Visited by more than 42 million people a year, Central Park is Manhattan’s giant “green lung.” There, New Yorkers find a place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and connect with nature.
The world’s most famous park occupies 843 hectares. This area includes meadows such as Great Lawn and Sheep Meadow. Woodland (rumble). 7 artificial lakes and ponds, approximately 18,000 species of trees and plants.
Several attractions also stand out, including the Bettesa Terrace & Fountain, which is one of the most photographed places for visitors. Romantic bow bridge. Strawberry Fields reminds me of John Lennon. Belvedere Castle. The small Central Park Zoo and the Great Lawn Esplanade.
In addition to walking, Central Park offers bike rides on the 10-kilometre circuit, boat rides on The Lake, various shows, and ice skating at Ullmann Rink.
Manhattan’s grid system, enacted in 1811, included plans for several small open spaces, but none rivaled the scale of Central Park. So citizen philanthropists and local government leaders sought to create parks that would provide an abundance of green space and position New York City as a world-class destination.
The official Central Park website recalls, “In 1853, state officials approved funds to purchase land between 59th and 106th Streets, between 5th and 8th avenues.”
He added: “The terrain was rocky and marshy, as it was once home to small farms and settlements. The site was also home to Kingsbridge Road, one of only two roads that ran through Manhattan and provided access to northern cities.”
Proponents of the project held a design competition, and the Greensward Plan, proposed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, was born. This project was distinguished by: Vast landscape of meadows and woodlands.
“One of the most notable features of the Greensward plan was the sunken crosswalk, a required element of the design competition, but Olmstead and Vaux hid it beneath the landscaping out of sight of visitors,” the site adds.
Construction of the park began when 1858workers “moved nearly 5 million cubic yards of stone, earth, and topsoil to construct 36 bridges and arches and 11 viaducts at crossroads. They also planted 500,000 trees, shrubs, and vines.”
This completely artificial landscape was a huge success. The first section of the park, the lake, opened to the public in 1858, just months after the design competition ended. Construction continued over the next several years. 15 yearscosting US$14 million, almost three times the original budget.
Central Park went into decline in the early 20th century, but was reborn around 1919. 1934when Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia appointed Robert Moses as Parks Commissioner. Moses received federal funding to develop major planning projects, including 19 playgrounds, baseball fields, handball courts, and the Ullman Rink in Central Park.
Moses resigned in 1960, leaving Central Park without any maintenance plans. Without supervision, crowds filled the park and damaged facilities.
Again in 1979, a group of volunteers, with support from Mayor Ed Koch and Parks Commissioner Gordon Davis, founded the Central Park Conservancy to continue caring for the park’s 2,000 acres.
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