I had such a great yesterday with Carrie in our beautiful New York spring weather. It was so great to catch up after I had been gone for so long. We cleared through some of the drama that was lingering from before, and we rekindled, making our friendship stronger than ever. She’s been so busy lately with filming, her love life, some family issues, and new friends that it’s been hard to just get a moment alone with her. But, I’ve got to say, being with her yesterday felt just like our high school years. Yes, it’s been a few years, but we used to be the fashion forward girls in love with two things: our city and each other. Yesterday, I felt like we were those two, young, carefree girls again. Life was so much simpler before sex, work, taxes, and other things came into play. Yesterday, we not only rekindled our friendship, but we also revisited places we had gone when we were little. Central Park is a place of wonders. To the New Yorker, it’s the only hint of nature in sight. I didn’t know until the beginning of high school that the park isn’t actually nature, since it’s technically artificial. But to the New Yorker, it’s an escape from the craziness. That’s one of the things I love about New York: there are always streets you’ve never been on, corners you have yet to explore. But also, you have the best memories in places that will never change. If you are ever in New York, visit our closest thing to the outdoors and do the following things:
Central Park Snack Stop
If you go to central park, you absolutely HAVE to try one of the authentic pretzels or hot dogs. A pretzel with mustard or a hot dog with mustard, ketchup, or both is an absolute necessity if you want to be accepted by a New Yorker. If it’s spring or summer, you can also treat yourself to a King Cone, Firecracker, or Chocolate Eclair ice cream…all of those three are my favorites.
Imagine Mosaic at Strawberry Fields
After John Lennon was shot, they dedicated a section of the park to his musical and songwriting brilliance. In Straberry Fields, there is a famous mosaic that says “Imagine” after his song advocating peace. This touristy spot represents so much not only in musical history but also the history of the United States. If you want to pay your respects, this is the perfect place to do so.
Belvedere Castle
For a great view of bits of Central Park and part of the city, go to Belvedere Castle. This fairy tale setting is perfect for kids. So cliché, but when I was little, I used to play here with my friends and we’d make believe we were princesses. It’s a great walk, with a great reward as a view.
Bethesda Fountain
Speaking of princesses, in Enchanted starring Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey, the catchy number “That’s How You Know” is filmed here. This fountain is a right next to part of the pond, and is great for relaxing. With benches, the edge of the fountain, and stairs crowded with people taking a seat from a long walk, this is a great meeting place.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
For all of you who don’t know what a reservoir, its basically a large pond-esque body of water, artificially made, as a water source. The Reservoir is known by Upper East Side private school kids as death…as we had to run there for gym class in school. Even though I hated running then, the view was worth it. The pond is surrounded by a tar running lane, and below that, there is the bridal path, where you can walk, bike, run, etc. by yourself or with your dog. This part of the park is great for excersize, and at night, has a beautiful 360 degree view.
Bow Bridge
The Bow Bridge is one of my favorite views of Central Park. Usually holding many tourists, locals, brides, and grooms, this bridge has a view of the water, trees, and buildings. It’s gorgeous on a warm spring day, and is the perfect hint of city with nature. It totally does it for me.
Central Park Boat Rowing
If all of that walking is making your legs tired, give them a rest and let your arms put in some effort. Rowing boats on the water is a fun activity for kids and adults. Bring a camera, if you have the courage, to take pictures with your friends during this fun activity. Try not to tip over, an embarassing event I’ve never witnessed while here. Neighboring the boats is the fancy Boathouse restaurant. I wouldn’t recommend going there in your boating clothes, but it’s a great restaurant used for many weddings hidden in Central Park.
The Carousel
There isn’t really much to say about this one, except for the fact that I have many memories here with my family. This fun ride is cheap, and will get “Supercalifragalisticexpialidocious” stuck in your head for the rest of the day. 🙂
The Mall
Unlike suburbia, we don’t have shopping malls in the city. Instead, our mall is a long, wide walkway through the park. On either side, there are benches with musicians. It’s the perfect place for roller blading, skateboarding, etc. It kind of has the essence of the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris if any of you have been there before. With this fun, lively space, you can stay here for hours just people watching.
I hope you enjoyed my guide to New York! Of course there are many more sections and activities I love that I didn’t add, but you should! Comment and let me know what your favorite parts of the park are. If you have any questions, requests, or advice, also let me know! I’d love to hear what you have to say. xoxoxox Zoe
How charming! This blog is adorable and perfectly suits my recent post! How are ya darling, I’ve missed you and your wonderful blog
xo
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