Located on the southeast corner of Central
Park not more then a few yards away
from the intense pace
of the city is a pristine resting place for
the city weary called the Pond.
Its location below street level was intended
to mute the noisy restless turmoil of
Fifth Avenue and Central Park South and
the naturally winding paths with their
gentle curves were intended to bring instant
harmony to a visitor's search for the Park's
potentially calming influence.
It is not unusual to see businessmen and
women taking a quiet lunch break on the
benches that surround the Pond as they
mingle with tourists who have come there
for quite a different purpose.
At the northern end of the Pond theGapstow Bridge, completes the pastoral
experience with its sloping contours, which
conform so gently to its surroundings. Mallards, geese, seagulls and numerous other species of waterfowl
enjoy the serenity of the Pond and are
familiar inhabitants of this natural setting.
The season's offerings of blooming crabapple
trees and forsythia as well as the rare but
incredible sunsets and the awesome snowfalls
make the Pond an endearing icon for
New Yorkers as well as visitors who can never
forget the maddening frenzy of their first
visit to the city which was remarkably
balanced by this tranquil setting.
With its newly renovated landscape and
remarkably innovative plantings the Pond
has been transformed into an extraordinary
garden.
Artists find the locale a desirable place to
set up their easels. Here they can let the
unique texture of the Pond and its natural
surroundings fire their creative sensibilities.
