by Joy S

January 1, 2008

From journal A Week in New York

Central Park is an 843 acre carpet of green. Smack bang in the middle of Manhattan, it is an oasis from the insanity - lush lawns, cool forests, water and wooded paths. In summer it swarms with joggers, in-line skaters, musicians and tourists. In winter snowstorms can inspire cross-country skiing and sledding or a simple stroll through the winter wonderland.

It was laid out between 1859-1870. All the more impressive as the oasis of green is surrounded on all sides by high rise buildings.

It was designated a "people's park" where everyone could come and enjoy it right in the heart of New York.

We took a horse and carriage ride around the park. It had just started to snow, so this made the ride really magical.

We were very thankful in hindsight that we had chosen a carriage with a roof, as this, combined with the green woolly blanket the driver threw over our laps, kept us snug, warm and dry.

The ride lasted about 20 minutes and was a lovely way to travel and see the inside of the park. Our driver - originally from Ireland, was pleasant, friendly and chatty. When we got out, our son enjoyed watching the horses get a drink of water from little stone troughs at Artists Gate on Central Park South.

The Wallman Ice Skating Rink is beautiful. We didn't skate here, but very much enjoyed watching the other skaters on this large rink with its lovely setting.

We had a ride on the carousel. It has been in the park since 1871 and is open daily between April and December. There are 58 beautiful hand-carved horses. It was such a cold day, our hands and faces were frozen as we whizzed round, so it wasn't really a fun experience.

The Heckscher Playground is the largest playground in the park and great for children. It has been recently renovated and has lots of swings, slides, climbing structures and a big sand pit.

Around Conservatory Water are several statues of children from favourite children's stories. Alice in Wonderland is great - a bronze statue of Alice on a large mushroom with the Mad Hatter, March Hare and Dormouse. There is also Hans Christian Andersen and Mother Goose.

Strawberry Fields is a lovely landscaped area with the "Imagine" mosiac in memory of John Lennon. He lived just across the road at the Dakota Apartment Building and apparently particularly enjoyed this area of Central Park.

One tip I would pass on if you visit Central Park on a cold winter day is to make sure you are wearing thermals and are well-wrapped up. We were wearing lots of layers and were fine elsewhere in Manhattan, but in the Park the temperature seemed to be about 10 degrees colder than anywhere else. This combined with the wind chill meant we were sooooo cold!

Related Central Park Deals