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Central Park Reflection

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Central Park Reflection
My Reflection On Central Park Imagine a topographical view of Manhattan in the early 1800’s; all you see is squares and streets. This was Clinton’s Commissioner Plan- to level all of Manhattan to make way for streets and buildings. However, what were not taken to account were parks and recreational areas. This would all change in the 1850’s as landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted architect Calvert Vaux won the right to build their project- the Greensward Plan (CentralParkHistory). This plan would become Central Park, which spans two and a half miles from 59th Street to 110th Street and half a mile from Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue. For my second New York City trip, I decided to visit Central Park- one of the largest park’s in New York City.
Firstly, the thing I noticed prior to the entrance of the park was the entrance itself. There are many entrances in Central Park. The one I used was the 59th Street and 8th Avenue entrance. There stood a beautiful monument dedicated to the heroes who died on the battleship Maine. Throughout the visit there are other monuments and sculptures of many historic figures-many of them being symbolic.
As you walk in the beautiful park, a new feeling fills the soul. You forget the concrete jungle and all of its problems and enter a natural utopia. All the trees are fully grown and very lush. Most, if not all, the trees in Central Park did not come from Manhattan. In fact, Manhattan was cleared of most of its trees and plants. Central Park is now filled with 26,000 trees, covering 31 families within the deciduous and coniferous classes of trees, 71 genera, and 152 species (Central Park Conservancy). Talking about how New York City is so diverse with people and culture, it is also diverse with different trees, plants and shrubs. Central Park was landscaped so people can escape the city and its problems. Throughout out the years, Central Park was able to do so. With its curvy walkways and paved streets, one can seem to



Cited: Unknown, "Central Park History." Andrew Green and the Model Park. Web. 31 Oct 2009. . Unknown, "The Trees of Central Park." Central Park Conservancy. Web. 31 Oct 2009.

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