report noted that while the condition of the Ramble was "disreputable" with its many dead plants and trees, Central Park's overall condition was "fairly good". Some structures were closed or demolished in the mid-20th century. The Cave was closed by 1934 due to crime. The deteriorating boathouse on the Lake was closed in 1950 and replaced in 1954. By 1971,
924-495: A month in the late 1890s. However, by the early 20th century, the Cave had become associated with crime. For instance, a suicide in the Cave occurred in 1904, and an alleged attempted robbery occurred in 1922. Some of the more than 300 men arrested in Central Park in 1929 for "annoying women" were apprehended in the Cave. By 1934, it was sealed off because of numerous reports of suicides, crimes, and homeless people. The western shore of
1056-571: A more picturesque design. It was influenced by the pastoral ideals of landscaped cemeteries such as Mount Auburn in Cambridge, Massachusetts , and Green-Wood in Brooklyn. The design was also inspired by Olmsted's 1850 visit to Birkenhead Park in Birkenhead , England, which is generally acknowledged as the first publicly funded civil park in the world. According to Olmsted, the park
1188-437: A permanent patrol. The regulations were sometimes strict. For instance, prohibited actions included games of chance , speech-making, large congregations such as picnics , or picking flowers or other parts of plants. These ordinances were effective: by 1866, there had been nearly eight million visits and only 110 arrests in the park's history. In late August 1857, workers began building fences, clearing vegetation, draining
1320-547: A similar ratio of park usage: only 14% of visits are by people visiting Central Park for the first time. According to the report, nearly two-thirds of visitors are regular park users who enter the park at least once weekly, and about 70% of visitors live in New York City. Moreover, peak visitation occurred during summer weekends, and most visitors used the park for passive recreational activities such as walking or sightseeing, rather than for active sport. The park
1452-499: A small bridge called Oak Bridge or Cabinet Bridge. It crosses Bank Rock Bay and for this reason is also called Bank Rock Bridge. The original structure was a wooden trestle made of yellow pine upon stone abutments. After a period of decline, the bridge was completely replaced in 1935, and again in 1982 and 2009. The abutments are the only holdovers from the original span. The railings of the current span are made of cast-iron panels between wooden posts. There are also three smaller spans in
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#17327723238681584-585: A visitors' center. The Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre is just northwest of the Lake and west of Vista Rock. Originally prefabricated in Sweden and formerly known as the Swedish Schoolhouse, it was shipped to the U.S. for the 1876 Centennial Exposition before being relocated to Central Park. A 200-book nature library was opened in the structure in 1901. Since 1947, it has housed one of the nation's last marionette companies. Strawberry Fields ,
1716-473: A wrought iron shelter in a playful Gothic style, was later relocated atop the Hernshead. Jacob Wrey Mould had designed the pavilion in 1871 as a shelter for people waiting to change streetcars at Columbus Circle in the southwest corner of the park. Though no drawings remain of the original Ladies' Pavilion, Mould designed a similar shelter at the southeast corner, on Fifth Avenue, between 1871 and 1872. When
1848-572: Is also the site of the televised Friday morning summer concert series for the ABC morning program Good Morning America . The Mall, designated the "Promenade" in Olmsted and Vaux's Greensward Plan of 1857, was called the "open air hall of reception" in the text that accompanied the plan in the competition. "A 'grand promenade' was 'an essential feature of a metropolitan park', the designers acknowledged, yet its formal symmetry— like all architecture in
1980-610: Is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City that was the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the sixth-largest park in the city , containing 843 acres (341 ha), and the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated 42 million visitors annually as of 2016 . It is also one of the most filmed locations in
2112-648: Is being restored by the Central Park Conservancy . Rumsey Playfield, a small venue and bandshell for concerts , is located just east of the Mall. Located southwest of the intersection of Terrace and East Drives, it is operated by City Parks Foundation . Rumsey Playfield is also known as "the SummerStage " for the series of free corporate-sponsored concerts of the same name involving local and national talent that take place there every summer, and
2244-528: Is managed and maintained by the Central Park Conservancy , a private, not-for-profit organization, under contract with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks). The president of the Conservancy is the ex officio administrator of Central Park who effectively oversees the work of both the park's private and public employees under the authority of the publicly appointed Central Park Administrator, who reports to both
2376-493: Is much lower; a Central Park Conservancy report conducted in 2011 found that between eight and nine million people visited Central Park, with 37 to 38 million visits between them. By comparison, there were 25 million visitors in 2009, and 12.3 million in 1973. The number of tourists as a proportion of total visitors is much lower: in 2009, one-fifth of the 25 million park visitors recorded that year were estimated to be tourists. The 2011 Conservancy report gave
2508-546: Is near the southwest corner of the park. Central Park Mall 40°46′22″N 73°58′17″W / 40.772764°N 73.971437°W / 40.772764; -73.971437 The Central Park Mall is a pedestrian esplanade in Central Park , in Manhattan , New York City . The mall, leading to Bethesda Fountain , provides the only purely formal feature in the naturalistic original plan of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux for Central Park. The Mall
2640-410: Is on the northwest corner of the Lake, just above the 79th Street transverse. With a height of 130 feet (40 m), it is the second-highest point in Central Park. Atop the rock is Belvedere Castle , a folly built in 1869–1871. Though it originally had no doors or windows, these furnishings were installed when the castle was used as a weather station from 1919 to 1960. Today, Belvedere Castle serves as
2772-474: The USS Maine Monument was installed on the shelter's site, the cast-iron elements were disassembled and stored, to be re-erected on the Hernshead. The exact date of the pavilion's relocation is unclear: some accounts give a date of 1904, while others cite the 1930s. The Ladies' Pavilion declined over time due to rust and vandalism, and though individuals and groups advocated for the restoration of
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#17327723238682904-743: The American Museum of Natural History , founded three years before at the Arsenal . A corresponding area on the East Side, originally intended as a playground, would later become the Metropolitan Museum of Art . In the final years of Central Park's construction, Vaux and Mould designed several structures for Central Park. The park's sheepfold (now Tavern on the Green) and Ladies' Meadow were designed by Mould in 1870–1871, followed by
3036-469: The Bethesda Terrace and Fountain . By late 1861, the park south of 72nd Street had been completed, except for various fences. Work had begun on the northern section of the park but was complicated by a need to preserve the historic McGowan's Pass . The Upper Reservoir was completed the following year. During this period Central Park began to gain popularity. One of the main attractions
3168-651: The COVID-19 pandemic . A renovation of the Chess and Checkers House was completed in June 2023, and a renovation of the Delacorte Theater began later that year. In addition, pickleball courts were added to Wollman Rink in 2023 and became permanent the next year. The Central Park Conservancy allocated $ 64 million in early 2024 to fix sidewalks on 108 blocks immediately surrounding the park. Later that year,
3300-632: The East River . To create the Lake, the outlet was dammed with a broad, curving earth dam, which carries the East Carriage Drive past the Kerbs Boathouse (1954), at the end of the Lake's eastern arm. In late August 1857, after Central Park's construction was approved, workers began building fences, clearing vegetation, draining the land, and leveling uneven terrain. The Lake was the first feature to be completed, partially due to
3432-476: The Great Lawn and Turtle Pond , which was completed in 1997. The Upper Reservoir was decommissioned as a part of the city's water supply system in 1993, and was renamed after former U.S. first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis the next year. During the mid-1990s, the Conservancy hired additional volunteers and implemented a zone-based system of management throughout the park. The Conservancy assumed much of
3564-662: The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation as a protected nature preserve . It was designed as a "wild garden" away from carriage drives and bridle paths , in which to be wandered, or to be viewed as a "natural" landscape. The Ramble includes several rustic bridges, and formerly contained a small cave. Historically, it has been frequented for both birdwatching and cruising . The serpentine 20-acre (81,000 m) Lake offers dense naturalistic planting, rocky outcrops of glacially scarred Manhattan bedrock , small open glades, and an artificial stream (the Gill) that empties through
3696-561: The New York Ramblers , among the world's first openly gay soccer clubs. Today, the Ramble's reputation for cruising has given way somewhat to nature walks and environmentalism . However, some in the gay community still consider the Ramble to be "ground zero for outdoor gay sex", enjoying the "retro feel" of sneaking off into the woods. 40°46′35″N 73°58′16″W / 40.77639°N 73.97111°W / 40.77639; -73.97111 Central Park Central Park
3828-402: The coronavirus pandemic , temporary field hospitals were set up within the park to treat overflow patients from area hospitals. By mid-2023, the New York City government was considering erecting tents in Central Park to temporarily house asylum seekers. This move came after the federal government repealed an order authorizing Title 42 expulsions of migrants, which had been implemented during
3960-630: The gneiss ), do not surface in the park. Fordham gneiss, which consists of metamorphosed igneous rocks , was formed a billion years ago, during the Grenville orogeny that occurred during the creation of an ancient super-continent. Manhattan schist and Hartland schist were formed in the Iapetus Ocean during the Taconic orogeny in the Paleozoic era, about 450 million years ago, when
4092-482: The "irregular disconnected featureless conglomeration of ground". It was excavated, entirely by hand, from unprepossessing swampy ground transected by drainage ditches and ramshackle stone walls. The Lake is connected to two additional watercourses. The Gill, adapted from the Scottish word for "stream", starts from a water pipe in the middle of the Ramble and flows southeast into Azalea Pond, a collecting pond adjacent to
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4224-514: The 1840s, members of the city's elite were publicly calling for the construction of a new large park in Manhattan. At the time, Manhattan's seventeen squares comprised a combined 165 acres (67 ha) of land, the largest of which was the 10-acre (4 ha) Battery Park at Manhattan island's southern tip. These plans were endorsed in 1844 by New York Evening Post editor William Cullen Bryant , and in 1851 by Andrew Jackson Downing , one of
4356-773: The 1850s and 1860s. It has eight lakes and ponds that were created artificially by damming natural seeps and flows. There are several wooded sections, lawns, meadows, and minor grassy areas. There are 21 children's playgrounds , and 6.1 miles (9.8 km) of drives. Central Park is the sixth-largest park in New York City , behind Pelham Bay Park , the Staten Island Greenbelt , Freshkills Park , Van Cortlandt Park , and Flushing Meadows–Corona Park , with an area of 843 acres (341 ha; 1.317 sq mi; 3.41 km ). Central Park constitutes its own United States census tract , numbered 143. According to American Community Survey five-year estimates,
4488-683: The 1900s and 1910s. These associations advocated against such changes to the park as the construction of a library, sports stadium, a cultural center, and an underground parking lot. A third group, the Central Park Association, was created in 1926. The Central Park Association and the Parks and Playgrounds Association were merged into the Park Association of New York City two years later. The Heckscher Playground —named after philanthropist August Heckscher , who donated
4620-536: The 1950s and 1960s, the Ramble was feared by many as a haven for "anti-social persons". In the early 1960s, under Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. , the Parks Department proposed building a senior center in the Ramble with the hope of curbing cruising and anti-gay assaults. In 1980, an ad was placed in The Village Voice looking for gay men interested in playing soccer in the Ramble, giving rise to
4752-426: The 2010s. Belvedere Castle was closed in 2018 for an extensive renovation, reopening in June 2019. Later in 2018, it was announced that the Delacorte Theater would be closed from 2020 to 2022 for a $ 110 million rebuild. The Central Park Conservancy further announced that Lasker Rink would be closed for a $ 150 million renovation; demolition of the existing rink began in 2021. In March 2020, in response to
4884-601: The Azalea Pond, then down a cascade into the Lake. At the northwestern corner of the Lake, the ground rises toward Vista Rock, crowned by a lookout and folly named Belvedere Castle . The western shore includes the Ladies' Shelter, the southern shore contains a waterfront porch called Bethesda Terrace , and the eastern shore contains the Loeb Boathouse. The Ramble is one of three main woodlands in Central Park,
5016-701: The Central Park Conservancy began restoring the Ramble and Lake, in a project that was completed in 2012. Bank Rock Bridge was restored, and the Gill, which empties into the lake, was reconstructed to approximate its dramatic original form. The final feature to be restored was the East Meadow, which was rehabilitated in 2011. In 2014, the New York City Council proposed a study on the viability of banning vehicular traffic from
5148-430: The Central Park Conservancy since 1998, under a contract with the municipal government in a public–private partnership . The Conservancy, a non-profit organization, raises Central Park's annual operating budget and is responsible for all basic care of the park. Central Park is bordered by Central Park North at 110th Street; Central Park South at 59th Street; Central Park West at Eighth Avenue; and Fifth Avenue on
5280-625: The Central Park Conservancy sometimes hires seasonal Parks Enforcement Patrol officers to protect certain features such as the Conservatory Garden . A free volunteer medical emergency service, the Central Park Medical Unit , operates within Central Park. The unit operates a rapid-response patrol with bicycles, ambulances , and an all-terrain vehicle . Before the unit was established in 1975, municipal EMS often took over 30 minutes to respond to incidents in
5412-483: The Central Park Conservancy, the park's reclamation began by addressing needs that could not be met within NYC Parks' existing resources. The Conservancy hired interns and a small restoration staff to reconstruct and repair unique rustic features, undertaking horticultural projects, and removing graffiti under the broken windows theory which advocated removing visible signs of decay. The first structure to be renovated
The Ramble and Lake - Misplaced Pages Continue
5544-460: The Central Park elms, isolated from contamination from neighboring elms and closely watched by the gardeners of the Central Park Conservancy, now form one of the largest remaining plantations of the trees. Olmsted was strongly opposed to punctuating the carefully planned rural aspect of the park with statuary, but the pressure to memorialize cultural heroes has resulted in the Mall becoming a kind of "Literary Walk". The first sculpture to be sited here
5676-638: The Central Park site, chose it because the Croton Aqueduct's 35-acre (14 ha), 150-million-US-gallon (570 × 10 ^ L) collecting reservoir would be in the geographical center. In July 1853, the New York State Legislature passed the Central Park Act, authorizing the purchase of the present-day site of Central Park. The board of land commissioners conducted property assessments on more than 34,000 lots in
5808-569: The Croton Aqueduct board. Work on the Reservoir started in April 1858. The first major work in Central Park involved grading the driveways and draining the land in the park's southern section. The Lake in Central Park's southwestern section was the first feature to open to the public, in December 1858, followed by the Ramble in June 1859. The same year, the New York State Legislature authorized
5940-452: The Green. The controversy placed Moses, an urban planner known for displacing families for other large projects around the city, against a group of mothers who frequented a wooded hollow at the site of a parking lot. Though opposed by the parents, Moses approved the destruction of part of the hollow. Demolition work commenced after Central Park was closed for the night and was only halted after
6072-621: The Greensward Plan. Based on claims of cost mismanagement, the New York State Senate commissioned the Swiss engineer Julius Kellersberger to write a report on the park. Kellersberger's report, submitted in 1861, stated that the commission's management of the park was a "triumphant success". Olmsted often clashed with the park commissioners, notably with Chief Commissioner Green. Olmsted resigned in June 1862, and Green
6204-403: The Ladies' Pavilion had also been destroyed by vandals, though it was replaced two years later. The Ramble was partially restored in the late 20th century. These renovations started with the Ladies' Pavilion, which was restored to its original design in 1979. In early 1981, the Central Park Conservancy cleared trees in the Ramble to allow more sunlight to reach the Ramble. However, this decision
6336-495: The Ladies' Pavilion, vandals destroyed the structure in 1971. The pavilion was partially rebuilt with some of its overhead panels in 1973, though the city deemed a full renovation to be too expensive, as it would have cost $ 95,000. Six years later, it was completely restored in a project funded with a $ 7,000 grant from the Arthur Ross Foundation and a $ 150,000 donation from a Japanese donor. The Loeb Boathouse, on
6468-470: The Lake frequented by birdwatchers . In addition, an inlet called Bank Rock Bay extends off the extreme north end of the Lake. The Ladies' Skating Pond once abutted the western side of the Lake. It was partially infilled due to malaria concerns in 1888, and it was completely drained by 1936. Today, the site of the Ladies' Pond is occupied by a lawn and dog walk that is much lower than the surrounding topography. Bethesda Terrace and Fountain are located at
6600-479: The Lake were dredged of accumulated silt—topsoil that had washed off the surrounding slopes—and the island formerly in the lake, which gradually eroded below water level, was reconstructed in mid-2007 with rugged boulders along its shoreline, graded wetland areas, and submerged planting shelves for water-loving native plants, like pickerel weed . The Ramble is one of the major centers of birdwatching in Central Park. At least 250 species of birds have been spotted over
6732-473: The Lake, between 75th and 77th Streets, contains a rocky promontory that Olmsted called the Hernshead. Translated to "heron's head", it is named because the outcrop is shaped roughly like a heron's head. The outcrop was restored in 1987. The Ladies Cottage was once located at the Hernshead. It was so named because it abutted the Ladies' Skating Pond, and might have been used as a gender-separated locker room for female skaters as early as 1860. The Ladies' Pavilion,
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#17327723238686864-496: The Lake. The Tammany Hall political machine, which was the largest political force in New York at the time, was in control of Central Park for a brief period beginning in April 1870. A new charter created by Tammany boss William M. Tweed abolished the old 11-member commission and replaced it with one with five men composed of Green and four other Tammany-connected figures. Subsequently, Olmsted and Vaux resigned again from
6996-450: The Lake. However, concerts in the Ramble were a short-lived phenomenon. A concert pavilion in the Mall, at the top of Bethesda Terrace, was approved in 1862, and by the pavilion's completion three years later, most of the concerts had shifted to the Mall. The maintenance effort of the Ramble and Lake, as did the rest of the park, declined slightly in the early and mid-20th century. In 1927, mayor Jimmy Walker commissioned Herman W. Merkel ,
7128-540: The Loeb Boathouse has contained a formal dining room, dining terraces, and concession stands, as well as a rowboat rental. After the Loeb Boathouse's operators announced that the restaurant would close in October 2022, NYC Parks secured a new operator for the restaurant in early 2023. The Loeb Boathouse opened for limited service in June 2023 following a $ 3.25 million renovation, and it fully reopened in March 2024. Vista Rock
7260-562: The Mall for another outdoor concert stage in New York's Central Park, Central Park SummerStage . Facing onto the Mall near its upper end is the neo-classical half-domed Naumburg Bandshell (designed by William G. Tachau in 1916, built 1921-23); it was named after Elkan Naumburg . It is Central Park's only neo-classical building. A "Ladies' Refreshment Salon", later called the Casino with great improvements by Joseph Urban, stood behind it. The Naumburg Orchestral Concerts, founded in 1905 and
7392-482: The Park . Central Park is traversed by a system of roads and walkways and is served by public transportation. Its size and cultural position make it a model for the world's urban parks. Its influence earned Central Park the designations of National Historic Landmark in 1963 and of New York City scenic landmark in 1974. Central Park is owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation but has been managed by
7524-557: The Ramble daily in July 1859, this number grew to 20,000 by late August, 40,000 by mid-October, and 50,000 by Christmas that same year. The Greensward Plan was required to include a musical venue, and the original plan was for a music stand to be placed at the Rumsey Playfield , above the Mall and just south of the Lake. The first concert in Central Park occurred in the Ramble on July 6, 1859, and later on, concerts also occurred in
7656-406: The Ramble, including one across the Lake. Bow Bridge connects the Lake's southern shore with the Ramble, on the northern shore of the Lake. The span is notable for its intricate cast iron design. Its 87-foot-long (27 m) span is the longest of any bridge in the park, though the balustrade is 142 feet (43 m) long. Bow Bridge was restored in 1974. The northern end of the Lake is spanned by
7788-550: The Ramble. One of them, the Ramble Arch, is a stone arch that carries one pedestrian walkway over another, and is made of rockface ashlar. Additionally, the Gill Bridge, a wooden bridge, crosses the Gill at its mouth. Another wooden bridge, unnamed, is located further upstream of the Gill. A cave was originally located inside the Ramble, adjacent to Ramble Arch. It was not originally part of the Greensward Plan, but rather,
7920-513: The Tammany administration, and budget cuts demanded by taxpayers, the maintenance expenses for Central Park had reached a nadir by 1879. Olmsted blamed politicians, real estate owners, and park workers for Central Park's decline, though high maintenance costs were also a factor. By the 1890s, the park faced several challenges: cars were becoming commonplace, and with the proliferation of amusements and refreshment stands, people were beginning to see
8052-526: The Tavern on the Green restaurant. Renovations in the 1940s and 1950s include a restoration of the Harlem Meer completed in 1943, and a new boathouse completed in 1954. Moses began construction on several other recreational features in Central Park, such as playgrounds and ball fields. One of the more controversial projects proposed during this time was a 1956 dispute over a parking lot for Tavern in
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#17327723238688184-576: The Upper East Side, as the park's site, as Bryant had advocated for Jones Wood. The acquisition was controversial because of its location, small size relative to other potential uptown tracts, and cost. A bill to acquire Jones's Wood was invalidated as unconstitutional, so attention turned to a second site: a 750-acre (300 ha) area known as "Central Park", bounded by 59th and 106th streets between Fifth and Eighth avenues. Croton Aqueduct Board president Nicholas Dean, who proposed
8316-601: The Zoo reopened after a $ 35 million, four-year renovation. Work on the northern end of the park began in 1989. A$ 51 million campaign, announced in 1993, resulted in the restoration of bridle trails, the Mall, the Harlem Meer, and the North Woods, and the construction of the Dana Discovery Center on the Harlem Meer. This was followed by the Conservancy's overhaul of the 55 acres (22 ha) near
8448-433: The administrative offices on the 86th Street transverse in 1872. Even though Olmsted and Vaux's partnership was dissolved by the end of 1872, the park was not officially completed until 1876. By the 1870s, the park's patrons increasingly came to include the middle and working class, and strict regulations were gradually eased, such as those against public gatherings. Because of the heightened visitor count, neglect by
8580-545: The appointment of both a NYC Parks administrator and a board of citizens. In 1979, Parks Commissioner Gordon Davis established the Office of Central Park Administrator and appointed Elizabeth Barlow , the executive director of the Central Park Task Force, to the position. The Central Park Conservancy, a nonprofit organization with a citizen board, was founded the following year. Under the leadership of
8712-404: The area, completing them by July 1855. While the assessments were ongoing, proposals to downsize the plans were vetoed by mayor Fernando Wood . At the time, the site was occupied by free black people and Irish immigrants who had developed a property-owning community there since 1825. Most of the Central Park site's residents lived in small villages, such as Pigtown; Seneca Village ; or in
8844-399: The better sort: "We saw no conduct which would have been out of place or inconvenient to the most scrupulous or delicate nerves in the private garden of a gentleman." Still some preferred to hear the tunes from a little distance, in an open carriage, "without the inconvenience of descending" a contemporary Guide phrased it, and, as the park's modern historians noted, "looming over the heads of
8976-475: The boats, and the Victorian style boathouse was finished by 1873 or 1874. However, it fell into disrepair in the mid-20th century and was destroyed by 1950. A new boathouse, financed by a $ 305,000 donation from businessman Carl M. Loeb and another $ 110,000 from NYC Parks, was completed in 1954. In 1983, the boathouse was renovated for $ 750,000, and a 40-seat restaurant opened within the boathouse. Since then,
9108-673: The conservancy announced plans to redesign the park's drives to provide bike lanes and pedestrian paths of consistent width. A report by the conservancy also recommended constructing bike lanes on the 86th Street transverse, as well as removing traffic lights from the park, which served little purpose due to the lack of vehicular traffic. There are four different types of bedrock in Manhattan. In Central Park, Manhattan schist and Hartland schist, which are both metamorphosed sedimentary rock , are exposed in various outcroppings . The other two types, Fordham gneiss (an older deeper layer) and Inwood marble (metamorphosed limestone which overlays
9240-541: The consulting board. Thirty-three firms or organizations submitted plans. In April 1858, the park commissioners selected Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux 's "Greensward Plan" as the winning design. Three other plans were designated as runners-up and featured in a city exhibit. Unlike many of the other designs, which effectively integrated Central Park with the surrounding city, Olmsted and Vaux's proposal introduced clear separations with sunken transverse roadways. The plan eschewed symmetry, instead opting for
9372-768: The development of new parks such as the High Line and Brooklyn Bridge Park . Central Park is patrolled by its own New York City Police Department precinct, the 22nd (Central Park) Precinct, at the 86th Street transverse. The precinct employs both regular police and auxiliary officers. The 22nd Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 81.2% between 1990 and 2023. The precinct saw no murders, three rapes, 23 robberies, nine felony assaults, five burglaries, 48 grand larcenies, and no grand larcenies auto in 2023. The citywide New York City Parks Enforcement Patrol patrols Central Park, and
9504-597: The east. The park is adjacent to the neighborhoods of Harlem to the north, Midtown Manhattan to the south, the Upper West Side to the west, and the Upper East Side to the east. It measures 2.5 miles (4.0 km) from north to south and 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from west to east. Central Park is split into three sections: the "North End" extending above the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir ; "Mid-Park", between
9636-411: The eastern shore of the Lake, is one of several boat landings that have existed on the Lake throughout its history. Boating concessions were granted in the early 1860s, and rowboating on the Lake soon became popular. Six docks on the Lake were built by 1865, although the boats were stored near Bethesda Terrace. In 1870, Olmsted and Vaux suggested the construction of a permanent boathouse to launch and store
9768-416: The fact that it was being filled from water that was drained from the adjacent Ramble. It opened to the public as an ice skating ground that December. The Lake's center was seven feet deep, with terraced shorelines to lower levels for skaters' safety. The Ramble, the second section of the park to be completed, formally opened in June 1859. The Ramble and Lake soon gained popularity: while 15,000 people visited
9900-547: The first American landscape designers. Mayor Ambrose Kingsland , in a message to the New York City Common Council on May 5, 1851, set forth the necessity and benefits of a large new park and proposed the council move to create such a park. Kingsland's proposal was referred to the council's Committee of Lands, which endorsed the proposal. The committee chose Jones's Wood , a 160-acre (65 ha) tract of land between 66th and 75th streets on
10032-458: The first phase of a restoration of the Lake and its shoreline plantings commenced, with replanting using native shrubs and understory trees around the northern end of the Lake. In the earliest stages, invasive non-native plants like Japanese knotweed were eradicated, the slopes were regraded with added humus and protected with landscaping burlap to stabilize the slopes while root systems became established and leaf litter developed. Bank Rock Bridge
10164-487: The first submission, but the proposal was rejected as blocking views west towards Sheep Meadow . Then Tachau's successful Naumburg Bandshell design was submitted for its location on the east side of the Concert Ground, centrally nestled between the two projecting scenic overlooks, and it was accepted. The bandshell has deteriorated over the years and was considered for demolition in 1989. As of early 2021, it
10296-587: The land, and leveling uneven terrain. By the following month, chief engineer Viele reported that the project employed nearly 700 workers. Olmsted employed workers using day labor , hiring men directly without any contracts and paying them by the day. Many of the laborers were Irish immigrants or first-or-second generation Irish Americans , and some Germans and Italians ; there were no black or female laborers. The workers were often underpaid, and workers would often take jobs at other construction projects to supplement their income. A pattern of seasonal hiring
10428-418: The less affluent, a mix that was considered thoroughly "American" and picturesque enough to be illustrated repeatedly in the watercolors of Maurice Prendergast and Ludwig Bemelmans . To the east of the Mall, the wisteria pergola parallels the Mall at the top of a slope. It was originally created as a seating area for visitors attending concerts on the Mall. It now provides screening and separation from
10560-421: The measuring and constructing architectural features such as paths, roads, and buildings. Waring was one of the engineers working under Grant's leadership and was in charge of land drainage. Central Park was difficult to construct because of the generally rocky and swampy landscape. Around five million cubic feet (140,000 m ) of soil and rocks had to be transported out of the park, and more gunpowder
10692-434: The mid-1970s, managerial neglect resulted in a decline in park conditions. A 1973 report noted that the park suffered from severe erosion and tree decay, and that individual structures were being vandalized or neglected. The Central Park Community Fund was subsequently created based on the recommendation of a report from a Columbia University professor. The Fund then commissioned a study of the park's management and suggested
10824-432: The morning after. Benches lay on their backs, their legs jabbing at the sky..." During the following year, the city's parks department replanted lawns and flowers, replaced dead trees and bushes, sandblasted walls, repaired roads and bridges, and restored statues. The park menagerie was transformed into the modern Central Park Zoo , and a rat extermination program was instituted within the zoo. Another dramatic change
10956-547: The northern end of the Central Park Mall , the only formal feature in the Greensward Plan. The Lake was formed from part of the Sawkill Creek, a natural creek which flowed near the American Museum of Natural History . The creek ran through the park site, south of Seneca Village , originally exiting the park under Fifth Avenue near East 74th Street , where Conservatory Water lies today, before emptying in
11088-493: The nurseries of Central Park in 1886. Parsons closely followed Olmsted's original vision for the park, restoring Central Park's trees while blocking the placement of several large statues in the park. Under Parsons' leadership, two circles (now Duke Ellington and Frederick Douglass Circles ) were constructed at the northern corners of the park. He was removed in May 1911 following a lengthy dispute over whether an expense to replace
11220-421: The others being North Woods and Hallett Nature Sanctuary . The Ramble covers 36 to 38 acres (14.6 to 15.4 ha), and contains a series of winding paths, as well as outcrops , rustic structures, and several bridges. The Ramble is designated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation as a "Forever Wild" natural preserve , which prevents any future redevelopment of the site. During construction,
11352-459: The outline for Manhattan's modern street grid, included several smaller open spaces but not Central Park. As such, John Randel Jr. had surveyed the grounds for the construction of intersections within the modern-day park site. The only remaining surveying bolt from his survey is embedded in a rock north of the present Dairy and the 66th Street transverse, marking the location where West 65th Street would have intersected Sixth Avenue . By
11484-551: The park as a recreational attraction. The 1904 opening of the New York City Subway displaced Central Park as the city's predominant leisure destination, as New Yorkers could travel to farther destinations such as Coney Island beaches or Broadway theaters for a five-cent fare. In the late 19th century the landscape architect Samuel Parsons took the position of New York City parks superintendent. A onetime apprentice of Calvert Vaux , Parsons helped restore
11616-602: The park in the form of glacial erratics (large boulders dropped by the receding glacier) and north–south glacial striations visible on stone outcroppings. Alignments of glacial erratics, called "boulder trains", are present throughout Central Park. The most notable of these outcroppings is Rat Rock (also known as Umpire Rock), a circular outcropping at the southwestern corner of the park. It measures 55 feet (17 m) wide and 15 feet (4.6 m) tall with different east, west, and north faces. Boulderers sometimes congregate there. A single glacial pothole with yellow clay
11748-744: The park starting in the 1980s. The park's main attractions include the Ramble and Lake , Hallett Nature Sanctuary , the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir , and Sheep Meadow ; amusement attractions such as Wollman Rink , Central Park Carousel , and the Central Park Zoo ; formal spaces such as the Central Park Mall and Bethesda Terrace ; and the Delacorte Theater . The biologically diverse ecosystem has several hundred species of flora and fauna. Recreational activities include carriage-horse and bicycle tours, bicycling, sports facilities, and concerts and events such as Shakespeare in
11880-425: The park was home to four females with a median age of 19.8. Though the 2010 United States Census recorded 25 residents within the census tract, park officials have rejected the claim of anyone permanently living there. Central Park is the most visited urban park in the United States and one of the most visited tourist attractions worldwide, with 42 million visitors in 2016. The number of unique visitors
12012-590: The park which was later converted into a "rugged" woodland and the Harlem Meer waterway. When the American Civil War began in 1861, the park commissioners decided to continue building Central Park, since significant parts of the park had already been completed. Only three major structures were completed during the Civil War: the Music Stand and the Casino restaurant, both later demolished, and
12144-405: The park's drives. The next year, mayor Bill de Blasio announced that West and East drives north of 72nd Street would be closed to vehicular traffic, because the city's data showed that closing the roads did not adversely impact traffic flows. Subsequently, in June 2018, the remaining drives south of 72nd Street were closed to vehicular traffic. Several structures were also renovated in
12276-435: The park's most varied and intricately planted landscape was planted with native trees such as tupelo ( Nyssa sylvatica ); American sycamore ; white, red, black, scarlet, and willow oaks ; Hackberry ; and Liriodendron . These trees were arranged to create a colorful tropical effect. These coexisted with some American trees never native to the area, such as Kentucky coffee tree , yellowwood , and cucumber magnolia , and
12408-556: The park's operations in early 1998. Renovations continued through the first decade of the 21st century, and a project to restore the pond was commenced in 2000. Four years later, the Conservancy replaced a chain-link fence with a replica of the original cast-iron fence that surrounded the Upper Reservoir. It started refurbishing the ceiling tiles of the Bethesda Arcade, which was completed in 2007. Soon after,
12540-399: The park. Between 1821 and 1855, New York City's population nearly quadrupled. As the city expanded northward up Manhattan , people were drawn to the few existing open spaces, mainly cemeteries, for passive recreation. These were seen as escapes from the noise and chaotic life in the city, which at the time was almost entirely centered on Lower Manhattan . The Commissioners' Plan of 1811 ,
12672-502: The parks commissioner and the Conservancy's president. The Central Park Conservancy was founded in 1980 as a nonprofit organization with a citizen board to assist with the city's initiatives to clean up and rehabilitate the park. The Conservancy took over the park's management duties from NYC Parks in 1998, though NYC Parks retained ownership of Central Park. The conservancy provides maintenance support and staff training programs for other public parks in New York City, and has assisted with
12804-713: The park— must be rendered 'subservient' to the natural 'view as the ultimatum of interest.'" Grading the Promenade and the Center Drive that swept along its western flank offering views over the Sheep Meadow was done in 1858. By 1860, with slender elm saplings growing in turf, it was ready for the first of the open-air concerts, in Calvert Vaux's octagonal bandstand with its eight-sided bell-shaped roof. The New-York Tribune encouraged hesitant New Yorkers of
12936-401: The play equipment—opened near its southern end in 1926, and quickly became popular with poor immigrant families. The following year, Mayor Jimmy Walker commissioned landscape designer Hermann W. Merkel to create a plan to improve Central Park. Merkel's plans would combat vandalism and plant destruction, rehabilitate paths, and add eight new playgrounds, at a cost of $ 1 million. One of
13068-414: The price that the United States would pay for Alaska a few years later. In June 1856, Fernando Wood appointed a "consulting board" of seven people, headed by author Washington Irving , to inspire public confidence in the proposed development. Wood hired military engineer Egbert Ludovicus Viele as the park's chief engineer, tasking him with a topographical survey of the site. The following April,
13200-612: The project in November 1870. After Tweed's embezzlement was publicly revealed in 1871, leading to his imprisonment, Olmsted and Vaux were re-hired, and the Central Park Commission appointed new members who were mostly in favor of Olmsted. One of the areas that remained relatively untouched was the underdeveloped western side of Central Park, though some large structures would be erected in the park's remaining empty plots. By 1872, Manhattan Square had been reserved for
13332-435: The public in late 1858. Additional land at the northern end of Central Park was purchased in 1859, and the park was completed in 1876. After a period of decline in the early 20th century, New York City parks commissioner Robert Moses started a program to clean up Central Park in the 1930s. The Central Park Conservancy , created in 1980 to combat further deterioration in the late 20th century, refurbished many parts of
13464-443: The purchase of an additional 65 acres (26 ha) at the northern end of Central Park, from 106th to 110th Streets. The section of Central Park south of 79th Street was mostly completed by 1860. The park commissioners reported in June 1860 that $ 4 million had been spent on the construction to date. As a result of the sharply rising construction costs, the commissioners eliminated or downsized several features in
13596-580: The reservoir to the north and the Lake and Conservatory Water to the south; and "South End" below the Lake and Conservatory Water. The park has five visitor centers: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center , Belvedere Castle , Chess & Checkers House, the Dairy , and Columbus Circle . The park has been described as the first landscaped park in the United States. It has natural-looking plantings and landforms , having been almost entirely landscaped when built in
13728-404: The rest of the crowd, symbolizing and reinforcing the class hierarchy Central Park was supposed to transcend". Two flanking avenues of American Elms were planted to give the high-arched shady canopy that was becoming the mode for prime residential streets in affluent towns of New England , Pennsylvania and Ohio ; the elms are gone from America's Elm Streets, victims of Dutch Elm disease , but
13860-411: The school and convent at Mount St. Vincent's Academy . Clearing began shortly after the land commission's report was released in October 1855, and approximately 1,600 residents were evicted under eminent domain . Though supporters claimed that the park would cost just $ 1.7 million, the total cost of the land ended up being $ 7.39 million (equivalent to $ 242 million in 2023), more than
13992-494: The soil in the park was unnecessary. A succession of Tammany-affiliated Democratic mayors were indifferent toward Central Park. Several park advocacy groups were formed in the early 20th century. To preserve the park's character, the citywide Parks and Playground Association, and a consortium of multiple Central Park civic groups operating under the Parks Conservation Association, were formed in
14124-563: The southeastern end of the Lake. They form the northern end of the Central Park Mall , the only formal feature in the park's original blueprint, the Greensward Plan . The terrace is composed of two levels, the lower of which houses the fountain. The center of the fountain contains the sculpture Angel of the Waters (1873) by Emma Stebbins , the first large public sculpture commission for an American woman. There are multiple bridges in
14256-548: The state legislature passed a bill to authorize the appointment of four Democratic and seven Republican commissioners, who had exclusive control over the planning and construction process. Though Viele had already devised a plan for the park, the commissioners disregarded it and retained him to complete only the topographical surveys. The Central Park Commission began hosting a landscape design contest shortly after its creation. The commission specified that each entry contain extremely detailed specifications, as mandated by
14388-523: The suggested modifications, underground irrigation pipes, were installed soon after Merkel's report was submitted. The other improvements outlined in the report, such as fences to mitigate plant destruction, were postponed due to the Great Depression . In 1934, Republican Fiorello La Guardia was elected mayor of New York City . He unified the five park-related departments then in existence. Newly appointed city parks commissioner Robert Moses
14520-518: The tectonic plates began to merge to form the supercontinent Pangaea . Cameron's Line , a fault zone that traverses Central Park on an east–west axis, divides the outcroppings of Hartland schist to the south and Manhattan schist to the north. Various glaciers have covered the area of Central Park in the past, with the most recent being the Wisconsin glacier which receded about 12,000 years ago. Evidence of past glaciers can be seen throughout
14652-479: The threat of a lawsuit. Moses left his position in May 1960. No park commissioner since then has been able to exercise the same degree of power, nor did NYC Parks remain in as stable a position in the aftermath of his departure. Eight commissioners held the office in the twenty years following his departure. The city experienced economic and social changes, with some residents moving to the suburbs. Interest in Central Park's landscape had long since declined, and it
14784-549: The work of unskilled laborers. In total, over 20,000 individuals helped construct Central Park. Because of extreme precautions taken to minimize collateral damage, five laborers died during the project, at a time when fatality rates were generally much higher. During the development of Central Park, Superintendent Olmsted hired several dozen mounted police officers, who were classified into two types of "keepers": park keepers and gate keepers. The mounted police were viewed favorably by park patrons and were later incorporated into
14916-481: The world's oldest, continuous free outdoor classical music concert series take place there as a gift to the public, each summer. The Naumburg Bandshell replaced Vaux's cast-iron and wooden construction of 1860, where nineteenth-century concerts evolved partly into open-air popular dances as the evenings fell. The bandstand fell into disrepair by 1912, and new designs were invited by the Parks Department at that time. The architectural firm of Carrère and Hastings made
15048-479: The world. The creation of a large park in Manhattan was first proposed in the 1840s, and a 778-acre (315 ha) park approved in 1853. In 1858, landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition for the park with their "Greensward Plan". Construction began in 1857; existing structures, including a majority-Black settlement named Seneca Village , were seized through eminent domain and razed. The park's first areas were opened to
15180-401: The years, including more than 20 species of warblers that pass through during spring and fall migration in April and October. One of the most popular birding spots is Azalea Pond, along the waterfront. Since at least the early 20th century, the seclusion of the Ramble has been used by gay men for cruising . In the 1920s, the lawn at the north end was referred to as the "fruited plain", and in
15312-440: Was "of great importance as the first real Park made in this country—a democratic development of the highest significance". Construction of Central Park's design was executed by a gamut of professionals. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux were the primary designers, assisted by board member Andrew Haswell Green , architect Jacob Wrey Mould , master gardener Ignaz Anton Pilat , and engineer George E. Waring Jr. Olmsted
15444-569: Was Moses' removal of the " Hoover valley " shantytown at the north end of Turtle Pond, which became the 30-acre (12 ha) Great Lawn. The western part of the Pond at the park's southeast corner became an ice skating rink called Wollman Rink , roads were improved or widened, and twenty-one playgrounds were added. These projects used funds from the New Deal program, and donations from the public. Moses removed Sheep Meadow 's sheep to make way for
15576-525: Was able to participate in sports such as ice-skating or rowing, or listen to concerts at the Mall's bandstand. Olmsted and Vaux were re-hired in mid-1865. Several structures were erected, including the Children's District, the Ballplayers House , and the Dairy in the southern part of Central Park. Construction commenced on Belvedere Castle, Harlem Meer, and structures on Conservatory Water and
15708-430: Was appointed to Olmsted's position. Vaux resigned in 1863 because of what he saw as pressure from Green. As superintendent of the park, Green accelerated construction, though having little experience in architecture. He implemented a style of micromanagement , keeping records of the smallest transactions in an effort to reduce costs. Green finalized the negotiations to purchase the northernmost 65 acres (26 ha) of
15840-445: Was criticized by birders, who said that the destruction of trees would remove shelter places for birds. The restoration of the Gill was subsequently approved in 1982. A path in the Ramble, Iphigene's Walk, was dedicated in 1987 to one of the key backers of the Ramble's 1980s renovation. The Central Park Conservancy renovated the Lake's shoreline starting in 2006, in a project to enhance both its ecological and scenic aspects. In mid-2007,
15972-460: Was designed so that a carriage could disgorge its passengers at the south end, then drive round and pick them up again overlooking Bethesda Terrace, whose view of the Lake and Ramble formed the "ultimatum of interest" in Olmsted and Vaux's vision. With no need for redoubling their steps, fashionable New Yorkers, who in the first decades of the park's existence drove through it in their carriages but rarely walked in it, had their chance to mingle with
16104-412: Was established, wherein more workers would be hired and paid at higher rates during the summers. For several months, the park commissioners faced funding issues, and a dedicated workforce and funding stream was not secured until June 1858. The landscaped Upper Reservoir was the only part of the park that the commissioners were not responsible for constructing; instead, the Reservoir would be built by
16236-467: Was given the task of cleaning up the park, and he summarily fired many of the Tammany-era staff. At the time, the lawns were filled with weeds and dust patches, while many trees were dying or already dead. Monuments had been vandalized, equipment and walkways were broken, and ironwork was rusted. Moses's biographer Robert Caro later said, "The once beautiful Mall looked like a scene of a wild party
16368-480: Was in commemoration of the New York society poet Fitz-Greene Halleck , but more than half of the sculptures erected in Central Park in the nineteenth century were projects financed and promoted by ethnic associations of the more recent immigrants: "immigrant New Yorkers were emphasizing their status as 'cultivated' people by honoring leading cultural (not political or military) figures in the city's most 'cultivated' space". The statue of Christopher Columbus centered at
16500-415: Was now mostly being used for recreation. Several unrealized additions were proposed for Central Park in that decade, such as a public housing development, a golf course, and a "revolving world's fair". The 1960s marked the beginning of an "Events Era" in Central Park that reflected the widespread cultural and political trends of the period. The Public Theater 's annual Shakespeare in the Park festival
16632-401: Was originally a narrow cavity uncovered after a deposit of fertile soil was excavated at the site. Olmsted and Vaux lined the entrance of the cavity with boulders and created a stone staircase down to the Cave. The Ramble Cave, also known as Indian Cave, was a popular attraction. It was characterized as a romantic spot and as a play area for kids. A teenage runaway may have lived in the Cave for
16764-471: Was recreated in its original materials following Calvert Vaux 's original design of 1859–60. The replacement bridge was made of steel, clad in ornamental cast iron facings, with a wooden deck. The new bridge was rededicated in September 2009. The cascade, where the Gill empties into the lake, was reconstructed to approximate its dramatic original form, inspired by paintings of Asher B. Durand . Sections of
16896-587: Was responsible for the overall plan, while Vaux designed some of the finer details. Mould, who worked frequently with Vaux, designed the Central Park Esplanade and the Tavern on the Green building. Pilat was the park's chief landscape architect, whose primary responsibility was the importation and placement of plants within the park. A "corps" of construction engineers and foremen, managed by superintending engineer William H. Grant, were tasked with
17028-709: Was settled in the Delacorte Theater , and summer performances were instituted on the Sheep Meadow and the Great Lawn by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera . During the late 1960s, the park became the venue for rallies and cultural events such as the "love-ins" and "be-ins" of the period. The same year, Lasker Rink opened in the northern part of the park; the facility served as an ice rink in winter and Central Park's only swimming pool in summer. By
17160-418: Was the "Carriage Parade", a daily display of horse-drawn carriages that traversed the park. Park patronage grew steadily: by 1867, Central Park accommodated nearly three million pedestrians, 85,000 horses, and 1.38 million vehicles annually. The park had activities for New Yorkers of all social classes. While the wealthy could ride horses on bridle paths or travel in horse-drawn carriages, almost everyone
17292-555: Was the Dairy, which reopened as the park's first visitor center in 1979. The Sheep Meadow, which reopened the following year, was the first landscape to be restored. Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, the USS Maine National Monument , and the Bow Bridge were also rehabilitated. By then, the Conservancy was engaged in design efforts and long-term restoration planning, and in 1981, Davis and Barlow announced
17424-540: Was used to clear the area than was used at the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War . More than 18,500 cubic yards (14,100 m ) of topsoil were transported from Long Island and New Jersey , because the original soil was neither fertile nor sufficiently substantial to sustain the flora specified in the Greensward Plan. Modern steam-powered equipment and custom tree-moving machines augmented
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