Central Park - An Amazing Park

Central Park, an 843-acre rectangle of open space in the middle of Manhattan, was created in the 1860s and ’70s by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux on the marshy northern fringe of the city, the immense park was designed as a leisure space for all New Yorkers, regardless of color, class or creed. And it’s an oasis from the insanity: the lush lawns, cool forests, flowering gardens, glassy bodies of water and meandering, wooded paths providing the dose of serene nature that New Yorkers & visitors crave.

Dedicated in 1894, this bronze sculpture is a posthumous replica of a marble self-portrait carved by the famed Danish sculptor. It is the only statue of an artist displayed in a New York City park.

 

 Alice and her cast of storybook friends found their way to Central Park in 1959, when philanthropist George Delacorte commissioned this bronze statue as a gift to the children of New York City. Inspired by the zany characters of the Lewis Carroll classic Alice in Wonderland, the sculpture was also meant as a tribute to his late wife, Margarita, who read Alice to their children. Engraved around the statue are lines from his nonsensical poem, The Jabberwocky.

 Rising from Bethesda Terrace is Bethesda Fountain, with the famous Angel of the Waters statue atop. The statue references the Gospel of John, which describes an angel blessing the Pool of Bethesda and giving it healing powers. The fountain commemorates the Croton water system, which first brought fresh water to New York City in 1842. The angel carries a lily in her left hand -- a symbol of the water's purity, very important to a city that had previously suffered from a devastating cholera epidemic before the system was established. The piece is the only statue that was commissioned for the Park. Created by Emma Stebbins, it also marked the first time a woman received a public art commission in New York City.

 

 892 was marked by celebrations of the 400th anniversary of Columbus's arrival in the Americas and the dedication of Gaetano Russo's Columbus Circle stone monument in Central Park. The Russo monument shows Columbus looking outward with his hand on the tiller of his ship, while the Sunol monument portrays a more spiritual explorer with his outstretched arm and eyes looking upward to heaven in gratitude for his successful voyage. Sunol modified this sculpture from one he had done in 1885 in the Plaza de Colon in Madrid.

 

 The Delacorte Musical Clock brings sweet seasonal chimes on the half hour to a nook of the Park beloved by generations of families. Near the entrance of the Children's Zoo, the clock was dedicated in 1965 with funding from philanthropist George T. Delacorte. It sits atop a three-tiered tower and features a band of whimsical animals: two bronze monkeys banging hammers against a bell; a penguin on drum; a hippo on violin; a bear and his tambourine; a concertina-playing elephant; a goat with pipes; and a kangaroo on horn. 

  

 Curving gracefully over the narrow neck of the Pond at 59th Street, Gapstow is one of the iconic bridges of Central Park. Design aficionados might notice a striking resemblance to the Ponte di San Francesco in San Remo, Italy.

  

Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) is best known for his children's stories such as The Emperor's New Clothes, The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling. Like the Alice in Wonderland sculpture nearby, Hans Christian Andersen is meant to be climbed on. The two favorite spots for climbing are on top of the open book displaying the opening lines of The Ugly Duckling and on the freestanding duck. The memorial cost $75,000, contributed in part by Danish and American schoolchildren. The remainder was raised by the Danish-American Women's Association to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Andersen's birth.

 

The iconic Loeb Boathouse that New Yorkers and visitors know so well today opened at the Lake's northeastern tip in 1954, financed by philanthropist Carl M. Loeb. From beneath the green patina of the boathouse's copper roof, visitors can rent rowboats and bikes; hire an authentic Venetian gondola; or dine overlooking seasonal views of the Lake at the Loeb Central Park Boathouse Restaurant.

It was raining so hard the day Robin and I was walking through the park that this was the only restaurant we could get to without dropping from exhaustion.  They did look at us strange when we asked for a table dripping wet; then we had to pay $25 for fish and chips, but they were good.  

 

The Lehman Gates were donated by Governor and Mrs. Herbert H. Lehman in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary upon the opening of the Tisch Children's Zoo in 1961. Designed by Paul Manship, the sculptor of one of the more elaborate gates at the Wildlife Conservation Center in the Bronx (the Bronx Zoo), the animals, birds, and boys are interwoven in a fanciful scrolling lintel.

 

 The entrance to the Delacorte Theatre is guarded by two life-size sculptures, The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet, which feature characters from Shakespeare's plays. Romeo and Juliet depicts the lovers as they are about to kiss, with Romeo bending over Juliet whose head is thrown back. The simplicity of the sculpture lends additional innocence to the moment.

  

Strawberry Fields is a living memorial to the world-famous singer, songwriter and peace activist – John Lennon. During his career with the Beatles and in his solo work, Lennon's music gave hope and inspiration to people around the world. His campaign for peace lives on, symbolized at Strawberry Fields.

 

The Falconer depicts both a human figure, clad in Elizabethan dress, and a falcon, representing the union and communion between a bird of prey and man.

   

Such a beautiful park; there's so much to see, these pictures are only a drop int the bucket.  The only day that it rained the whole day during our trip to New York in October was the day we went to Central Park.  Even in the rain it was magnificent!