City Portraits - Central Park

Photo by myself, from a footbridge in Central Park. Beyond lies the Upper West Side.

My fiance Mark and I recently toured around Central Park with our dog Rupert. Bringing a picnic lunch and plenty of water, we walked about and explored the lower half of the 770-acre park.

It was a weekday afternoon and the park was filled with people - visitors, dancers, rollerbladers, jugglers, lovers, boaters and a cellist. Rupert, our Boston Terrier, had a grand time exploring the paths that weave through all sorts of terrain.


At the Mall, a cathedral of stately old oaks frame a seemingly endless view.


A young cellist played for passersby. Rupert can be seen walking ahead.


What looks like a quaint chalet is actually a park store.


At the Lake, looking toward Central Park South.

What I love about Central Park is that generally you are unaware of the city around you. Only at certain carefully planned times does the vista open up to reveal that you're in the middle of Manhattan.

If you're ever visiting, I recommend taking a leisurely afternoon to explore the park. Don't bother with a map. Get lost, discover, and enjoy.

City Portraits is an ongoing, once-in-a-while installment featuring parts of New York.

Related posts: City Portraits - The East Village, City Portraits - The New York City Library and City Portraits - Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn.