Walking in Central Park: Recommendations and Links to the Walks

• Recommended Places to Go Online in Central Park: The following hot spots, courtesy of the Park Wifi, are excellent choices for working online while enjoying Nature, as noted in earlier posts:

1. under the wisteria next to the Rumsey Playfield, near the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain.
2. the Delacorte Theater, near the Shakespeare Garden and Belvedere Castle.
3. the Harlem Meer, near the Dana Discovery Center.

• Recommended Place for Casual Dining in Central Park: The Boathouse. Coming off a walk in the Ramble, I was glad to come upon the Boathouse and hang out at the outdoor bar for a glass of wine. The food choices are varied, and the place has that casual elegant vibe. Now high on my list for out-of-town guests.

• Recommended Place to Stroll on One Day: from the Pond at the southeast corner (near Grand Army Plaza) up to the Shakespeare statue (parallel to 66th St.), then north on the Mall to the Bethesda Fountain and Terrace, up the east path to the Boathouse, from the Boathouse northwest through the Ramble, to Belvedere Castle and the Shakespeare Garden. Exit at W. 81st St. (American Museum of Natural History).

• Recommended Places to Forget You're in New York City: the wilds of the north quadrant, in the Pond and in the North Woods. Exit the park at 110th near Frederick Douglas Circle.

By the way, 2008 is the 150th anniversary of the Greensward Plan: The Plan for Central Park 1858-2008. See the pages at the Central Park Conservancy website for a fascinating historical overview of the plan.

Walking Off the Big Apple's Walks in Central Park, May 5-8, 2008:

Day 1
Central Park: My Temporary Office Near the Bethesda Terrace
Central Park: A Walk, and Lunch at the Zoo
Central Park: Mapping Walks from Day 1 at the Park

Day 2
Central Park: Today's Office in the Shakespeare Garden
Central Park: Wandering in the Ramble
Central Park: Refreshment Break at the Loeb Boathouse
Central Park: Mapping Walks from Day 2 at the Park
Central Park: The Landscape as Painting and the Landscape Photograph

Day 3
Central Park: Walking Reluctantly Around the Reservoir
Central Park: Mapping Walks from Day 3 at the Park

Day 4
Central Park: My New Temporary Office on the Harlem Meer
Central Park: Mapping Catch-and-Release Blogging on Day 4 at the Park

Additional images from my week in the Central Park at Flickr WOTBA

Links to pertinent information:

Central Park Conservancy: The Official Website for Central Park
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Park Wifi Information

Image: the south end of the Mall at the Olmsted Flowerbed. Central Park, New York. May 5, 2008. Pretty, huh?