Central Park

For a lot of people moving to NYC, the cold cruel streets and urban environment can leave them longing for the green, green grass of home. But residents who live near Central Park get the best of both worlds. This expansive and brilliantly landscaped green haven provides year-round pleasures both natural (trees, ponds, flower gardens) and man made (theatre performances, musical events, art installations)

You’ll find some of Manhattan’s most desirable and famous properties on Central Park West, such as the Dakota at West 72nd Street. The Dakota is home to a wide range of A-list celebrities, and if you like star-gazing, this area is for you. Money isn’t enough at the Dakota, however. The board is notoriously persnickety and has refused prospective tenants including Billy Joel, Cher, and Antonio Bandaras.

Money IS enough a few blocks down the street and if you’ve got the big money to invest in living there, you should! At 15 Central Park West, for example, owners who originally paid about $2,500, can now command $4,500 per square foot. For park views, be prepared to pay closer to $6,000 per square foot.

If you want to live near the park and are willing to reside further uptown, the blocks above 96th Street are far more affordable, with studios available for as little as $1500. This uptown area isn’t as swanky, but it’s still close to the park and a great place to live.

One of the best things about living on Central Park West or on any of the more affordable side streets that run its length from 59th Street to 110th Street is the ease of commuting. The IND subway has local and express stops along full length of the park, and the ultra-reliable IRT subway is just a few blocks away on Broadway, so you always have options should one train line or another have a problem. You can zoom from CPW to midtown in about 10 minutes and reach the lower tip of Manhattan in about 20.

It’s also easy to get to the eastside. Crosstown buses can be found about every 10 blocks. Schedules vary depending on the time of day, but you seldom have to wait more than 10 minutes.

Central Park is by far the biggest park in the city yet no matter what part you try to find real estate it all seems like too much. Central Park is pretty much where they put all of the trees that once used to be in the city but it is truly a great place to live, if you can afford it.

The park is great, whether you live by yourself, with a partner, or with kids. There are hundreds of acres of running tracks, sports fields, ponds, and just a place to relax in the shade or on the grass. The park also features a full zoo, a carousel, horse carriage rides, boat rentals, two ice skating rinks, and also hosts many musical and theatrical productions throughout the year. The free concerts in the park are actually one of the best kept secrets among New Yorkers as stars like Bon Jovi, Elton John, and Diana Ross have performed in the free, open-air theater.

For tourists, the area is pretty cut and dry. The park is great but there is not a whole lot to do otherwise. The area is a bit difficult to get around, especially if you want to go from one side of the park to the other. It is a very expensive neighborhood in terms of just about everything. On the bright side, this is also the area many stars choose to call home so you never know when you will see Woody Allen or Scarlett Johansson at a table next to yours.

Also, while the park might be great during the day, it is best to stay clear of it at night.

The area surrounding Central Park is the dream of every New Yorker. Everyone wants to live there, but it's a pipe dream for most of us. This is where some of the wealthiest people in the world live – people like Woody Allen and Mary Tyler Moore, for example. The buildings that line Central Park West and Central Park South are gorgeous, and you can't beat the views of the park.

Central Park is a marvel of landscaping, and I still find it amazing that it ever got built (I understand that it almost didn't.) Today, it probably wouldn't because greed would prevail, and the real estate developers would take it over. I'm sure they'd still love to get their hands on it, but New Yorkers would never stand for it. We love our beautiful park, which is huge and filled with animals (even raccoons), a skating rink, a theatre, a zoo, gardens, and all sorts of other things. It's truly an oasis right in the center of Manhattan, and to live right next to it would be wonderful.

If you can afford to live here, I doubt that I need to sell you on it. The restaurants and shopping are a block or two off the park, but with an address like that, who cares? Besides, if you can afford to live here, you don't have to shop for yourself.

This is one of those rare places in the city that no one can really criticize, because what's not to love about Central Park? It's the perfect place for a quiet afternoon alone with a new book, for a first date conversation, or a healthy jog around the reservoir. And it's a must-see tourist destination for certain.

Though it may look completely natural and many of the trees have aged quite a bit, the entirety of the park was imported or man-made, which to me makes it all the more impressive and that much more of a true symbol of the city.

People from every walk of life converge in the park year-round, but it is of course especially beautiful during the spring and summer months, causing more and more park goers to linger throughout the day. It makes for a all-around hot spot because there are so many things to do there - from active things like roller blading or rowing boats across the lake to touristy things like carriage riding to lazy summer things like sunbathing.

Not only that, but Central Park is essential to an island with so much surrounding concrete, and an obvious choice for a much-needed respite from the drama of the city.

It's not an exaggeration to think of Central Park as the best public park in the world, when you think about how it provides recreation to millions of people every day. Besides its natural beauty, its historical highlights, and its beautiful views, the park also has many odd corners and surprising twists. Near 67th Street and 5th Avenue you can find a statue of Balto, a sled dog that saved Alaskan explorers from death, and a statue that has been sat upon by every kid who ever passed by. The Literary Walk is lined with Shakespeare and Burns, plus a spectacular collection of elm trees. At Box Bridge, a fine cast iron bridge, you can get your fill of swans, boats, and lovers. You can also visit Yoko Ono's Strawberry Fields and look at the “Imagine” mosaic, which is home to candles and hippies year-round. There's also a butterfly habitat to the left of the Boathouse restaurant, near where bicycles are rented. It is a fenced-in area with flowering wild plants specifically planted to attract butterflies. The Shakespeare Garden near Belvedere Castle contains all the flowers mentioned in all of Shakespeare's plays. But aside from all that, Central Park is the classic summertime hangout. You can grab a girl, a blanket, and a bottle of wine and make an afternoon of it.

We can be grateful for many years to come that city planners more than 200 years ago had the foresight to plan a large public place like Central Park into Manhattan's quickly developing landscape. Who hasn't enjoyed a summer afternoon in Central Park? In 2005, the real estate value of the park was estimated at over 520 billion, and yet that valuable Manhattan space is entirely free and open to the public. The park is bordered on all sides by Central Park West, Central Park South, Central Park North, and Fifth Avenue, where some of the most expensive real estate in the city is located. Some of the most renown Central Park attractions include the carriage horses that are operated from Central Park South, the free, open air performances of Shakespeare during summer organized by the Public Theater, and the ice skating rink that operates during winter time. Central Park can be said to be the great equalizer of the city. Everyone goes there, everyone makes use of its many attractions, people come there from all parts of the city and from every background imaginable. The great dream that its creators had, of a democratic development that would provide relief from the pressures of urban living to all, is very much alive in this gorgeous space.

During my last trip to the park, I found myself sitting under the fall trees, listening to a three piece jazz band that often plays to the crowds in the Park. Central Park can be almost magical if the weather is just right – thanks in part to countless movies that have immortalized the place. No one is too young or too old or from too far away to enjoy Central Park, a much needed respite from the rest of the stress-inducing isle of Manhattan.

You can't visit New York without going to Central Park. And, you can't live in New York without going to Central Park either. Without that oasis, all NY'ers would lose their minds. It is giant and beautiful and even when it's crowded it is still serene.
It's a great place to get away from the sensory overload of the city any time of year, but when the first signs of spring come, going to Central Park is glorious. And, there are so many things to do besides just sitting and reading a book (not that that's not great).
The Central Park bike loop is 6.2 miles of moderately hilly riding with great things to look at and some really cool people watching. Strawberry Fields (the monument to John Lennon) is always full of people and sometimes has a group of uber - fans gathered round singing songs in tribute. You can watch the giant turtles at turtle pond, have a drink at the Boathouse (cliche but still awesome) and go row boating after a quick ride on the carousel.
Shakespeare in the Park and The Philharmonic in the Park are must -sees for Central Park in the summer. The Philharmonic is pretty self - explanatory. Shakespeare in the Park is presented by the Public Theatre for free. There are always big names starring in the plays (Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Al Pacino) and the open air theatre with the lights and all the nature is stunning.

Despite the hustle of city life, there is actually a place you can go to have fun and enjoy yourself. Why not unwind and get away from the stress of the city. You can have a picnic while watching performers do their act. There is so much you can do. If you have kids, take them along.

I feel like I almost don’t even need to encourage everyone and their mother to head over to Central Park at least once, because it seems like everyone does so regardless of whether they’ve been told they must.
Central Park is the ultimate desert oasis – it offers a break from the wall-to-wall concrete and traffic overflow contained in the rest of the city. The Park is populated with everyone from the homeless to the business elite on their lunch breaks. Young people can be seen sipping lattes and sporting ankle boots, and there are often outdoor weddings held in and around the boathouse. If you’re into biking, jogging, or just want to row a boat around a tiny lake overpopulated with row boats, you can do all of these things here.
Central Park is truly gorgeous, and being located in the midst of all that concrete only makes it seem that much better.