Central Park

Central Park is a park in Manhattan, New York City. It covers 843 acres (341 hectares) bounded by 110th Street to the north, Fifth Avenue to the east, Central Park South (59th Street) to the south, and Central Park West (Eighth Avenue) to the west.^[1]

The park was established by act of the New York state legislature in 1853 and opened to the public in 1859. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in the English romantic style of landscape design.^[2]

Central Park is visited by 25 million people each year.^[3]

The Great Lawn in Central Park has been the location of major concerts and events in the past, including visits by Simon and Garfunkel, Garth Brooks, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Elton John.

One of the more locally known features of the park is the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, around which is an extensive jogging/cycling trial favored by residents and tourists alike.

Central Park is also known for its multitude of annual summer events, including the theater production Shakespeare in the Park.

Central Park is maintained by the Central Park Conservancy, a group that was founded in 1980 to help restore the park after it has fallen into disrepair. After years of cleanup, the park is now a safe, beautiful retreat, largely free of trash and drug dealers.

External links[edit]

• CentralPark.com
• Central Park Conservancy
• Central Park maps

Further reading[edit]

• Jackson, Kenneth, ed. The Encyclopedia of New York City (1995), excerpt and text search

References[edit]