Whether you have a radio powered sailboat, or a wind-powered sloop, model sail boating on Central Park’s Conservatory Water is a delight for participants and observers; whether adults, children or, in one case, a rather notable rodent.  And now model boats are being rented on the pond for the first time since 2019, the last full year before the coronavirus hit. The new concessionaire is Rocking the Boat, a nonprofit from the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. The organization also teaches teenagers how to build and pilot full-size boats on Long Island Sound. They will renting sailboats on Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. In June they will add Thursdays and Saturdays to the schedule, and in July, the operation will expand to five days a week, from Wednesday to Sunday. The rentals are separate from races organized by the Central Park Model Yacht Club on Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The area around the pond is home of some of the park’s loveliest foliage. These include Lebanon Cedars, willows, pine and beech trees. It also features the park’s largest display of spring blossoming Cherry Trees, besides the stands on either side of the reservoir. The surrounding benches are the perfect place for either a brief respite from your park site-seeing tour or a more contemplative visit, relaxing while you watch the tiny white sails tacking against the breeze. If you actually hear tiny voices shouting out the commands Lenox Hill Hospital is only a few blocks away.
Nearby you can also find two of the Park’s most popular statues, especially with children. At the northern end is the sculpture of Alice, of Wonderland fame, with all her favorite tea party playmates, and at the western edge a statue of master story teller Hans Christian Andersen.