Why You Should Visit New York's Central Park

New York City is the greatest city in the world. There is so much to see and do, the Empire State Building, Macy's, St Patrick's Cathedral, Rockefeller Center and Madison Square Garden just to name a few. But if you are looking to spend an enjoyable day in New York City, I suggest you visit Central Park. There is so much to see and do in the park, you won't be disappointed. Just start out at one end of the park and keep walking, I guarantee you won't look at your watch once and before you know you'll be at the other end amazed at what you just saw.

In the middle of the concrete jungle that is Manhattan sits Central Park an oasis that lets you forget about the hustle and bustle of city life. It starts at 59th Street and runs all the way to 110th Street. The park is broken down into four quadrants - The South End (59th Street to 72nd Street), Great Lawn (73rd Street to 85th Street), The Reservoir (86th Street to 96th Street) and North End (97th Street to 110th Street).

During the course of the day, you can walk through the park and enjoy the trees, flowers and other wonders of nature. You will also find, bands, singers and artists. There are plenty of playgrounds for the kids and you can even rent a bike or a boat. You can enjoy an ice cream cone on a warn day or a hot chocolate when it turns colds. You can pack a picnic lunch and just sit back and enjoy the day. You can relax and soak in the sun while reading your favorite book. You can even go bird watching. There is no shortage of things to do in the park.

There are also many attractions in the park and here are just a few.

Central Park Zoo located on the East Side between 63rd and 66th Streets. Not as big as the Bronx Zoo, but you can still see over 130 different species of animals ranging from Polar Bears to Tarantulas. This is a great place to bring the kids. The zoo is open from April through November

Tavern on the Green located on the West Side between 66th and 67th Streets. This is a great place to get lunch or dinner or to just sit back and order a few drinks. I suggest you end your day there as they often have live music. Just a heads up, it tends to be a bit pricey.

Loeb Boathouse located on the East Side between 74th and 75th Streets. There is much to see and do here; you can have a romantic dinner in the Boathouse Restaurant watching the sun set behind the trees. You can rent a rowboat, which is perfect for a romantic afternoon, or you can rent a boat for the family (Maximum of five people per boat). You can also rent bicycles or join the many bird watchers in the area.

Bethesda Castle located on mid-park at 79th Street. The castle offers a scenic panoramic view of the park

Strawberry Fields located on the West Side between 71st and 74th Streets. This memorial to the late John Lennon consists of a garden and a mosaic with the word "Imagine" You will often find people paying tribute to Lennon either by singing or placing flowers on the mosaic.

Wollman Rink located on the East Side between 62nd and 63rd Streets. You can go ice-skating from November through March. In the summer the rink is transformed into a Victorian Gardens Amusement Park. The park offers a wide range of rides, game and other attractions for the entire family.

Metropolitan Museum of Art located at 82nd and 5th Avenue. This massive museum has some of the greatest works of art. You can also go on the roof and enjoy a beautiful view of the entire park.

There are also many walking tours available throughout the park, the Central Park Conservancy offers up to ten different tours on the history and natural wonder of the park. For a listing of the tours that are available you can go to http://www.centralparknyc.org/activities/walkingtours.

So as you can see there is much to see and do in Central Park, I only touched on a few things available. There are also free concerts in the summer and free Shakespearean plays. The only way to see all that Central Park has to offer is to visit it yourself.