Central Park in New York City

Central Park

Central Park, located in New York City is a public park designed for people to enjoy sightseeing, tours, exercising, or just plain relaxing. It is an attraction sight for many tourists as well as New Yorkers. According to the book “Central Park, An American Masterpiece” by Sara Cedar Miller, the eight hundred and forty three acres of land began construction in 1857 and won the title of being a National Historic Landmark since 1962. The park which is located in the center of Manhattan, starts from 59th street and extends all the way to 110th street. Based on Miller’s assertions, Central Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, after he won a park design contest. Olmsted also received help from Calvert Vaux, who was an architect. When the first landscaped public park in the United States was initially created, it was an attraction for wealthy people; however, after the park’s decline, and post adding more attraction sites, the park became less elite. As a result, it became a place for everyone from tourists to residents all over New York.

Frederick Law Olmsted is best known for creating Manhattan's Central Park with the help of architecture Calvert Vaux, according to Scott Kirkwood, author of “The Lay of the Land.” Kirkwood claims that Central Park gave Olmsted and Vaux an opportunity to use landscape design for a social purpose. He states, “The two believed that there is no beauty without utility and based their work on the "noble motive," which drove their aesthetic decisions. Rather than aim merely for a lovely park with beautiful greenery, the two aimed to achieve a healthy environment for people and to promote democracy..." (Kirkwood 2). As a result, their work would draw people into the park and attract them to common spaces where they could interact. Based on the author, Olmstead believed that if people gathered together, they would discover that they can enjoy one another’s company just by their sheer presence. Because of Olmstead’s great love for nature and scenery, he was able to conduct the first landscaped public park in the United States along with Vaux.

According to the article "Nature In The City: Urban Environmental History And Central Park" by Fisher Colin, Central Park was initially established for a wealthier society because it was influenced by public grounds in London and Paris. The author claims, “…turning a blind eye to the family resemblance between Manhattan’s front lawn and English parks built at roughly the same time in London, Paris, Munich, San Francisco, Montreal, Christchurch, Perth, Pietermaritzburg, Delhi, and Kuala Lumpur” (Colin 28). Therefore, it was urged that New York needed to establish its international reputation. It became a place for the elite to get away and socialize. According to the book “The Park and the People: A History of Central Park” by Roy Rosenzweig and Elizabeth Blackmar,