Central Park

30 minutes to JFK International Airport

With more than forty million visitors in 2013, Central Park ranks the most popular urban park in the country. The park was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1962.

Bordered on Central Park North, Central Park South, Central Park West, and on the east by Fifth Avenue, Central Park first opened on 770 acres of city-owned land and was later expanded to 843 acres. It has a perimeter of 6.1 miles. This man-made wonder is the first public park ever built in America.

Twenty-nine sculptures have been erected over the years, most donated by individuals or organizations. Many of the first statues placed were of authors and poets, in an area now known as Literary Walk. New York City dedicated 2.5 acres to the memory of John Lennon. Countries from all around the world contributed trees, and Italy donated the iconic Imagine mosaic.

For the athletic types, the park has many recreational facilities. You’ll never have a problem finding a place to skate, pedal, row, dribble, or climb to your heart’s delight. Park Drive is just over six miles long and is heavily used by runners, joggers, pedestrians, and bicyclist. Many weekend races take place in the park. The New York City Marathon finishes in Central Park outside the popular Tavern on the Green.

Right in the center of busy Manhattan, the park grounds serve as a sanctuary for packs of migratory birds each year. Stroll in tranquility and explore the nearly fifty fountains, monuments, and sculptures or admiring its thirty-six bridges and arches.

Without a doubt Central Park is one of the most famous parks in the world. It is as synonymous with New York City as is the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. Central Park is dynamic and vibrant, an ever changing counterpoint to the architectural achievements around it.

Central Park is less than a mile from Bentley Hotel.