Central Park

  Photo: Soundguideweb.com

Beneath a canopy of skyscrapers in the financial capital of the world lies Central Park, one of the most magnificent green engineering icons of the ages.  In 1857 U.S. architects Frederick Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had their design plan for an English-style landscape with large meadows, lakes and hills chosen.   To convert the swampy area into an 843-acre park several hundred thousand trees and shrubs were planted and more than 3 million cubic of soil moved. Roads and bridges were constructed and a large reservoir was dug out.  It took more than 15 years and 20,000 workers performing strenuous manual labor to complete the park.  Today, with 25 million visitors annually, the park serves as an outdoor oasis amidst the concrete cathedrals of “the city that never sleeps”.

Located within the 6-mile perimeter of Central Park are:

- 250 acres of lawns and 136 acres of woodlands;

- 7 bodies of water;

- 58 miles of walking paths;

- 26,000 trees;

- a bird sanctuary housing 215 species of birds;

- Central Park Zoo with 1,400 animals; and

- many recreational areas, including 26 ball fields, 30 tennis courts, two ice-skating rinks and one carousel.

Sources: http://www.centralpark.com/, The Baltimore Sun