New York’s most amazing landmark, Central Park, stretches across 843 acres of land. Designed by Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted, every inch of this park has been designed to give it a picturesque natural look and also offers a variety of attractions, from gardens to performance venues, that represent New York’s remarkable culture.
Home to expansive lakes and ponds, enchanting gardens adorned with classical architecture, and sprawling green lawns, with an interesting story behind each attraction, the park tells the fascinating story of this remarkable city. The Great Lawn, which hosts the summer performances of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, hosted a papal mass in 1995, and the Blockhouse at the north end of the park is an old fort from the War of 1812. Various statues of iconic figures, including William Shakespeare. and Balto, also adorn the Park. The park is also home to America’s oldest monument, the Obelisk.
Central Park also features the world famous Central Park Zoo, along with the Wildlife Center and Children’s Zoo. Spanning 6.5 acres, the facility has three temperature zones: tropic, garden, and polar. Although compared to the park itself, the zoo is only 0.7 percent of the park’s size, it boasts more than 130 species and more than 1,400 animals.
True to its sense of “park,” Central Park is home to a variety of attractions that focus on fun activities. The park has a public swimming pool, tennis courts, two skating rinks, a carousel, and a jogging track. The carousel is one of the largest in the United States and features fifty-eight hand-carved horses. Outside of the two skating rinks, Lasker Rink becomes an outdoor pool during the summer months. The park also features glacial rock outcrops to keep climbers busy. The 6-mile Park Drive attracts joggers, joggers, bikers, and even rollerbladers.
New York theater is also well represented in the Park. The Parque’s Delacorte Theater is home to popular summer productions; especially the popular New York Shakespeare Festival, ‘Shakespeare in the Park’, an annual summer event that hosts some of the biggest stars of Broadway and Hollywood. The Swedish Cottage Puppet Theater presents puppet shows that include popular numbers such as ‘Hansel and Gretel’ and ‘Peter Pan’.
With so much to see and do, exploring Central Park will definitely take up the majority of your vacation, especially if you’re a nature lover. For a convenient stay in New York, try one of the many hotels in Manhattan. The Midtown Manhattan area is dotted with hotels ranging from boutique to luxury and budget. To find out the best hotel accommodation options, do some research on the Internet or check with providers of online accommodation options. Most online accommodation providers offer special deals that make even a luxury hotel stay a cheap trip. For easy access to Central Park, try the Bentley Hotel New York. The hotel is just steps from the famous Times Square, Rockefeller Center and the Broadway theater district.