Central Park

Where: New York City, NY
When: 2005 and on
Who with: Lots of visits

Central Park is another place in New York that I didn't ever visit until I officially moved to the city in 2005. My first apartment was in a brownstone on the Upper West Side and I was lucky enough to have this beautiful gem down the street. Since then, I spent many afternoons in this oasis of New York, and I still think it's my favorite spot in the city.

My first few visits to the park were with my family dog, Sophie, when she stayed with me for a month during graduate school. She gave me the confidence to wander some of the more wooded trails (like the Ramble) without feeling like I'd end up in a Law & Order episode. That year of grad school was a tough one for me, and sometimes I felt the need to just sit somewhere quiet and write, particularly on the edge of The Lake. There was nothing more peaceful than sitting there with some music and watching all the different New Yorkers pass me by.

The summer after grad school was my first time diligently taking some photos upon visiting the park. I went with Doug and his college friend Rachel to explore. First up, the Shakespeare Gardens, filled with a beautiful mess of different plants, flowers and wooden bridges. Not too far from here is a giant stage that hosts Shakespeare in the Park every summer.

We also took a visit to the Central Park Zoo. While it isn't a full scale zoo, there are more animals packed into this small corner of the park than you would expect. Sea lions, monkeys, and otters, just to name a few. 

Of course, a lot of birds. 

There are even polar bears!

And of course, the more famous of the stops in the park: the Great Lawn. This is a huge green space filled with sunbathers, frisbees, music and picnics. It feels a bit like the beach minus water in the New York summer time.  

Every summer, the Great Lawn plays host to the New York Philharmonic. Despite being very "great", this lawn is covered end to end with blankets as locals enjoy the orchestra. We had a great time when we went, mostly because Dave and I somehow (and scarily) consumed 4 bottles of wine. When it started pouring rain in the middle of the concert, we all ran from the park hopping over brick walls to make for cover.  But those of us who went still considered it one of the most fun things we did while in New York. 

Another huge event that occasionally descends upon the park is SantaCon - where thousands of New Yorkers dressed as Santa Claus or in other holiday inspired outfits "crawl" through the city spreading holiday cheer (though it usually turns into a boozy mess of people just taking over New York). In 2010, when it ended up in Central Park, red Santas could be seen every where we turned.

Other iconic spots throughout the park are recognizable to almost anyone whose ever seen a movie because this park is one of the most filmed locations in the world. From the many bridges and lawns to the iconic Bethesda Fountain and Boathouse, wandering this park feels like stumbling from movie set to movie set. We did a good job taking a bunch of photos when my FSU dance friends were in town. 

The iconic Bethesda Fountain. 

One of the ways I got very familiar with this park was through the various sports I played within it. While training for a biathlon, I often rode my bike along the 6 mile bike loop through the top of the park and discovered the massive Reservoir that occupies the northern section. However, the sport I spent playing most was softball with my work team. It was hands down my best memory of the city of New York. 

While the park has several fields, we played 98% of our games on Heckscher Field 4. I played a few different positions during my time on the team, but I always loved first base most, as I would often stand there on a warm summer day, looking at the skyline over the treetops and feeling that THIS was the most iconic New York moment possible. The other fun parts about Central Park softball? Vendors come around and sell beer (not legal, but no one bothers them) and you can have pizza delivered right to the field. 

On one of my last night's out in Manhattan, my PwC coworkers rented a limo to take us around the city for the night. One of our last stops was in Columbus Circle, the southwestern entrance to the park (and ironically, the subway stop that took us into the park for our softball games). It wouldn't have been a fitting end to my time in New York if we hadn't made at least one stop here by the park. 

 Central Park provided me soooo many memories during my time in New York. I haven't even been able to list them all: the time I saw Puff Daddy, the random wander Suzannah and I took while slightly under the influence, trying to ice skate in the very crowded rink, the flower arrangements on the John Lennon Strawberry Fields memorial. Point being, this space made my New York experience.