The Spectacular Seasons of Central Park
To me and many others, Central Park is much more than a park. Since 1857, this landscaped masterpiece designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux has been an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city that fully surrounds it. From above, the park glows green like a massive 843 acre emerald, and, to Manhattanites, it is every bit as precious as a gemstone. While the park sits in the upper half of the island, it draws people from every borough (not to mention from around the world) with a plethora of cultural events, food trucks, hiking trails and picnic spots.
The Park goes through a metamorphosis at the change of each season. While the summer is the busiest time of year in the park, it is by no means the only time the park is worth visiting. When fall rolls through, the park is set ablaze with reds, yellows, and oranges. Visitors have no choice but to look up as they walk and breathe in the crisp cool air. Winter brings ice skating, snowmen, and tons of holiday cheer. It is filled with couples holding hands and, on occasion, one might catch a proposal unfolding right before their eyes. Finally, spring brings an explosion of florals and intoxicating smells of the thousands of flowers and over 120 species of trees. Spring is also the best time to catch the nearly 300 different kinds of birds that either call Central Park home or simply a nice resting place.
As I strolled through the park snapping photographs, I was struck by the true genius of its designers. Just like the city itself, the vast park is divided into different uses and sections that all flow effortlessly into one another. The winding walkways and green canopies are a euphoric contrast to the rigid Manhattan grid and the towering glass obelisks. The true power of Central Park is its ability to make one forget that they are, quite literally, in the center of the largest metropolis in the country. While other city parks are all beautiful in their own respect, they are very much a product of the neighborhoods they sit within. Central Park transcends the many neighborhoods it touches, it is an entity of its own, fiercely loved by all New Yorkers…and rightly so.
The black and white photo above was taken in 1971 of Manhattan Sideways’ creator, Betsy, and her boyfriend, who would later become her husband! They were just teenagers strolling through Central Park on a wintry day.
