Latest news with #CentralParkConservancy
Time Out
2 days ago
- General
- Time Out
Central Park's gorgeous Conservatory Garden has reopened after years of construction
For the past three years, tall fences closed off one of the most beautiful parts of Central Park. Now, after three long years of extensive restoration, the spectacular Conservatory Garden is open once again and is in full bloom. The Conservatory Garden is a six-acre formal garden located in the northeastern quadrant of the park known for its peaceful design and historic charm. The garden underwent at $25 million glow-up, the most significant investment in the space since it was built in 1937, the Central Park Conservancy announced this week. Go see it along Fifth Avenue between 104th and 106th Streets in Central Park. The garden's three distinct styles—French, Italian, and English—have attracted many weddings and photoshoots over the years. It's also a beloved spot for New Yorkers looking for a moment of tranquility in the city. Visiting feels like a taking stroll through a European garden without having to buy a plane ticket. In the springtime, peonies and lilacs surge into bloom at the Conservatory Garden. In the fall, look for a bevy of mums among the garden's neatly trimmed hedges. While many of the garden's horticultural elements were addressed in 1983, this restoration focused on the comprehensive renewal of its historic hardscape, such as restoring bluestone pavers, updating stormwater draining, modernizing fountains, installing ramps and realigning paths. This type of restoration work hadn't been done at the garden in nearly 90 years. In addition, staff also replanted the Italian Garden's iconic crabapple allées with disease-resistant trees and repaired the steel pergola. This is a big year for upgrades to Central Park. The long-awaited Davis Center at Harlem Meer is now open. And the historic Delacorte Theater (where Shakespeare in the Park is staged every summer) will soon reopen after reconstruction.
Time Out
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Central Park is offering free senior portraits at the Conservatory Garden next week
Calling all Class of 2025 grads: Central Park is giving you one more reason to celebrate before tossing that cap in the air. The Central Park Conservancy is offering free senior portraits at the newly reopened Conservatory Garden next week and trust us, your Instagram feed will thank you. Photographers will be on site Monday, June 16, and Wednesday, June 18, from 1 to 4 pm, snapping pro portraits in one of the city's most jaw-dropping green spaces. Reservations are required and slots are first-come, first-served, so now's the time to lock in your 10-minute fame window. The Conservatory Garden is made up of six manicured acres of formal gardens tucked into the northeast corner of Central Park, just off Fifth Avenue between 104th and 106th Streets. Recently reopened after a multi-year, $17 million renovation, the Conservatory Garden is looking fresher than ever—think crabapple allées, blooming borders, vine-draped pergolas and fountains worthy of a Bridgerton shoot. Grads are encouraged to show up in whatever outfit suits their vibe, whether it's a classic cap-and-gown look or a stylish statement piece that says, 'I'm done with cafeteria food and AP Chem.' There's no dress code, no awkward studio lighting and no fees, just a stunning backdrop and photo to mark the milestone. And while you're there, it's worth taking a lap around the three distinct garden styles: the French-inspired North Garden with its orderly lawns and fountain; the Italianate Center Garden, flanked by wisteria and yew; and the English-style South Garden, home to the beloved Frances Hodgson Burnett sculpture from The Secret Garden. Portraits will be emailed to students within 10 business days, which gives you just enough time to get them printed before the graduation party—or, let's be honest, to post with a carefully chosen Drake lyric.
New York Post
30-05-2025
- New York Post
Mayor Adams expands key safety program to Central Park to crack down on aggressive pedicabs, illegal hawking
Mayor Eric Adams is expanding his multi-agency safety initiative to Central Park in a push to address quality-of-life concerns in the city's most iconic green space. The expansion of the administration's 'Community Link' program will bring in 20 city agencies and cultural institutions as part of a coordinated response to various issues, such as illegal vending, unlicensed pedicabs, excessive noise and park rule violations. 'Central Park is the backyard of New York City,' Adams said. 'Everyone — families, kids, joggers, cyclists, and tourists — must be safe and feel safe while enjoying this iconic space.' Mayor Adams announced the Community Link expansion Friday Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office The new initiative, dubbed the Central Park Conservancy Partnership, includes increased enforcement by the NYPD, Parks Enforcement Patrol and the Central Park Conservancy's new Ranger Corps. Adams said the extra effort will result in a safer and cleaner Central Park. The program expands on previous Community Link deployments in New York City's worst crime and drug-ridden neighborhoods like Midtown West and Roosevelt Avenue. A Community Link initiative has already been operating along the park's northern edge at 110th Street. The enforcement has resulted in over 1,000 summonses and 111 arrests since it began in April 2024. Year-to-date data showed a 50% drop in crime in the Central Park Precinct, including a 90% reduction in robberies and a nearly 29% decline in grand larcenies, according to the mayor's office. A cornerstone of the Central Park crackdown that Adams announced Friday is the newly launched Central Park Ranger Corps, which now patrols the park daily. Betsy Smith, president and CEO of the Central Park Conservancy, said it makes the park more 'welcoming and enjoyable.' 'Central Park is one of the most visited places in the country, with millions of visitors every year,' Smith said. 'This creates unique challenges in how we manage the use of shared space for the benefit of everyone.' Though they do not have enforcement authority, Rangers serve as visible guides and liaisons, responding to complaints, supporting first responders and addressing recurring issues like dogs off-leash, misuse of e-bikes and aggressive solicitation by pedicab or horse carriage drivers. The New York Pedicab Association will also partner with the interagency task force to rein in rogue pedicab drivers and educate terrorized park-goers of their rights and how to report violations. To support the stepped-up enforcement and further deter crime, the NYPD, Parks Department and Department of Transportation are also repairing lighting and installing security cameras. 'We are working to make the park more welcoming and enjoyable for everyone,' Smith said.
New York Times
21-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
In Central Park, Trying for Peace Between Walkers and Cyclists
Good morning. It's Wednesday. Today we'll look at changes in Central Park that give pedestrians, runners and cyclists more room on the roadways. We'll also get details on an $800 million renovation of Arthur Ashe Stadium, the centerpiece of tennis in the United States. In Central Park, where coexistence among the crowds is often fragile, a new effort to keep everyone in his or her lane — walkers, runners and cyclists — is nearing completion. One lane — the left lane — is being painted a light tan, indicating that it is for pedestrians only. Or, as Betsy Smith, the president of the Central Park Conservancy, put it: 'This is where pedestrians belong. This is their protected space.' That visual cue comes as the space in the lanes is being reapportioned for the first time since cars were barred from the park drives several years ago. The roadways in the middle and southern parts of the six-mile loop in the park have just been repaved, from 96th Street on the West Drive to 90th Street on the East Drive. The northern part of the loop will get its face-lift next year. The transportation commissioner, Ydanis Rodriguez, noted when the repaving began in March that the goal was 'to reimagine how the park loop can best reflect the needs of parkgoers.' He said that the project was intended to 'prioritize pedestrian safety while also better accommodating cyclists and legal e-mobility options.' Smith was more succinct. She said the purpose was 'avoiding conflict.' Accomplishing that, or trying to, involved reallocating space, always a challenge in New York. A report last year noted that the drives in the park varied from 22 feet to 42 feet from one curb to the other and that the widths were inconsistent for different users along the way. In some places, the pedestrian lane was as narrow as eight feet across, even 'in places where the drive was quite wide,' Smith noted on Tuesday. The conservancy called for consistency — 10 feet for a pedestrian lane, and 10 feet for each of two adjacent bicycle lanes. The pedestrian lane is still on the left side, as it was before the repaving. The one in the middle is for slow-to-medium-speed bikers, Smith said. The one on the right is a for e-bikes and high-speed cyclists. The city plans to put bicycle symbols in the traffic lights, to remind cyclists that they are supposed to stop at the crosswalks. The Transportation Department said that the lights at some crosswalks might be removed and replaced with 'pedestrian crossing' and 'active bike lane' warning signs. Smith hopes that some traffic lights can eventually be lowered, putting them at eye level for cyclists. At their present height, 'the lights talk to cars,' she said. 'We want to talk to bikes and runners.' The wider lanes and the paint for the pedestrian corridor are being completed as the city moves toward the end of a two-year pilot project that allowed e-bikes and e-scooters in Central Park, in Prospect Park in Brooklyn and on greenways like the one along the Brooklyn waterfront. Until May 31, the Parks Department is running a web survey that asks for specific locations where people have encountered problems 'with the flow of bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, pedestrians or other park users.' The pilot project did not open parks to motorcycles or mopeds. But some opponents say even e-bikes are too much. 'They're lawless,' said Pamela Manasse, a co-founder of the NYC E-Vehicle Safety Alliance, which favors requiring e-bikes and e-scooters to be registered and to carry license plates. 'They don't adhere to regulations. They don't yield to pedestrians. They ride, sometimes, on the pedestrian walkways.' Janet Schroeder, another co-founder, added that Central Park 'shouldn't be a cut-through for people to fly on their e-bikes, whether they're Citi Bike riders or deliverers.' Schroeder said that their group has more than 1,200 members and that more than 100 had been hit and hurt by e-bikes or scooters. Manasse was struck by a moped in front of Lincoln Center in 2022 and partially paralyzed. 'I've worked hard to regain the ability to walk,' she said on Tuesday. She said she did not expect the repaving to improve the traffic flow in Central Park. 'One can't walk across the park drives without taking their life into their own hands,' she said, adding, 'These dangers will not be alleviated' by the wider lanes. Expect a cloudy day with rain in the afternoon and evening. The temperature will reach the high 50s and drop to the upper 40s. In effect until Memorial Day (May 26). The latest Metro news An $800 million plan to renew Arthur Ashe Stadium After an $800 million renovation is completed in time for the United States Open in 2027, Arthur Ashe Stadium will still be the world's largest tennis arena, with roughly 24,000 seats. What will be different is the look and feel of a stadium that opened in 1997 and is now the second-oldest major sports venue in the New York area, after Madison Square Garden. The most visible changes will be in the crowded concourse levels. The walkways will be expanded, a plus in areas that sometimes get jammed with fans. That is hardly surprising: Since 2017, attendance at the U.S. Open has grown year over year (excluding the 2020 pandemic year, when no fans were allowed). Last year it topped one million for the first time. The renovated stadium will have space for high-end shops and restaurants, and a $250 million players building will take shape on an existing parking lot. It will tower over the five practice courts. 'We are doubling down on the continued growth that we are seeing in tennis in this country,' said Danny Zausner, the chief operating officer of the United States Tennis Association, which runs the Open. Construction has already begun; the U.S.T.A. said the project would not interfere with the tournament over the next two years. The nonprofit U.S.T.A. said it would pay for the renovation through reserve funds and debt. It said it would not need any more land in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, where the U.S.T.A. leases the 46 acres that house the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which includes Arthur Ashe Stadium. The U.S.T.A. has spent over $1 billion on construction over the past decade, adding three new stadiums and refurbishing the outer courts and practice areas. At the Pool Dear Diary: On a hot July afternoon a few years ago, I brought my 9-month-old baby to a public pool in our Queens neighborhood. As a new parent, I was overwhelmed by all the steps required to get a wriggling baby into the water. Regular diaper off, swim diaper on, onesie off, bathing suit on, etc. On top of all that, the pool had a long list of rules and a staff whose members were diligently enforcing them with frequent blasts of their whistles. Finally, we got into the pool. My baby splashed around in the cool water for a bit, and then we got out to sit on a lounge chair and breastfeed. A few minutes later, an older woman who worked there approached us. I had seen her keeping strict order around the pool, and my body tightened as I prepared to be told we were breaking the rules in one way or another. Instead, her face broke into a smile as she passed by. 'Go, mama, go!' she said. — Lindsey Lange-Abramowitz Illustrated by Agnes Lee. Send submissions here and read more Metropolitan Diary here. Glad we could get together here. See you tomorrow. — J.B. P.S. Here's today's Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee. You can find all our puzzles here. Stefano Montali and Ed Shanahan contributed to New York Today. You can reach the team at nytoday@ Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.
The Guardian
05-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
New York's serene Central Park makeover fixes years of neglect: in pictures
Central Park, designed by renowned US landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted, first opened to the public in 1858. In the 1860s, a tidal marsh in the park's north-east corner was transformed into the Harlem Meer. The lake, seen here as a skating rinkin 1905, was named for the neighborhood nearby. Photograph: NY Public Library Central Park, circa 1943. The northern reaches of the park, including Harlem Meer, were notable for rugged terrain that made it an especially bucolic escape from the city. Photograph: Central Park Conservancy But the middle of the 20th century brought major redevelopment to the north end of the park, including a project that encased the meer in a concrete retaining wall. Much of the landscape was paved over and built up, including with an ice rink/pool. During the city's financial crisis of the 1970s, this northern section of the park – which is surrounded by less affluent, historically Black and Latino neighborhoods – fell into disrepair. Seen here: Lasker rink and pool, circa 1966. Photograph: Central Park Conservancy In 2021, crews broke ground on a project to replace the Lasker rink and pool with a new recreation center. The $160m Davis Center, which opened in April, offers year-round activities and also restores natural ecologies around the meer. Pictured here: A yoga class on the new Harlem Oval. Photograph: Tobias Everke/The Guardian The Oval is a central element of the redesign. It may look like a lawn, but … Photograph: Tobias Everke/The Guardian … one of the key features of the center is its ability to evolve with the seasons. The lawn will transform into a swimming pool in the summer, as seen in this aerial rendering, and an ice skating rink in the winter. Illustration: Susan T Rodriguez/Central Park Conservancy The new Davis Center building is tucked into a hillside and overlooks the oval and the meer. Passive design reduces the need for artificial heating and cooling. Photograph: Tobias Everke/The Guardian The green roof features skylights that illuminate the main atrium and walkways for pedestrians. Vegetation helps absorb stormwater and heat. Photograph: Tobias Everke/The Guardian A view from inside the Davis Center atrium. Large glass doors open onto the oval. The glass is engineered to minimize reflections, helping to prevent bird collisions. Photograph: Tobias Everke/The Guardian The Huddlestone arch, located nearby, was built in 1866 from massive boulders found in the landscape. Previous designs obscured the arch. The new Davis Center restores the flow of water between the meer and a forested area called the North woods that previous development had severed. Photograph: Tobias Everke/The Guardian The project also resurfaces a hidden stream that flows into the Harlem Meer and reintroduces native flora to the landscape. Large rocks help to prevent soil erosion. Photograph: Tobias Everke/The Guardian There are several new walkways, including a boardwalk that traverses the meer and allows pedestrians to get a close-up look at freshwater marsh plantings. Photograph: Tobias Everke/The Guardian An aerial view of the new Davis Center. Photograph: Central Park Conservancy
