The above picture with the horse-drawn carriages around Central Park is what I thought Central Park basically was. I knew it bigger than what is shown in the picture, but I had no idea how vast and encompassing it was. Truly amazing! We began today with the walking tour of Central Park via our “Action Tour Guides App”. It suggests 1-2 hours as the time needed. I can’t imagine going through it that fast. We spent about 4 hours enjoying it! It is a loop tour that incorporates the most important landmarks of the park.
We took the subway to get us near Central Park. The tour began at the corner of 59th St and 5th Avenue (near the southeast entrance to the park). Had we not used the app we would have walked ourselves crazy, likely gotten lost, and wouldn’t have seen near as much as we did, let alone know what we were seeing.
As the tour began it called our attention to the left in Grand Army Plaza to see the large gold statue.
Statue to General William Tecumseh Sherman – General Sherman is on his horse, Ontario. The figure of Victory is depicted holding a palm frond as she leads Sherman to Union victory. Sherman’s horse is trampling a Georgia Pine branch, a symbol of the south. The original bronze statue received a full cleaning and the addition of gold leaf in 2015. A protective coating of wax — tinted to emphasize the sculptural detail of the monument—was layered on top.Â
CENTRAL PARK:
Entering through “Artists Gate” near the southeastern entrance there is an art installation that changes from time to time. I don’t know how long one is displayed till another takes it place. The current installation was a mother figure sculpture entitled “Ancestors”. She arrived earlier this month from India! The artist, Bharti Kher describes the statue as “a symbol of multiculturalism and interconnectedness, and the figure of the mother as a universal symbol of care, a source of creation, and a much-needed presence in public spaces.”
As we walked into Central Park, we were surrounded by green trees and grass. This park of 840 acres was carefully planned out.
What was here before?
This uptown area was rocky and uninhabited wasteland. As downtown grew packed, more development moved here, but the marshy ground and craggy rocks made it nearly impossible to build here. It remained occupied almost exclusively by poor immigrants and African-Americans.
However, in 1853, the city decided to turn the acreage into the country’s first landscaped public park. Therefore, the city forcefully removed 1600 residents from the land. Many had no where to go. Having no political power their cries went unheard.
CENTRAL PARK ZOO – This zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the US. Filming of Madagascar and Mr. Popper’s Penguins took place here because both movies heavily feature penguins, and this zoo is home to one of the largest Antarctic penguin colonies anywhere in the world. The zoo was not open as we were walking through, which, for our timeline, was probably a good thing!
Delacourte Clock – Adorning the zoo’s gates at the other end is the elaborate Delacourte Clock. It consists of whimsical animal musicians.
On the hour and half-hour, you can hear them”play” their music.
Bridges Within the Park -The various bridges are each unique to the others. Often musicians set up under the archways due to the enhanced acoustics the bridge archway provides.
Balto, a heroic sled-dog. Balto saved countless lives almost a hundred years ago. In 1925, in Nome, Alaska was struck with a raging epidemic of diphtheria. The only way to get medication to Nome was via dogsled. Balto and his handler, Gunnar Kaasen set out alongside twenty other sled teams. They fought through brutal blizzards with temperatures nearing 30 degrees below zero as they made the journey over 700 miles of frozen tundra. Though whiteout conditions blinded Kaasen, Balto knew the trail and led his team along confidently. They arrived in the knick of time with the medication that saved the town. Balto was actually present for the unveiling of his statue!
But why have a Statue of Balto way over here in NYC? Hearing of the dramatic journey, and all the children who may die if the medicine didn’t make it in time, people all over the country were riveted following the journey. Balto was hailed as a hero all over the nation. New Yorkers got together to honor him with a statue because that’s what New Yorkers do. đŸ™‚
MALL and LITERARY WALK
The first statue is one of the most famous writers, William Shakespeare. Shakespeare wrote at least 38 plays and over 150 poems. His works have lasted for 400 years and influenced nearly all Western literature to this very day.
Many common phrases we still use today, are from Shakespeare:
Just a few:
All that glitters is not gold – from Merchant of Venice
Dead as a door nail – from Henry VI
Knock, knock! Who’s there? – from Macbeth
Be all, end all – from Macbeth
Method to the madness – from Hamlet
Christopher Columbus – No one is quite sure why Columbus is here on the Literary Walk. The statue was commissioned by Italian-Americans in 1892 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus landing in the Americas. There’s another statue at Columbus Circle commissioned for the same purpose. Once thought of as a daring explorer, today many are also aware of the atrocities he committed against indigenous people of the Americas.
Robert Burns – A Scottish poet best known for the poem “Auld Lang Syne”. I remember, “A Red Red Rose”. Burns was also known for his opposition to the social order of his day. He was a major inspiration for social movements like liberalism and socialism.
This mall is full of beautiful, old, American elm trees. These are quite rare today. This is one of the last remaining stands of American elms in the whole country!
Women’s Rights Pioneers – My favorite
I loved all the details within this statue. I wonder how many people stop long enough to notice these.
Naumburg Bandshell – Built in 1923 as a replacement to a much smaller one. It began as a stage almost exclusively for classical concerts, but quickly included much more. Martin Luther King, Jr delivered a speech here in 1968 in support of NYC hospital unions. It was also the site of the eulogy for John Lennon (he was fatally shot / murdered). But the most unusual speaker was in 1959 when Fidel Castro spoke here. This was PRIOR to Castro being the dictatorial leader of Cuba! Four months later he overthrew Cuba’s government as he swore his allegiance to the Soviet Union.
Today, free classical concerts are played here regularly as well as nearly every other genre. It is also the site of the SummerStage Music Festival every summer.
Bethesda Terrace – This is considered the heart of Central Park. While the sandstone and roman brick architecture is impressive, it was never meant to be the focus of the terrace. Calvert Vaux, the designer, said of his priorities: “Nature first, second and third – architecture after a while.”
The real beauty of the architecture is fully displayed in the enclosed section of the terrace. The tiled walls and ceiling show how much love and care went into this place. The acoustics are perfect in here, so it was a treat to have Carlos playing as we came through. His music genre and the quality he played magically enhanced the experience for me. I let him know how much it meant to me (and donated a few dollars as a thank you).
The ceiling is encrusted with 16,000 patterned tiles, handmade by the renowned Minton and Company. This is the only place in the world that these tiles were used for the ceiling and NOT the floor. Each tile is made up of individual colored clays pressed and fired into the tile to form the design, The tiles are divided into 49 panels. Created in the 1860s, this ceiling remains stunning even today.
The niches that flank the walls are covered with Trompe-l’oeil paintings. Meaning “deceive the eye” in French, these are paintings that used forced perspective and optical illusions to make them appear realistic and 3D. Watch the video below to see a couple of these and see the amazing colors of the ceiling and wall tiles while enjoying the ambience.
The Fountain and More – The open terrace was huge.
Art along the path we took as we moved on from Bethesda Terrace.
There are 6,000 benches that line the various 60 miles of paths within the park. If you put all the benches end to end, they’d be seven miles long!
Loeb Boathouse – Provides fine dining while being a working boathouse. It was in When Harry Met Sally and The Manchurian Candidate.
Hans Christian Andersen – A beloved Danish children’s author. I remember a beautiful, hard-cover, blue Hans Christian Andersen book that my mom bought in Europe – likely Denmark. It contained many of his fairytales. I treasured it for many years. I think (hope) Abby may have it now. He wrote “The Little Mermaid” and “The Ugly Duckling”. Morning story times are held here from June through September where performers read from Andersen’s wide collection to eager children. That would be fun to watch or even be a part of.
Andersen’s statue was funded by the Danish-American Women’s Association to commemorate Andersen’s 150th birthday.
Conservatory Water – aka the Model Boat Pond
This man-made pond is home to children and adults sailing miniature sailboats from April through October. Members of the Central Park Model Yacht Club meet each weekend to compete in a friendly, but very serious race. All boats must be entirely wind-powered. These miniature boats were featured in a dramatic scene in the 1999 film, Stuart Little.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
This statue depicts a scene from Lewis Carroll’s novel. The more I looked at it the more I saw additional characters! Beyond the main characters of Alice, the White Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter, look for Alice’s pet cat Dinah, the Cheshire Cat, and Dormouse. The inscriptions that surround the sculpture are from Carroll’s other work, “The Jabberwocky”.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art -This museum often referred to as the Met is located right here! It is one of the most famous museums in the world. One wing has an entire Egyptian temple! As much as I would like to see such a collection of art, we will be hitting museums non-stop in Washington DC starting tomorrow, and our time is limited today. It is definitely on my priority list when I return to NYC.
A REAL Egyptian Obelisk – Nicknamed “Cleopatra’s Needle” although it has nothing to do with Cleopatra!
About 3500 years ago, a pharaoh commissioned it to celebrate 30 years of his reign. It was a pair, and the two obelisks remained near the Nile for about 1500 years. Then they were moved to Alexandria for another 1800 years. In 1878, one moved to London, and in 1881, the other one came here. Transferring the 69-foot, 220 ton granite monument from Egypt to NY was not easy. It took 112 days from the time the Obelisk touched the banks of the Hudson River until it reached the Park. Laborers inched the monument on parallel beams, aided by roll boxes, and a pile-driver engine. Thousands turned out on January 22, 1881 to watch in awe as the obelisk was turned upright.
Alexander Hamilton – A Founding Father of the US
Alexander Hamilton has become known to more people over the last decade due to being the subject of the popular musical “Hamilton”, by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It won a record-breaking number of Tony Awards, Grammy Awards, and even a Pulitzer Prize!
Hamilton established our financial system, including the U.S. dollar, national bank, and the U.S. Treasury. He was George Washington’s right-hand man in the American Revolution. He remains honored with his portrait appearing on our $10-bill. Hamilton died in a duel with a political opponent, Aaron Burr. He’s buried at Trinity Church’s Cemetery (visited in yesterday’s blog).
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir – Named for the First Lady to President John F. Kennedy.
The reservoir holds a billion gallons of water. It was originally designed to provide clean water to all of NYC when the main system had its annual maintenance. Unfortunately, given NYC’s current population and water consumption, all one billion gallons would be used up in only FOUR HOURS!
The previous lakes/ponds and such were cool to come upon, but a reservoir like this was a bit mind-blowing. I had to keep reminding myself we were in the middle of NYC!
As a running trail, this path has been a favorite for NY’s elite, as well as people such as: President Bill Clinton, Madonna, and of course First Lady Jackie Kennedy.
This skyline behind the JKO Reservoir in the following picture is that of the Upper East Side. It is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Manhattan. It was once called the Silk Stocking District for that reason.
The Upper West Side Skyline (Below)- The two towers directly across are part of the El Dorado apartment building, a highly sought after property due to its location. The Upper West Side doesn’t have as many skyscrapers as the rest.
Arthur Ross Pinetum – A pinetum is an arboretum specific to pine trees. The original designers hoped the splash of forever green of the pine trees would help people’s moods during the bleak, and dreary days of winter. Unfortunately, the trees didn’t last long, but I don’t know why.
In the 1970s, the philanthropist Arthur Ross began adding about 35 pine trees each year. He included some species from as far away as Japan and the Himalayas! Soon the pinetum was complete.
The Great Lawn – The 55-acre center of Central Park
During the 60s and 70s, this lawn experienced heavy use with concerts by extremely popular artists like Elton John and Simon & Garfunkel. With thousands of people on the lawn rather frequently, the Great Lawn became a Great Dustbowl. In 1990s a two-year restoration to the lawn took place. Now precautions are taken to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Delacorte Theater – This is a public theater that puts on regular performances of Shakespeare and other classic plays. This open-air theater opened in 1962. While there are only 1800 seats, each one is FREE! Hard to imagine in this day and age something like this is always free, but you do have to wait in line. It isn’t uncommon for people to camp out by the park entrances just to get a good spot in line.
Belvedere Castle – This was never a functioning castle. Instead it was added to Central Park by the designers for a touch of whimsy. It serves as one of the park’s visitor centers. “Belvedere” means “beautiful view” in Italian, and the castle does provide those.
Views from the top:
Shakespeare Garden – This is a less frequented attraction of the park, but can be one of the most beautiful depending on the season, but there is something blooming every day. Every plant was chosen carefully. The flowers and plants on display are those mentioned in William Shakespeare’s many plays and poems. The goal was to recreate the appearance of the English countryside where Shakespeare lived. These flowers and herbs appear regularly in his work and seem to hold a special significance to him.
Moving on:
Strawberry Fields Forever – This is a living memorial to John Lennon. Lennon was one of the most famous musicians we’ve had. He achieved extreme popularity as one of The Beatles. Lennon was always the most rebellious and political of the group. As he began to distance himself from the band, he committed himself further to his ideals. When the U.S. entered the Vietnam War, Lennon began peace protests. He staged the controversial “bed-in” where he and his wife, Yoko One, remained in a hotel bed for a full week. During that week he invited the press into their room twelve hours a day so they could speak to the world about the need for peace. During this protest Lennon recorded the song, “Give Peace a Chance”, which soon became the anthem for antiwar protestors. President Nixon feared Lennon and his music could cost him his reelection, so he tried to have Lennon deported! He was unsuccessful. Lennon was unfortunately fatally shot on December 8, 1980, outside his apartment building.
The design of this memorial was heavily influenced by Yoko Ono. She said there were enough statues in Central Park already, and wanted something more alive. The mosaic medallion on the path was created by an Italian craftsman. “Imagine” is both the title of one of Lennon’s most famous songs, and a powerfully simple statement about Lennon and his worldview.
This memorial was even more alive for us with the musician present who was playing only Beatle songs. It was awesome. People sat on the benches enjoying the music while others stood in line for a turn to take a picture on the mosaic.
A place to stop and enjoy a bite to eat.
Sheep Meadow – Truly a green space! This is what I had expected at the Great Lawn. The designers of Central Park, Olmsted and Vaux had hoped to create a place of natural beauty which would refresh and uplift visitors who simply looked upon it. This is as close to their original vision as one can get.
No organized sports or large gatherings are permitted here. The parks department strives to preserve a sense of peace and quiet in this. place, ensuring it is always somewhere people can go to relax, picnic and enjoy nature.
It’s hard to believe what this area of Sheep Meadow originally looked like 150 years ago. This was the most expensive part of the park to construct due to the swamp land it was with great rocky outcroppings jutting from the ground. It required serious blasting of the rock and took four feet of soil to cover the swampy terrain. Then in the early 1900s, a small herd of sheep would routinely come here to graze during the day and sleep in nearby stables. This is how Sheep Meadow got its name and has stuck even though the sheep have long gone.
Unfortunately, it still wasn’t as protected through the decades as it is today. Sheep Meadow underwent serious restoration around 1979-1980. NO dogs, bicycles, skateboards or musical instruments are permitted on Sheep Meadow. Read more in the following photo.
Volleyball – We came by the sand volleyball courts. (There are asphalt courts elsewhere in the park.) All courts are open and free for the public to use…just BYOB – “Bring Your Own Ball”.
The Carousel – For years it has been one of the most popular attractions, yet it almost wasn’t added.
The carousel first opened in 1871, but was not free. That created quite a controversy among the park planners. The park was intended to be free for the enjoyment of the general public. The ride’s popularity, however, quickly changed their minds, and the carousel was allowed to stay.
Originally the carousel was powered by a horse and mule hidden beneath the ride! In 1924, a steam-powered carousel replaced the original, but was destroyed by fire. The third carousel lasted longer, but it also was lost in a fire in 1950. Finally, in 1950, a carousel was found in an abandoned trolley terminal on Coney Island. It had been built in 1908. After a little restoration and a lot of care, it was returned to all its vintage glory and is still the current carousel!
Umpire Rock – The workers who built Central Park blasted a lot of dense rock, but they didn’t clear everything. A big rock that is called Umpire Rock was an outcropping of exposed bedrock. This rock formed almost 500 million years ago! Rocks like this form the foundation of the entire island of Manhattan. Even the Empire State Building is built on top of this. It is extremely difficult to blast through, but also has a strange beauty. When you climb up onto Umpire Rock you have an unrivaled view of the Heckscher baseball fields near the carousel, and a child’s play area.
Columbus Circle – We exited Central Park near the corner of 8th and 59th at Columbus Circle. The golden statue commemorated the USS Maine that dramatically exploded in the harbor in Havana, Cuba on Feb 15, 1898, and 260 sailors perished. The incident ignited a war between the US and Spain, which controlled Cuba then. The war lasted eight months, and ended with the US gaining temporary control over Cuba, and winning Puerto Rico and Guam from Spain.
The central figure is Columbia Triumphant. She is driving a seashell chariot pulled by three mythological half-horse half-seahorse creatures that represent power. The figures are made from the bronze of the guns of the USS Maine and are covered in gold leaf!
The group of statues at the base: The central figure signals “Victory” while the one standing behind him represents Peace. A man on one side represents Courage, and on the other side is a woman with a child, representing Fortitude.
The large individual statues on either side of the monument base represent the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.
We took a break to eat our lunch here in the plaza of Latin American liberators by the fountains and near the Columbus statue .
Our adventures today continued with another walking tour and then closing out September 29, 2022 at Top of the Rock. That will all be in the next blog post.
Visiting the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) in Central Park is now added to my List to Do on our next visit to NYC!
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