{"id":1351,"date":"2017-05-29T20:34:12","date_gmt":"2017-05-29T20:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kaysnycways.com\/?p=1351"},"modified":"2017-05-29T20:34:12","modified_gmt":"2017-05-29T20:34:12","slug":"843-acres-of-delight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kaysnycways.com\/index.php\/2017\/05\/29\/843-acres-of-delight\/","title":{"rendered":"843 Acres of Delight…"},"content":{"rendered":"
or..if it’s not Central Park what else could it be…I ask.<\/h6>\n

Yes, friends, 843 acres running 2.5 miles long and a half mile wide is that glorious part of the City starting at\u00a0\u00a059th Street and ending at \u00a0110th with pure magic in between…Central Park!<\/p>\n

Now\u00a0\u00a0where to begin\u00a0 on my walks through the Park? \u00a0A walk to the Boat Basin or to \u00a0Belvedere Castle or to \u00a0Strawberry Fields or to the Zoo or to the famed Carousel with the 57 hand carved horses? \u00a0What to do, what to do.<\/p>\n

I made the decision (not quickly) for this first post on the park, to write about my most frequent walk, which is to enter on East 66th Street and wind my way over to the exit by\u00a0\u00a0Tavern on the Green to Central Park West. \u00a0 \u00a0 (I miss, by the way, that gaudy shiny Crystal Room at Tavern even if the food and service were not so great).<\/p>\n

Now before I go any further, just wanted to say, you probably know much of what I’m writing, but if, like me, sometimes a different perspective brings about some kind of awakening to something new. \u00a0Even doing my research for my posts, I always have a discovery (e.g.The Central Park Conservancy Institute for Urban Parks \u00a0The Institute teaches park users and managers to care for urban parks everywhere. ) \u00a0<\/em>Didn’t know that.<\/p>\n

So let’s get started<\/h6>\n

If you’re going to the park for any reason, take the time to just enjoy! Wear comfortable shoes, take water, snack, hat and maybe a sweater, throw an umbrella in just in case, a blanket and a book and crossword puzzle if you’re so inclined.\u00a0 \u00a0Much of the walkways and paths \u00a0are good but there are interesting \u00a0paths and trails that are unpaved and often muddy.<\/p>\n

The East 66th Street Entrance<\/h6>\n
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Here’s one of the frequent sites seen \u00a0everywhere in the park- people reading. \u00a0Those readers could be on benches or on the grass or even on the rocks.\u00a0I’ve done it many times myself or should I say I’ve tried to do it, but it’s not easy to stay focused when there is always so much to see and hear. Must admit weekdays is an easier time of it because it’s \u00a0quieter, but even then, the birds chirp, people talk, interesting people talk, \u00a0tours come through, children laugh \u00a0and I’m very easily distracted . \u00a0No, I don’t use a headset. \u00a0One reason is “my hearing is definitely not what it used to be” plus I like the sounds and\u00a0often a musician or group of musicians are playing. \u00a0Love that!<\/p>\n

As I walked down the small slope and past the children’s playground, I saw\u00a0\u00a0the usual \u00a0puppeteer with his egg pu\"balto\"ppet to the delight of the kids. \u00a0 And just a little further up the hill is the popular\u00a0Balto statue, the famed sled-dog who saved children’s lives in Alaska in 1925.<\/p>\n

The Mall – the American Elms – Wow!<\/h6>\n

As I walked up the hill through the arch and up to one of my favorite places in the park \u00a0 The Mall, of American Elms \u00a0It’s just so beautiful (by the way, how many times can I use “beautiful” in a blog…a lot when describing the park, but I’m going to try to use other adjectives, I promise.\u00a0It’s gorgeous in the spring, summer, winter and \u00a0fall.<\/p>\n

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The Mall and Literary Walk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And here we are: the single walkers, the bikers resting on the bench, the couple holding hands, the stroller in the distance, all under those magnificent elms. (saving for another post the section of The Mall called Literary Walk with statues of prominent writers.<\/p>\n

Ahead of me was Sheep Meadow<\/h6>\n
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I stood under this magnificent tree to take the photo of Sheep Meadow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n