Category Archives: Parks

We’ve been to the Red Flame Diner, the Frick Collection and the Whitney. Now it’s time to clear our heads of comfort food and culture so Monsieur and I head across to Central Park. Every time we’ve visited together, we’ve spent a little time in this glorious lung for the island of Manhattan, and every time, we’ve discovered new sights to enthrall. The last visit saw us wading through drifts of newly-fallen snow; this time, the sun was shining and New Yorkers were out in droves, soaking up the vitamin D.

Do you think this runner stopped for some Gatorade or a big, fat pretzel after his run?

This pair looked slightly uncomfortable on their carriage ride:

Their wives, hidden by the hood, looked far more enthused. Monsieur and I didn’t feel the need for wheels, no matter how romantic the notion of a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park, so on we walked.

The paths were busy with happy wanderers, like ourselves:

And then, in the midst of everything, we found our old pal, Rabbie Burns:

We passed the place where people’s endowments of trees for the park are honoured by plaques in a place called Literary Walk:

Further along, we found people sunning themselves like seals on a giant rock. We climbed up to see what they were watching and found the Wollman skating rink beneath the Midtown skyline. There was no mistaking who operates it these days – Donald Trump, his name emblazoned all around the rink:

We then headed for the Plaza Hotel and Fifth Avenue, spotting this colourful line up of carriages en route:

Now the carriages and tree-lined walks would be replaced by skyscrapers and New York yellow cabs, but not before we glimpse a horse proudly sprouting a bright purple feather from its bridle. It seems that even the horses in Manhattan know that in this part of world, anything goes.