What’s more romantic and festive than a horse and carriage ride through Central Park at Christmas? Come ride with me!

I’d taken a carriage ride before in the spring, to see the cherry blossoms. Today being December 23rd, I wanted to feel what it’s like to ride around Central Park so close to Christmas. It did not disappoint!

Family owned NYC Horse Carriage Rides have been in business since 1979. I’d been a little hesitant to take a ride, worried that the job was hard on the horses, but there are no worries with this company. Our driver shared how Sam and his co-workers get a Pennsylvania vacation in the hot weather, and only work 4 years before they are retired. You can read more about their horses here.

Our guide was filled with information about the history of Central Park, the buildings, monuments and movie locations. He even showed us photos to add to the stories. We took the Holiday Grand Tour, 65 minutes with photo stops. It was totally worth it!

East Drive, Central Park

As always, Central Park was filled with walkers, runners and riders of all ages. The vibe is always good, everyone WANTS to be here.

According to our guide, the monument to Balto the Husky is the most visited monument in Central Park. Balto was the lead dog of the sled team that delivered serum during an outbreak of deadly diphtheria in Nome, Alaska in 1925. With the trains and planes unable to operate in the icebound conditions, Balto and his team raced through a 50 degrees below zero blizzard to bring the serum in record time.
The monument to Balto is at The Deane, along East Drive.

The “clop clop” of the horses shoes combined with the gentle sway of the carriage was so relaxing. Just to be able to sit back and watch folks doing and being NYC was so enjoyable.

Bethesda Terrace, Central Park

Our first photo stop was at Bethesda Terrace. We were so pleased with the photo our driver took! The San Remo was a fantastic background. Would you believe that the San Remo was actually built to conceal water tanks? It’s true!

The wonderful Bethesda Fountain, also known as the “Angel of the Waters,” is known as the social and spiritual center of Central Park. It was designed by Emma Stebbins in 1868 and unveiled in 1873. A much needed restoration was done in 1980-81.

We had ten minutes to wander so we raced down the stairs to the Terrace. There are usually performers taking advantage of the beauty and acoustics, and today was no exception. The Terrace was constructed from sandstone in 1862, during the Civil War.

The encaustic ceiling tiles in the Lower Passage were made by the Mintons, Europe’s leading ceramic factory during the Victorian era. They were removed in the 1980’s but restored and returned in 2007. I’m so glad!

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We certainly made the most of our ten minutes. And Sam the horse had some time to grab a snack. Back on board to continue our ride!

The Dakota and The Majestic, Central Park

The sun is setting and the lights are coming on now. The statue of American statesman Daniel Webster stands along West Drive at East 72nd Street. Sculpted by Thomas Ball as a statuette, this larger than life size version was cast in 1876.

Our next photo op was at the end of Terrace Drive, where it meets Central Park West. The magnificent Dakota is directly behind the carriage, and our driver was full of knowledge of it’s history and connection to John Lennon. He also showed us Strawberry Fields, and gave us the opportunity to get out and explore.

A blurry but still exciting view of The Dakota. Called “the city’s most legendary apartment building,” when it was built in 1881 it deemed to be so far north and west that no one thought it would be successful. Check this out: the original owner, Singer Sewing Machine Company founder Edward Clark’s built sterling-silver floors in his apartment! Unfortunately, he passed before he could enjoy walking on them.

The 29-story Art Deco Majestic apartment building (below) was completed in 1931. Lindbergh baby kidnapper Bruno Richard Hauptmann was one of the carpenters who worked on the building; legend has it that some of the ransom money is hidden here, though the crime happened a year after the building was finished. There’s a whole discussion thread devoted to it here.

West Drive, Central Park

Along the West Drive just north of the Sheep Meadow is a bust of Giuseppe Mazzini (1805–1872) an Italian politician, journalist, and activist for the unification of Italy.

The Mazzini bust was the first monument of an Italian American in New York City. It was dedicated in 1878 in Central Park, seven years after the unification of Italy. Mazzini was a leading advocate for Italian unification and nationhood. Inscribed on the granite pedestal are two of Mazzini’s philosophical beliefs: Pensiero ed Azione, meaning “thought and action” and Dio e Il Popolo, “God and the people.”

Tavern on the Green, Central Park

Our driver shared how the current Tavern on the Green restaurant was once the home of a flock of sheep. Built in 1870 to house the sheep that grazed on nearby Sheep Meadow, it was designed by Jacob Wrey Mould. The sheep moved out in 1934 and the barn was converted to a restaurant.

Billboard lists Tavern on the Green as one of the 14 Best Restaurants to Spot a Celebrity in NYC. John Lennon and his son Sean Lennon celebrated numerous birthdays at Tavern on the Green during the late 1970s. The restaurant has made an appearance in Arthur 2: On the Rocks, Hair, It’s My Turn, and Ghostbusters. It is also depicted in Wall Street (1987), The Out-of-Towners (1999), It Had to Be You (2000), and Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011).

Central Park at Dusk

55 Central Park West will always be known as the “Ghostbusters Building“. In the movie it was called The Shandor Building, The Shandor Apartments or Spook Central. It’s where Sigourney Weaver lived. Eight additional floors and a large rooftop temple were added to exterior shots of it post-production for the movie.

In the background (above) rises residential skyscraper 50 West 66th Street, which is anticipated to be completed in 2024 or 2025. It will be a giant 69 stories, and be the tallest building in Manhattan north of 59th Street.

The lights are twinkling on all over the city. I knew this would be the best time of day to take a ride. In the background are two of the newer supertalls along Billionaire’s Row: the Steinway Tower (2020), 111 West 57th Street and the Central Park Tower (2020), 225 West 57th Street.

We’ve arrived back at West Drive and our driver parks the carriage. Time for Sam to have some food and water, and for us to continue our journey.

It’s not a horse and carriage, but I have to admit, with the right music I bet this could be a fun ride, too!

Thank you so much for riding with me and letting me share the fun with you! I hope you’ll come back to see more real NYC photos.

All photos property of debbieinthecity.com. May not be duplicated without written permission. Any links or mention of products or services are for information purposes only and not an endorsement.

Sources:
NYC Horse Carriage Rides
Central Park Conservancy
NYC Department of Parks and Recreation
Wiki – Bethesda Terrace and Fountain
Wiki – Tavern on the Green
Billboard: The 14 Best Restaurants to Spot a Celebrity New York Yimby