Welcome to Central Park

Please join me in Central Park 

The very closest park to where I live is Riverside Park -- just a block away to the west -- and it's a frequent walking destination. But when I get a little more energy I walk up the hill -- four long blocks -- to Central Park. They are both beautiful urban oases, but Riverside is very much a park for the neighborhood and not a destination for all of New York City. We'll be visiting Riverside in the week ahead, and for today we're spending our day at Central  Park. 

You may have seen photographs of Central Park recently and the park probably looked much more crowded. I stayed on the very edge of the park near one of the entrances and it was blissfully empty, even in the midst of many people visiting the park for fresh air. 

Central Park was the first landscaped public park in the United States. There were already landscaped parks in Paris and London and New York City had advocates for establishing a similar setting in Manhattan. The location was debated and ultimately  700 acres were taken by eminent domain. The area is filled with rocky outcroppings which create a great landscape, but were unsuitable for commercial development. These were not empty acres, but rather the home of 1,600 people. These residents included Seneca Village, a settlement of African-American landowners that dated from 1825. The photograph above is literally the site of Seneca Village, which went from what is now West 82nd St. to West 89th St. 

In 1857 Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmstead were selected to design what would become Central Park. It was a massive public works project with over 20,000 workers, including stone cutters, engineers and laborers reshaping the area's topography to create the pastoral landscape. More gunpowder was blasted in the building of Central Park than at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. This was followed by workers bringing in three million cubic yards of soil and planting over 270,000 trees and shrubs. In 1859 this urban masterpiece was opened and by 1865 the park received over seven million visitors a year. What a legacy to New York City and to the world! 

What a legacy to New York City and to the world! I've always appreciated the beauty and proximity of Central Park, but these most recent days have made me even more appreciative. 

It's been cool here, but we've had beautiful sunny days. Flowers are in bloom and we're having a glorious spring. 

As ever, thanks for  visiting and take good care. Much love and wash your hands!