Central Park

Spent most of Friday (Sat NZT) at Central Park cycling around it, and then walking much of it also. Was a sunny hot day, so spent most of it there, deciding to leave museums for a more cloudy or rainy day.

Cycling around the park is brilliant fun. Nice and peaceful most of the time, but a couple of hills to make you work a bit. The biggest danger was me crashing as I admired certain joggers 🙂

The statue of Christoper Columbus at Colombus Circle, where most people enter Central Park. The statue was made in 1892, 400 years after Columbus landed in America.

In winter this is an ice skating rink, and in summer an amusement park. I love the skyscrapers in the background, so you have the park.

Auckland Girl with Big Bird and Emo.

 

The view from on top of the rocks near the rink.

Some of the many tables at the Chess & Checkers House.

 

There is a literary walk, with several statues of famous literary figures.

This is the Bethesda Terrace and the Angel of the Waters Fountain. A beautiful spot.

A close up of the fountain.

This is the Conservatory Water.

A statue of Hans Christian Anderson, author of The Ugly Ducking (and many more).

Also by the water is this statue of Alice in Wonderland. It is roped off as it is being sprayed with some sort of preservative.

A view of Uptown, across the waters of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. It is 43 hectares in size, and holds almost 4 billion litres.

This is also an ice staking rink in winter. In summer it is a free swimming pool, so very popular.

The main road around the park is six miles long and you get walkers, runners, cyclists, horse and carriages and more They have separate lanes for runners, cyclists and vehicles.

This is the Great Lawn. It’s, well, huge.

Belvedere Castle was built in 1869 and for almost 100 years has hosted the US Weather Bureau.

 

A statue of King Jagiello of Poland. No idea why it is in Central Park, but it seems he beat the Germans up a lot in the 1400s.

Turtle Pond – not for swimming in.

This is the view from the top of Belvedere Castle. How many cities in the world would have a view like that?

Walking through The Ramble.

 

Enjoying a cycle around. So great to be able to cycle without a helmet (as you are in the park). You can hire cycles from half a dozen places nearby – but not in the park itself.

Central Park is a big part of what makes New York so beloved.

Of interest, it is not actually run or maintained by the City of New York – but by a private charitable trust.