Central Park, New York
This is also known as the green jewel of New York, and is still hands down my favorite place there.
As I've already mentioned, you will almost certainly look for different things depending on age, gender, or nationality whenever you come to a city. A 17 year old guy from Europe, for example, will be roaming in different areas than a 42 year old mother of three. There will be some sites that everybody will want to visit: the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, etc., but if you extend your vacation in a place like New York, the demographics of the tourists at each site will eventually be clearly defined.
When I arrived in NYC in 2002 to live, I was unmarried, at 33 in the prime of my life, and in good physical shape. This became even more pronounced once we moved to the Upper East Side in Manhattan and Central Park was only five blocks away. Back then, Liebi and I would go to the park and picnic, maybe after taking in an exhibition at the nearby Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Guggenheim. Sometimes we would take a walk to the zoo or the Loeb Boathouse. If I was a little more ambitious on any given day, I would stroll over to West 72nd Street and the Dakota, where John Lennon lived and was assassinated, an event that would have a lasting impression on my life. Not that anybody would ever notice by passing the place. There are very few plaques that commemorate certain events (9/11 being the most notable exception), unless it's a historic site like Ellis Island. You will have to do your diligent research about people like John Lennon, Sid Vicious, and Dylan Thomas before visiting the sites most relevant to them in NYC. I still remember the free concerts in Central Park, and I'm sure they are still there. Central Park would be a welcome oasis of green during any season.
Of course, as a forty something and a father of two, times have changed. Now I take note of the playgrounds in Central Park, the # 1 source of entertainment for my kids. There's a map attached at the entrance to all playgrounds that tells you exactly where you are and the location of a few dozen more playgrounds in Central Park, should you decide on a walk and play day with your children. It is truly amazing, the playgrounds are maintained quite well, and are very unique.
Back in 2003, I started running in Central Park to keep myself in shape. I would choose different routes through the park, but eventually settled on the Water Reservoir near the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Water Reservoir no longer provides water to the city of New York, but its presence is still very welcome. I agree with people who say that it is hard to imagine such a place in the middle of a major world city. So much water surrounded by so many trees within such a huge city…that's a stroke of genius, no matter how you paint it.
That said, all postcard pictures aside, I was merely there for the running. The oval track around the water is 1.58 miles, and I would average three laps around the reservoir each time I came out to run. The Reservoir itself, of course, came to prominence due to its exposure in the movie Marathon Man, starring heavyweights Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier. In the movie, Dustin Hoffman is an avid runner, tirelessly circling the reservoir in a quest only he seems to be aware of.
On Sunday, I decide to relive the old times, tie my sneakers, and am off to the park, the Reservoir my destination. Even at 6:30 a.m., there are tons of people circling the water. Like in old times, I run three laps, the last two completed in twelve minutes each. Divide that by 1.58 miles, and that's well under eight minutes a mile. Okay, it's not Olympic training, but I can more than hold my own at the age of 44. I stop at the water tower where Laurence Olivier's evil character Dr. Szell meets his end when he trips and falls onto his own blade. This is still a popular rendezvous spot for New Yorkers, and it's a good choice. From here, you can stroll through the park, visit the museums around the corner, or grab a bite to eat in the Upper East Side.
Did I say Central Park was an oasis of green? Try the more figurative green of the residents living nearby. The zip code next to Central Park, needless to say, is filthy rich. If you rent or own an apartment anywhere within a block of the park (and often beyond that), chances are that money is not an issue for you. These are people who will buy the six dollar cup of coffee, ten dollar bagel, or twenty dollar crosstown taxi ride without batting an eyelash. I'm sure a lot of these people were running with me around the Reservoir.
After finishing my run, I stroll a little, looking at the bridges and the park benches inundating Central Park. The leaves are falling from the trees, and it will only be a matter of time before the first snowfall tosses a large white blanket over the park that will enable the kids to skate on the frozen ponds or pull out their sleds for the day.
Before I exit the park, I stop by the famous Alice in Wonderland statue featuring Alice, the Mad Hatter, and the White Rabbit. There's no doubt that there are very few parks that can maximize the aesthetic use of every square foot the way Central Park can. I make a mental note to take Liebi and the boys here later, time permitting.
Eventually, I am out of the park and on my way back to the apartment, hunting for a reasonably priced bagel on the way.
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