Huddlestone Arch

by | Jan 11, 2011

Huddlestone Arch, just south of Lasker Rink, looks as if it was formed by some benevolent act of nature, rather than being carefully crafted over 150 years ago.  It is in a part of the park that is much more natural, unspoiled, and much less utilized, bordering the...

Cleopatra’s Needle

by | Dec 5, 2010

Probably the strangest monument in Central Park is the 71 foot, 244 ton Obelisk, or Cleopatra’s Needle. Easily the oldest man made object in the park it is located in what is now a secluded bower directly behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The obelisk was erected...

The Great Lawn – Central Park’s Other Reservoir

by | Nov 9, 2010

The Great Lawn holds the distinction of being the single largest design feature that was not part of the original Greensward Plan, as drawn up by Olmsted and Vaux. At that time it was the site of the Croton Reservoir, which had been built in 1842 and required the...

John Lennon Tribute Film “LENNONNYC” at SummerStage

by | Oct 9, 2010

Today, October 9th, marks what would have been the 70th birthday of John Lennon. Tonight at 7:00 pm there is a free screening of American Masters:LENNONYC. The film explores Lennon’s life in New York City during the 1970s as a father, husband, activist and artist. It...

The Blockhouse – Central Park’s Oldest Edifice

by | Sep 23, 2010

At the northern end of Central Park, hidden from view by the surrounding trees and foliage, is an aged edifice that is the oldest standing building in the park (discounting, of course, the Oblelisk, imported from Egypt).  It is a fort built to protect lower Manhattan...

New York Sues For Return Of Rare Central Park Drawings

by | Aug 22, 2010

Historians have long wondered whether Central Park was originally conceived the way it looks today. Were the ornate colorful tiles underneath the Bethesda Terrace a vision of the original designers? What about the elegant black lamps that dot the park? Now historians...