While New York City, a metropolis of 8.6 million is known for its urban bustle and towering skyscrapers currently with four over 100 stories tall, Central Park with its diverse ecosystems and abundance of flora and fauna provides a hidden view of New York City and a welcome escape from the urban din. “Under the forest canopy of the Ravine, Manhattan’s skyline is hidden and the rushing sound of a waterfall drowns the city noise. When Park designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux created this area of the Park, they envisioned an urban escape, where visitors — particularly those who could not afford a vacation away from the City — could come and appreciate the wonders of nature.”[1]

The creation of Central Park was approved in 1853 followed by a design competition won by Olmsted and Vaux in 1857 with the objective of creating an “English style landscape with meadows, lakes, hills, winding pedestrian paths” and an abundance of trees “to block the view of” the City’s buildings,[2] which two centuries later, despite being significantly taller, remain completely obscured as if one was in the countryside, far removed from the urban setting of mid-town Manhattan. Central Park officially opened to the public in late 1858.

With that said, Central Park consists of “five… man-made” waterfalls (that make it “easy to forget you are in the middle of Manhattan”) along the Ravine stream fed by a 48-inch hidden water main that flows in the “North Woods” comprising some 40 acres that primarily consists of oaks, hickories, maples and ash trees between 102nd and 110th streets on the West side.[3] One of these waterfalls, the northernmost, framed by an abundance of rocks and trees is 14 feet in height and considered a “hidden gem” (pictured in the header photograph) since it is located just off the main path and considered the “most dramatic” of them all.[4]

Another treasure at Central Park is the six-acre Conservatory Garden that consists of “three smaller gardens – Italian, French, and English” style located on Fifth Avenue (the East side) between 104th and 105th Streets. There an abundance of flowers (pictured below) and blooming trees can be found along with a towering water jet (middle section) and two prominent sculptures – “Three Dancing Maidens” by German sculptor Walter Schott (1861-1938) at the north end and a sculpture featuring a young boy and girl (a tribute to the 1911 novel, “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett for whom the fountain is named) by American sculptor Bessie Potter Vonnoh (1872-1955) at the south end. The pool beneath the fountain consists of colorful water lilies that are present during the summer and autumn months.[5]

Finally, as Central Park provides a hidden and tranquil view of New York City that consists of stunning, natural beauty, it was designated a National Historical Landmark in 1963 and a “New York City scenic landmark” in 1974[6] and is certainly worth a visit, especially the "North Woods" with its "Adirondack-like" setting, rustic beauty, waterfalls and secluded atmosphere, to escape the City's urban setting when in the area.

North Woods:

Central Park Fauna and Flora:

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