Central Park

Global Citizen reveals lineup for its 2023 festival in Central Park

Photo of Global Citizen Festival in Central by Anthony Quintano on Flickr

July 11, 2023

Global Citizen reveals lineup for its 2023 festival in Central Park

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The lineup for the 11th annual Global Citizen Festival in New York City has been revealed. Taking place on Central Park's Great Lawn on Saturday, September 23, this year's event includes headliners the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ms. Lauryn Hill, with Megan Thee Stallion, Conan Gray, and the Stray Kids also set to perform. The free ticketed event connects music and activism, with a focus on tackling issues related to extreme poverty around the world, including empowering women and girls, fighting climate action, and alleviating the hunger crisis.
See the lineup
New York City’s best spots for bird watching

Birdwatching in Prospect Park, courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance on Flickr

June 15, 2023

New York City’s best spots for bird watching

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With hundreds of parks and over 500 miles of waterfront, New York City is an excellent place for bird watching. The five boroughs serve as a temporary and permanent home to over 400 species of bird, thanks to both habitat diversity and location on the Atlantic Flyway, the route birds follow during migrations. From Pelham Bay Park in the northeast Bronx down to Great Kills Park on the South Shore of Staten Island, there is no shortage of birding activities in New York. We've rounded up the best places to find feathered friends throughout the city, most of which are accessible via public transportation. For guided bird-watching tours and walks, check out events from NYC Parks, NYC Audubon, and the Linnaean Society of New York.
Full list ahead
NYC’s free Shakespeare in the Park program returns this week

The Delacorte Theater. Photo credit: Joseph Moran

June 6, 2023

NYC’s free Shakespeare in the Park program returns this week

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Shakespeare in the Park, the Public Theater's beloved free program in Central Park, returns to the Delacorte Theater this week. Directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon, the Public will present one performance of "Hamlet" for an extended nine-week run from Thursday, June 8 until Sunday, August 6. A production of "The Tempest" will be presented from Sunday, August 27 through Sunday, September 3 before the Delacorte Theater closes for renovations.
See more here
Pickleball is coming to Central Park’s Wollman Rink

Image courtesy of CityPickle

March 23, 2023

Pickleball is coming to Central Park’s Wollman Rink

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Central Park will soon be home to the largest pickleball offering in the Northeast. The park's Wollman Rink will turn into CityPickle, a 14-court pickleball installation opening in April. Presented by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, Related Companies, and Equinox, CityPickle will offer lessons, clinics, leagues, open-play sessions, tournaments, and other activities for players of all levels.
Find out more
Central Park’s iconic Loeb Boathouse set to reopen this summer

Photo by Ajay Suresh via Wikimedia Commons

February 16, 2023

Central Park’s iconic Loeb Boathouse set to reopen this summer

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After closing its doors last year, the iconic Loeb Boathouse in Central Park will reopen this summer with a new operator. Mayor Eric Adams and the city's Parks Department on Thursday announced Legends Hospitality, the group that operates at Yankee Stadium and One World Observatory, has been selected to manage the Boathouse as part of a 10-year lease. If the contract is approved by the city's Franchise and Concession Review Committee next month, the venue could be open to the public as early as June.
Learn more
Central Park’s first named gate since 1862 honors the exonerated ‘Central Park Five’

All photos courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy

December 20, 2022

Central Park’s first named gate since 1862 honors the exonerated ‘Central Park Five’

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A new gate in Central Park will permanently honor the "Central Park Five," the five Black and Latino teens who in 1989 were convicted of a crime they didn't commit. "The Gate of the Exonerated" commemorates the exoneration of all five men, each of whom unjustly served between six and 12 years in prison before being cleared in 2002. Located on 110th Street between Malcolm X Boulevard and Fifth Avenue, the new entrance was unveiled on Monday, exactly 20 years after their convictions were overturned, marking the first named gate in Central Park since 1862.
See more here
This map of Central Park tracks fall foliage in real time

The Reservoir; Photo courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy

October 21, 2022

This map of Central Park tracks fall foliage in real time

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The Central Park Conservancy has launched a new, interactive Peak Fall Foliage map to let parkgoers know the best times and locations to take in autumn's most vibrant colors. In the coming weeks, approximately 18,000 trees across Central Park's 843 acres will reach their peak color. The map's real-time information is provided by Central Park's arborists who take care of more than 170 species of trees on a daily basis.
See more here
Memorial honoring Black lives lost to acts of racism will open in Central Park

Image courtesy of Si B on Flickr

September 7, 2022

Memorial honoring Black lives lost to acts of racism will open in Central Park

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A new exhibition honoring Black lives lost to racial injustice in the United States will open this month in New York City's historical Seneca Village, once home to a thriving black community that was displaced by the city to make way for Central Park in the 1850s. Presented by the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art (SDAAMFA), the Say Their Names Memorial Exhibition is a month-long augmented reality experience debuting on Saturday, September 17 at West 85th Street in Central Park.
Find out more
Central Park’s Loeb Boathouse to close permanently

Image courtesy of ajay_suresh on Flickr

July 21, 2022

Central Park’s Loeb Boathouse to close permanently

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Loeb Boathouse, Central Park's iconic lakeside restaurant which has operated for nearly 70 years, will be closing permanently on October 16. According to a notice filed with the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) by the venue's owner, the establishment will be closing its doors and laying off all of its 163 employees due to what owner Dean Poll calls, "rising labor and costs of goods."
Find out more
New photo exhibit shows New York City children playing on car-free streets in the summer of ’68

Photo credit: Katrina Thomas. NYC Parks Photo Archive 

July 5, 2022

New photo exhibit shows New York City children playing on car-free streets in the summer of ’68

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The city's Parks Department opened a new photography exhibition at Central Park's Arsenal Gallery that displays more than 40 archived photographs from the department's collection. Called "Streets In Play: Katrina Thomas, NYC Summer 1968," the exhibit features images taken by the late photographer Katrina Thomas, who in 1968 was hired by NYC Mayor John Lindsay and tasked with capturing the city's summer initiative, "Playstreets," in which residential blocks were closed to vehicles and instead equipped for recreational activity.
Take a look
10 of the best running spots in New York City

Photo via PxHere

April 27, 2022

10 of the best running spots in New York City

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For avid runners and beginners alike, New York City offers a wide range of places to hit the pavement, from its iconic bridges to green trails nestled in the city's parks. The scenic routes provide unbeatable views of the river and skyline that can keep you motivated to keep going when you're ready to give up. Ahead, we round up the 10 most iconic spots to go for a run in the city, fit for regular marathoners, treadmill-devotees looking for a change of scenery, and total newbies.
Lace up those sneakers...
Landmarks approves design for $77M renovation of Delacorte Theater in Central Park

Rendering courtesy of Ennead Architects.

January 26, 2022

Landmarks approves design for $77M renovation of Delacorte Theater in Central Park

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The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday approved plans for the revitalization of Central Park's Delacorte Theater, the city's first major post-pandemic outdoor theater investment. The new design's main goals are to improve accessibility for people with disabilities, protect the building from the ravages of a changing climate, and improve efficiency and comfort.
Find out more
How New York keeps its cool: A history of ice skating in NYC

Central-Park Winter, 1862, via NYPL Digital Collections

January 5, 2022

How New York keeps its cool: A history of ice skating in NYC

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While we haven't had much snow yet this year, New York is already a winter wonderland thanks to the many ice skating rinks found across the city. If you choose to glide through the season on ice, taking a spin anywhere from Central Park to Coney Island, you’re sliding into a New York winter tradition that includes the nation’s first organized ice rink, a decade of “Icetravaganzas” that drew millions, a glittery trend of hotel ice gardens throughout Midtown, and even a relationship to the origins of baseball. So lace up, and read on for a history of ice-skating in New York City.
Glide into this story!
15 holiday trees in NYC that are not at Rockefeller Center

Photo by Charley Lhasa on Flickr

December 9, 2021

15 holiday trees in NYC that are not at Rockefeller Center

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The Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center may be the most popular conifer in New York City, with 125 million people visiting the tree each year, but it certainly is not the only one. Every holiday season, spruces adorned with colorful lights and ornaments pop up across the five boroughs. The city’s many holiday trees each offer a unique take on the tradition, which began in NYC in 1912 when the first public Christmas tree was erected in Madison Square Park. For those looking to skip the Midtown crowds this year, we’ve rounded up 15 of the best holiday trees, from the origami tree at the American Museum of Natural History to the flotilla of trees in Central Park’s Harlem Meer.
Get the full list
The best places in Central Park to see fall foliage

Photo of the Mall courtesy of Central Park Conservancy

November 8, 2021

The best places in Central Park to see fall foliage

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Some of the most breathtaking fall foliage can definitely be found outside of NYC, but when it comes to autumnal bliss within the boroughs, not many places can compare to Central Park. The park experiences a different fall foliage season than other parts of the city because of the tall buildings that surround it and cast shadows on its trees. According to the Central Park Conservancy, the trees have a "distorted sense of the seasons," creating a later foliage season for Central Park. To make the most of this beautiful season, the Conservancy released its annual fall guide, complete with ideas for exploring the park, and their handy fall foliage map, which lets you know the best spots to see the park's 18,000 trees in all their yellow, orange, and red glory. Ahead, find eight spots that take the lead for leaf-peeping.
Get the guide to the best foliage spots
Central Park’s famous carousel will reopen with Coney Island’s Luna Park as operator

Photo by ajay_suresh on Flickr

August 11, 2021

Central Park’s famous carousel will reopen with Coney Island’s Luna Park as operator

By
One of the country's most popular carousels will soon spin again. Central Park's Friedsam Memorial Carousel will reopen to riders this fall after being closed since March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. As first reported by amNY, the operators of Coney Island's Luna Park, Central Amusement International, will operate the merry-go-round, replacing the Trump Organization, which had its contracts with the city canceled earlier this year after the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Details here
The history of Central Park’s Hooverville, the Great Depression shanty town

“A Scene in Shantytown, New York” appearing in the March 4, 1880 edition of the New York Daily Graphic, via Wikimedia Commons

August 4, 2021

The history of Central Park’s Hooverville, the Great Depression shanty town

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Following the October stock market crash of 1929, there was an unprecedented number of people in the U.S. without homes or jobs. And as the Great Depression set in, demand grew and the overflow became far too overwhelming and unmanageable for government resources to manage. Homeless people in large cities began to build their own houses out of found materials, and some even built more permanent structures from brick. Small shanty towns—later named Hoovervilles after President Hoover—began to spring up in vacant lots, public land and empty alleys. Three of these pop-up villages were located in New York City, the largest of which was on what is now Central Park's Great Lawn.
Learn more here
Andrea Bocelli, The Killers, Wyclef Jean & a dozen more stars to perform at Central Park concert

Global Citizen Festival in Central Park on September 23, 2017.Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 27, 2021

Andrea Bocelli, The Killers, Wyclef Jean & a dozen more stars to perform at Central Park concert

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More than a dozen iconic musicians will take the stage in Central Park next month as part of a mega-concert celebrating the city's recovery from the coronavirus. Announced on Tuesday, the lineup for the concert, dubbed "WE LOVE NYC: The Homecoming Concert," includes major stars like Andrea Bocelli, Wyclef Jean, Barry Manilow, Earth, Wind & Fire, Jennifer Hudson, The Killers, LL COOL J, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Rob Thomas, and more.
Get the details
NYC replaces Trump Organization as operator of Central Park’s Wollman Rink

All renderings: VStudios, co-designed by Gensler and Rockwell Group

July 7, 2021

NYC replaces Trump Organization as operator of Central Park’s Wollman Rink

By
A joint venture made up of businesses and some nonprofit groups will run Central Park's Wollman Rink, officially replacing the Trump Organization as the operator, the city's Parks Department announced on Tuesday. Earlier this year, the agency issued requests for proposals to operate and manage Wollman Rink and the Central Park Carousel, both of which were formerly run by President Donald Trump's company. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the city would terminate any agreements with the organization following the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol on January 6.
Get the details
Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, & Jennifer Hudson to headline Central Park ‘mega-concert’ this summer

Global Citizen Festival in Central Park on September 23, 2017.Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 1, 2021

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, & Jennifer Hudson to headline Central Park ‘mega-concert’ this summer

By
Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, and Jennifer Hudson will headline the massive concert happening this August in Central Park, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Thursday. Last month, the mayor said he asked music producer and Brooklyn native Clive Davis to put together the concert, marketed as a celebration of New York's comeback following the pandemic. The full lineup of performers will be announced in the coming weeks, but de Blasio said the event will be "one of the greatest Central Park concerts in history."
Find out more
20 underground and secret NYC attractions you need to check out
April 13, 2021

20 underground and secret NYC attractions you need to check out

By
While visiting the major, most popular attractions of New York City can be fun, it can also be stressful, overwhelming and full of selfie-taking tourists. However, the great thing about the Big Apple is that plenty of other attractions exist that are far less known or even hidden in plain sight. To go beyond the tourist-filled sites and tour the city like you're seeing it for the very first time, check out 6sqft's list ahead of the 20 best underground, secret spots in New York City.
More this way
Where to find New York City’s secret waterfalls
March 22, 2021

Where to find New York City’s secret waterfalls

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New York state is home to many spectacular waterfalls that are worthy of any bucket list, but if you know where to look, there are a surprising number of waterfalls to discover right here in the concrete jungle of New York City. They're not all "secrets," but they do tend to exist well off the beaten path, tucked into the more remote parts of Central Park or in small Midtown plazas. Once you've found one, you'll likely have a new favorite spot perfect for escaping the city's unrelenting noise—if only for a short while.
Drown out the city at one of these 6 spots
Shakespeare in the Park will return to NYC this summer

The Delacorte Theater. Photo credit: Joseph Moran

March 16, 2021

Shakespeare in the Park will return to NYC this summer

By
Bringing some much-needed sunshine on this dreary March day, the Public Theater on Tuesday announced plans to bring back its free Shakespeare in the Park program this summer. As first reported by the New York Times, the Theater is preparing to present just one production at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park for an eight-week run beginning in July. The news comes after Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this month announced live performances and events could resume in New York as early as April 2.
Get the details
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