Central Park is the natural heart of New York City's busiest borough, accounting for 6% of Manhattan at 778 acres.
Commissioned by state legislature in 1853, it is the first landscaped public park in the U.S. It now draws around 35 million visitors every year.
We took a day trip and documented some of the things that make Central Park the best — even in a chilly November.
Central Park is a vast oasis in the middle of New York City. (Here's the morning view from Spanish Harlem.)
The Harlem Meer is a beautiful lake beginning at 110th and 5th. The name is a nod to the 17th Century European settlers who first inhabited the village of Harlem.
The wildlife in the park's several bodies of water is outstanding. A 2003 census found 500 species of plants and animals. Another census will be published in a few weeks.
Source: CentralPark.com
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