New York’s Central Park is one of the most interesting places that draw visitors from around the globe. It is a name that comes first to your mind when thinking about urban parks. Its beauty is so enchanting that one hardly realizes that it is a man-made park and not natural.
Fact 1.Background
The renowned Central Park stands in the central part of Manhattan borough, New York City. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted who was a landscape architect and a writer along with the English architect Calvert Vaux in 1858 after they won a design competition. It was opened in 1857 initially on 778 acres of land that was owned by the city and later it was expanded to 843 acres. This area was once covered by innumerable glaciers. The last known glacier that melted away about 12,000 years ago was the Wisconsin Glacier. The Park holds evidence to these facts till today. The large boulders that were left behind after the glaciers receded offer geological evidence of the ancient glaciers. There are about 35 million visitors every year who travel from far and wide to enjoy the magnificence of Central Park in the United States. It is one of the most common film locations and the park is taken care of by the Central Park Conservancy.
Fact 2.
The outstanding beauty and picturesque sceneries appear absolutely real and natural. It is really hard to believe that it is the design of architects who had taken care of the minute details of the park. The landscaped Central Park is beyond description. There are 25,000 trees of innumerable varieties, seven water bodies enhance the serenity of the atmosphere, 136 acres of woodlands, 58 miles of walking lanes, 25 acres of green lawns and 36 bridges and arches give a complete look to this historical park.
Fact 3.
There is a Central Park Carousel which is the largest merry-go-rounds in the United States of America. It was installed in the park in the year 1951. It was however, initially installed at Coney Island in Brooklyn.
Fact 4. Exotic Sculpture
In Central Park one gets to see about 29 sculptures that were mostly private donations. Most of the exclusive sculptures are of renowned poets and authors and writers. They are stationed at the area known as Literary Walk inside Central Park. The popular figures that are seen here are Alice in Wonderland, the fairy tale, Duke Ellington, the famous sledge dog Balbo and others.
Fact 5. Musical Extravaganza
The record breaking concert that was held in 1997 at Central Park is remembered till today. It had a free-entry and about 980,000 people gathered there to hear the famous singer Garth Brooks.
Fact 6. A Traveler’s Paradise
A visitor is never tired of roaming around and exploring this magnificent park. There are lampposts that are numbered so that determining the location is easy for visitors. Nobody loses his/her way here for the systematic arrangement of the park. One can even rest under the tree shade if tired or wish to enjoy the fresh air especially during the summer days. There are nearly 9,000 sitting arrangements here and innumerable trees that spread out their branches to offer shade. There is an audio guide too in Central Park and one feels really great when directions are given by celebrity voices to the different interesting areas.
The exotic environment and natural beauty, rich history and availability of different fun activities, relaxation and culture, makes Central Park a real treasure of the city of New York in the center of Manhattan.
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