About Central Park
Almost nothing in Central Park came about on its own. The lakes were made by damming springs, and the fertile soil was brought in from Long Island and New Jersey because the original ground couldn't hold plants. The design is by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, who won a competition in 1858, and it fools you so well that you forget the skyscrapers a few blocks away.
To avoid getting lost in 843 acres (341 hectares), pick one section. Between Bethesda Terrace, with its fountain and staircase facing the lake, and the Ramble, a wood of winding trails, an entire afternoon fits. Farther north is the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.
