It was another rainy weekend in the city, but Central Park is bursting with life – and cherry blossoms! Nothing was going to stop us from seeing them. Come walk with me and see the beauty of Springtime in Central Park.
The Bridges
We entered the park at West 90th Street and headed over Bridge No. 27 to the reservoir. Bridge No. 27 is one of three cast-iron bridges that carry pedestrians over the bridle path to the Reservoir running track. It was built between 1859 and 1866, designed by Calbert Vaux.
Spanning 106 acres and 40 feet deep, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir holds more than one billion gallons of water. At the time of its construction (1858-1862), it was the world’s largest man-made body of water.
I absolutely love this time of year. The colors are so soft yet vibrant. The still leafless trees are a promise.
Architect Jacob Wrey Mould assisted in the design of the 3 cast-iron bridges. It’s easy to see his influence in the similarity of the style to his magnificent fountain in City Hall Park.
East Drive
The slight drizzle doesn’t stop folks from getting out. It’s just too beautiful! Next stop – Cleopatra’s Needle.
I’m crazy for this photo. It was misting slightly and it brought out the colors and lushness.
This may be my favorite statue in Central Park. Donated in 1880 and sculpted by Carl Conrads, the flourishes in Hamilton’s clothes and hair really bring him to life. Alexander Hamilton lived 1755 – 1804 and was a writer, soldier, lawyer, politician, economist, and one of the founding fathers of the United States.
Cleopatra’s Needle
Back in 12 BCE, Romans discovered two granite obelisks lying half-buried in sand. They had been created around 1,425 BCE by Pharaoh Thutmose III for the Temple of the Sun in Heliopolis.
The Romans brought the obelisks to Alexandria and installed them at an entrance to a temple dedicated to Julius Caesar. The temple had been built by Cleopatra, and they have been called “Cleopatra’s Needles,” ever since.
The bronze crabs supports the weathered obelisk. It’s incredible to me that the crabs were created by the Romans. Two unique, fascinating periods of history combined and right here for us to contemplate!
The obelisks were separated in the 1870’s, one given to the United States and one to England as gifts from the Egyptian government. William Henry Vanderbilt, son of Cornelius, paid for the transportation to New York City. The obelisk was loaded through a hole cut into the SS Dessoug’s hull and rolled on cannonballs. Thirty-two horses pulled it to Central Park.
The obelisk in Central Park is on Greywacke Knoll, across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It stands 69′ high and weights about 200 tons.
There is a time capsule buried beneath the obelisk with a copy of the Declaration of Independence, the 1870 U.S. Census, a bible, dictionary, a guide to Egypt, and the complete works of Shakespeare. There is also a small box with unknown contents put there by the man who arranged the obelisks purchase and transportation. I wonder!
In the nearly 3,000 years the obelisk spent in Egypt, the dry air kept it from weathering very much. In just over 100 years in NYC the obelisk became heavily pitted by pollution and acidic rain. It’s amazing to me that it is still on display outside.
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Greywacke Knoll and Arch
Greywacke Knoll is the site of the Obelisk, and is pretty much the backyard of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue. You can see a little bit of Greywacke Arch below, between the tree branch and the park benches.
We decided to head down the hill to Greywacke Arch. It’s so very beautiful it draws you in.
There’s always a musician here at the end of the arch, taking advantage of the scenery. The Greywacke Arch is one of the most ornate in the park, with a Moorish element. It was built in 1861 from sandstone and greywacke (stone) from the Hudson Valley, alternating with brownstone from Passaic, NJ.
In 1939, Polish sculptor Stanislaw Ostrowski presented his statue at the 1939 World’s Fair in Queens. The statue was King Jagiello, the Grand Duke of Lithuania who became the King of Poland (1352-1434). It was modeled after one in Warsaw. Shortly after it’s unveiling, the Nazis invaded Poland and destroyed the original statue of the King. The Polish were unable to return home because of the occupation, and the statue found it’s home in Central Park in 1945. It’s dramatic and impressive, and I’m surprised the Polish people didn’t ask for it back after the war ended.
Belvedere Castle
Belvedere Castle was designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould, who designed so much of the beauty of Central Park.
The castle was built from 1867-1869 and made of schist quarried from within Central Park, and granite. Central Park has an official weather station housed here since 1919.
Belvedere means “beautiful view” in Italian. There is a narrow, short and winding staircase that takes you to the second floor observatory. You can stand either inside or out and enjoy the view.
The Delacorte Theater opened in 1962 is home to the free Shakespeare in the Park productions and seats 1,800. The first production at the theater was in June 1962 with The Merchant of Venice, starring George C. Scott and James Earl Jones. Currently its closed for renovations until next year.
Belvedere castle sits atop Vista Rock, the second highest area in the park. The turret of the castle is the highest point in Central Park.
The castle is lit up at night. I’d love to see it against the sky, I’ll have to make a trip back in the evening when it gets warmer.
The Ramble
The Belvedere Summerhouse is a rest and shelter just south of the castle. This new one replaces an old one in the same style from the 1870’s.
The Ramble is 36 acres of woodland that is a real pleasure to walk through. There’s a small stream called the Gill which runs through it.
It’s a great place to stop and sit a while in the summer, out of the hot sun. Because it’s not so open it always seems a bit less crowded than some other areas of the park.
The Lake and Central Park West
Stopping for a bit by the eastern shore of the Lake. It’s a great chance to gaze at the respectable old beauties of Central Park West.
Left to right are: The Dakota (1881), 1 West 72nd Street, the Langham (1907) at 135 Central Park West, the San Remo (1929) at 145-146 Central Park West and the Kenilworth Apartments (1908) at 151 Central Park West.
The wonderful Dakota, below. Though much of the view is blocked in this photo, when I look at it it tempts me to wander closer and explore. What I wouldn’t give to have viewed the Dakota back when it was built in 1884, literally miles away from the bustle of the city. It often took an hour just to reach the Dakota from the Ladies’ Mile Historic District, which in the 1890s was the city’s commercial center.
The Dakota is also New York City’s oldest surviving luxury apartment building
The magnificent San Remo is another Emery Roth masterpiece. Built in 1929, it was the first building in NYC to have twin towers.
The twin limestone towers soar 10 stories above the split at the 17th floor. At the top of each tower is an English Baroque mansion. According to Untapped New York, the towers were built to conceal water tanks.
Want to see a $15.7 million apartment for sale in the San Remo ? Check it out here.
The Bow Bridge
No walk in Central Park would be complete without strolling over the Bow Bridge. I see more people stop here for photos than in just about any other spot in the park.
Bow Bridge was built in 1862 and crosses over just about the center of the Lake, a 62-foot span. Eight wonderful urns span the bridge and are always beautifully done. The bridge is named for it’s graceful curve resembling a violinist or archer’s bow.
The bridge is the oldest cast-iron bridge in Central Park (also one of the only) and the second-oldest cast-iron bridge in the United States.
The Western Shore Boat Landing is a great place to pose (or to get married) with the Bow Bridge in the background. You can get married on the bridge itself, with a 10 guest maximum.
I couldn’t resist one last photo of the lovely San Remo.
In the 1970’s the San Remo was converted to a co-op. The board is more lenient than the other old money boards on the Upper East Side. As a result a large number of celebrities and artists have made their homes at the San Remo: Warren Beatty, Bono, Glenn Close, Jack Dempsey, Rita Hayworth, Mick Jagger, Donna Karan, Steve Martin (who joined two separate apartments when he married actress Victoria Tennant, then separated them again with a soundproof wall after their divorce), Bruce Willis, Eddie Cantor, Robert Stigwood, Tiger Woods, Barry Manilow (who sublet it to Raquel Welch), Mary Tyler Moore…the list goes on.
Cherry Hill
From the Bow Bridge it’s just a short step to Cherry Hill, and this was the perfect time of year to visit. Most of the cherry trees in Central Park are between 72nd Street and 96th Street. There are two species, the Kwanzan Cherry and the Yoshino Cherry. At this visit (mid-April), the Yoshino cherries were in full bloom. In a few weeks the Kwanzan cherries will follow suit.
The Yoshino Cherry Trees in Central Park were brought to the U.S. as a gift from Japan in 1912. The 5-petal flowers are a very light pink with a slight fragrance.
There’s a great map to track where the cherry blossoms are in Central Park, check it out here.
The Cherry Hill Fountain, unveiled in 1860, was designed as a watering trough for horses. Though no horses drink from the Fountain today, it’s where the horse and carriage rides stop for photos (and yes, a drink for the horse) and to view the magnificent cherry trees. The 14′ Fountain was designed by Jacob Wrey Mould, whose genius gave so much to Central Park.
The Central Park website has additional information about the cherry trees here: Cherry Blossom Trees in Central Park
Sheep Meadow
Taking the road less traveled to Frisbee Hill, the Sheep Meadow. In the distance are the Central Park Tower (2020) 225 West 57th Street and 220 Central Park South (2020).
This winter when we took the horse and carriage ride around the park, (see those great photos here!) the driver shared that Sheep Meadow really was once home to 200 sheep. The sheep spent their nights in what is now Tavern on the Green restaurant. A shepherd actually stopped traffic and herded the sheep across the road twice a day. The wool from the sheep was sold and they certainly fertilized the lawn. I guess they earned their keep!
The sheep were evicted by Robert Moses in 1934 (big surprise). After a short stay in Brooklyn, the sheep moved to a farm near Otisville, in the Catskills.
It’s interesting to wander the meadow and imagine all the events happening here over the years:
In 1912 children dressed up in costume for Around the World in Search of Fairyland.
In 1916 the 107th Infantry, 7th Regiment Reserves marched daily for maneuvers and drills before being deployed.
In the 1930’s and 1940’s, schoolgirls competed in an annual concert here, attended by thousands.
In 1945 Harry S. Truman spoke to 50,000 on Navy Day.
In the 1960’s and 1970’s, the meadow was packed by Vietnam War protests and “love-ins”. One anti-war rally in 1967 attracted 400,000 people!
Sheep Meadow has been featured in many films, including Romeo and Juliet (1908), It Could Happen To You (1994), The Fisher King (1991), Wall Street (1987), Ghostbusters (1984), Enchanted (2007), and The Manchurian Candidate (1962).
The Dairy and the Pond
The Dairy was built in 1871 as a Victorian country cottage. Years ago children could come to the Dairy to get fresh milk. It now serves as a welcome center and gift shop.
We’re swinging down now to the southeast corner of the park. This path leads to the Pond, our last stop in the park today.
I remember when the Steinway Tower was being built, standing in Central Park and just knowing that it was going to change the feel of the skyline forever. It sure has.
If you came to Central Park and only got as far as the Pond it would still be worth the trip. It’s the most relaxing and scenic place imaginable, right in the center of the world (NYC).
The Pond is home to various species of ducks, egrets and herons. All living just steps away from the hustle and bustle of 59th Street. Isn’t it marvelous?
Thanks so much for walking with me! I hope you will subscribe and come back for more real photos of NYC.
Sources and more information
Central Park
Wiki – Cleopatra’s Needle
Delacorte Theater
Wiki – The Dakota
Wiki – The San Remo
CooperatorNews New York – The San Remo
Wiki – Sheep Meadow
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