The first portion of the park, the lake, opened to the public in 1858, just months after the design competition was concluded. Central Park cost $14 million to build over the following 15 years, a considerable increase over the project's original $5 million budget. The entire park was completed in 1873 at a total cost of $72 million.
In fact, the central part of the park is the only section that predates the construction of New York City. Built as a race track named Belmont Park, it was purchased by the city government in 1868 and converted into a public park the following year. The area now known as Central Park was once part of another major city park called "The Bowery Grounds".
Central Park has been expanded several times since its opening. In 1906, when the city adopted a new urban planning scheme for Manhattan, parts of the park were incorporated within new neighborhoods. These additions include the Ramble, which developed as a wilderness area beyond the then-existing border of the city. In addition, a large section of land was cleared away to make way for a road called Museum Mile, which today contains many museums and educational institutions.
Finally, in 1934, a new system of roads was established within the park boundaries, replacing previous routes that meandered through wooded areas.
Enjoy this sunset picture of the lake, a beautiful body of water in Central Park. In the winter of 1858, the Lake was the first landscape in Central Park to open to the public. The prospect of ice skating, a leisure sport that was gaining in popularity but was not yet widely available, drew New Yorkers in. On February 8th, 1858, the New York Herald announced that the Lake would be open for use by all comers free of charge from dawn to dusk every day except for Sunday when it was closed from mid-March to early April due to freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall.
This picture is from the Central Park website. You can find out more about the history of Central Park here.
As the park grew safer, the Central Park Conservancy, which oversees it for the city, began a late shift—from 1:30 to 10 p.m.—in the late 1990s.
Thousands of New Yorkers skated on lakes built on the place of previous wetlands when the park first opened to the public in the winter of 1859. By 1865, the park had almost seven million visitors per year.
| Central Park | |
|---|---|
| Created | 1857–1876 |
| Owned by | NYC Parks |
| Operated by | Central Park Conservancy |
| Visitors | about 42 million annually |
1858: New York's Central Park is a world-famous public park that was established in 1858 to meet the city's rising recreational demands. The park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, with assistance from William H. McArdle, who also played an important role in its development.
Central Park was called a "garden city" when it was first laid out. This term came from the belief of its designers that a city could be made more pleasant to live in if it were divided into small neighborhoods with gardens instead of streets. They proposed that every city should have such a garden city within its limits.
The idea for Central Park came about as a result of efforts by local politicians to provide their citizens with more affordable ways to spend their free time. They wanted to create something that would appeal to everyone from wealthy New Yorkers to poor immigrants living in downtown Manhattan.
In 1857, Congress passed a law authorizing the mayor of New York City to purchase 80 acres of land on which to build a public park. The site was selected by Mayor Alexander McNab Smith because it was already part of a wildlife refuge known as "The Meadows." The city bought the property in 1858.
Central Park in New York City is a world-famous public park that was established in 1858 to meet the city's rising recreational demands. When plans for the park began in the 1850s, the location was distant from the city's built-up neighborhoods and was located in what is now the core of Manhattan. The first phase of the project took place between 1857 and 1865 when 90 acres (37 ha) were acquired from private owners. The second phase started in 1867 and continued until 1872 when 60 more acres (24 ha) were obtained. In total, 140 acres (56 ha) have been set aside as Central Park.
The final push to complete the park came from Mayor Martin Van Buren Boyce. He had a vision for the park that went beyond recreation; he also hoped it would provide a chance for the city to escape its grim industrial past. On August 28, 1859, just over a year after the first shovel of earth was turned on Central Park, the mayor announced that the park was open for business.
Today, Central Park is one of the most visited urban parks in the world with an estimated 33 million visitors per year. It is also one of the largest urban forests in the United States.
During the 19th century, Central Park was the only large-scale public works project undertaken by the city of New York.
Additional property at Central Park's northern end was bought in 1859, and the park was finished in 1876. In the 1930s, following a period of deterioration in the early twentieth century, New York City parks commissioner Robert Moses launched a campaign to clean up Central Park. ...
| Central Park | |
|---|---|
| Designated NYCL | March 26, 1974 |
843 acres What is the size of Central Park? Central Park has a six-mile circumference. The park has an area of 843 acres (341 hectares). It stretches 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) from 59th to 110th Streets and is 0.5 mile (0.8 km) broad between 5th Avenue and Central Park West.
The central portion of the park is called the Reservoir. It's a flat, wooded area that was built as part of a city reservoir in 1811 but which has been preserved as open space. The reservoir can be reached by following the path along the edge of the golf course or through 66th Street. It's a great place for a walk during daylight hours; at night, be sure to watch out for deer.
The rest of the park contains rolling hills, meadows, and trees-the most prevalent being maple and birch. There are also several ponds with fish such as koi and goldfish that you can visit. In the winter, there are many signs marking the route for a sledding hill. In the summer, there are free concerts in the park every Saturday at noon until September.
There are no straight lines in Central Park. Instead, there are winding paths that lead to different parts of the park. Some of these paths follow former roads or rail beds, while others were created by individuals who wanted to design their own scenic routes through the woods.
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