Some days it’s all about a walk in the park
The Three Tomatoes never lose their awe of New York City. But granted there are days when the hustle
and bustle, become more hustle than we can handle. So it’s on those days when
not even a full body massage and/or a great martini will calm our frazzled nerves
that we need the kind of peace and serenity that only nature can provide. That’s
when we seek the solace and pure joy of. …
Central Park! And with fall rapidly approaching it’s one of our favorite times of the year
to be in the Park. So this is our tribute to all things Central Park, sprinkled
with some little factoids along the way. Feel free to use them as scintillating
conversation starters at the next really boring cocktail party you attend.
Central Park is truly an amazing oasis, as any of the 25 million people who visit
the park each year will tell you. We love to bring visitors there and watch their
awe when they first step into the park and start to experience its wonder with
the NYC skyline as a glorious backdrop. And when you tell them that it was entirely
man-made visitors are even more awe-struck.
The Three Tomatoes love to tell the story of how the park was created. (If you already know this
stuff, feel free to fast forward.. we promise not to be offended.)
In the mid-1800’s, a group of prominent New Yorkers, inspired by the public grounds
of London and Paris, and no doubt still feeling a bit like the “crude” Americans,
conceived the idea of a grand park in New York City that would be created for
the general public. This was indeed a novel idea, because no park, anywhere, had
ever been built for the “people”. The grand spaces in Europe were originally
built for Kings, Queens and other assorted nobility and then opened to allow the
“peasants” a place to roam. After a couple of years of politics (image that)
about where the park would be, the City was authorized to use 700 acres of irregular
terrain with swamps, bluffs, and rocks on the land that now is between Fifth and
Eighth Avenues and 59th and 110th Streets. And after even more politics (alas,
some things never change), a design for the park know as the “Greensward Plan”
submitted by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux was accepted. In 1858 the
19th century’s most massive public works project began. Over 20,000 workers blasted
rocky ridges, moved nearly 3 million cubic yards of soil, planted more than 270,000
trees and shrubs, and built the reservoir. The park opened n1859 with thousands
of New Yorkers skating on the new lakes that had been built over former swamps.
With 843 acres and 58 miles of pedestrian walkways, it would take days and days
to see the entire park. Aside from the zoo and the penguins (a perennial favorite),
we love the Italian, French, and English gardens. Did you know that every fall,
volunteers plant 20,000 tulips? And let’s not forget the Park’s world famous compost
pile. Yes tomatoes, people came from all over just to see this gigantic mound.
(Hey, whatever turns you on.) We also love the carousel and the little boats
on the lake. We love the fountains -- where else would you find Alice in Wonderland,
Hans Christian Andersen, and Cleopatra’s needle all in the same place?
Central Park cuisine? While we have never been impressed with Tavern on the
Green (too glitzy, too touristy, too overated, often lousy service -- and that’s
just for starters), we love the
Boat House. It’s a great place for a romantic summer dinner, or our favorite, a great
lunch on a chilly fall day with their massive fireplaces to keep you warm. But
the very best park cuisine, of course, is a New York hot dog purchased from a
pushcart vendor.
Now as we all know, the "Park" hasn’t always been “a walk in the park”. In
the 1960’s and throughout the 1970s, the Park became know more for its crime rate
than its beauty and much of the park had fallen into a sad state of undercare
and disarray. Fortunately, a number of caring citizens stepped forward and
founded the Central Park Conservancy, a private not-for-profit organization whose
mission is to restore the park and maintain its fully glory. Thanks to the generosity
of individuals (like you and us), corporations and foundations, the Conservancy
has raised more than $300 million and have truly transformed the park.
So next time you take that wonderful stroll through our magnificent park, in
our magnificent City, tell yourself how fortunate you are to be here. And if
you haven't already done so, you might also want to thank the Conservancy through
a donation or by becoming a member. Find out more by
clicking here.
