Nature Walks of Central Park


Book Description

The former Natural Areas Ecologist of the Central Park Conservancy celebrates this extraordinary urban oasis with nine intimate walking tours that reveal the park's rich natural heritage and hidden treasures; complete with 9 maps and 18 original watercolors and drawings by artist Alan Messer depicting actual birds, flowers, trees and shrubs found within the park. Completely revised and updated.




The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative


Book Description

"Highly informative and remarkably entertaining." —Elle From forest trails in Korea, to islands in Finland, to eucalyptus groves in California, Florence Williams investigates the science behind nature’s positive effects on the brain. Delving into brand-new research, she uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and strengthen our relationships. As our modern lives shift dramatically indoors, these ideas—and the answers they yield—are more urgent than ever.




The Central Park


Book Description

A pictorial history of the development of New York City’s Central Park from conception to completion. Drawing on the unparalleled collection of original designs for Central Park in the New York City Municipal Archives, Cynthia S. Brenwall tells the story of the creation of New York’s great public park, from its conception to its completion. This treasure trove of material ranges from the original winning competition entry; to meticulously detailed maps; to plans and elevations of buildings, some built, some unbuilt; to elegant designs for all kinds of fixtures needed in a world of gaslight and horses; to intricate engineering drawings of infrastructure elements. Much of it has never been published before. A virtual time machine that takes the reader on a journey through the park as it was originally envisioned, The Central Park is both a magnificent art book and a message from the past about what brilliant urban planning can do for a great city.







Creating Central Park


Book Description

The year 2008 marks the 150th anniversary of the design of Central Park, the first and arguably the most famous of America’s urban landscape parks. In October 1857 the new park’s board of commissioners announced a public design competition, and the following April the imaginative yet practicable "Greensward” plan submitted by Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted was selected. This book tells the fascinating story of how an extraordinary work of public art emerged from the crucible of New York City politics. From William Cullen Bryant’s 1844 editorial calling for "a pleasure ground of shade and recreation” to the completion of construction in 1870, the history of Central Park is an urban epic--a tale not only of animosity, political intrigue, and desire but also of idealism, sacrifice, and genius.




Before Central Park


Book Description

Winner - 2023 John Brinkerhoff Jackson Book Prize, UVA Center for Cultural Landscapes With more than eight hundred sprawling green acres in the middle of one of the world’s densest cities, Central Park is an urban masterpiece. Designed in the middle of the nineteenth century by the landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, it is a model for city parks worldwide. But before it became Central Park, the land was the site of farms, businesses, churches, wars, and burial grounds—and home to many different kinds of New Yorkers. This book is the authoritative account of the place that would become Central Park. From the first Dutch family to settle on the land through the political crusade to create America’s first major urban park, Sara Cedar Miller chronicles two and a half centuries of history. She tells the stories of Indigenous hunters, enslaved people and enslavers, American patriots and British loyalists, the Black landowners of Seneca Village, Irish pig farmers, tavern owners, Catholic sisters, Jewish protesters, and more. Miller unveils a British fortification and camp during the Revolutionary War, a suburban retreat from the yellow fever epidemics at the turn of the nineteenth century, and the properties that a group of free Black Americans used to secure their right to vote. Tales of political chicanery, real estate speculation, cons, and scams stand alongside democratic idealism, the striving of immigrants, and powerfully human lives. Before Central Park shows how much of the history of early America is still etched upon the landscapes of Central Park today.




New York City Like a Local


Book Description

Come to New York as a visitor, but experience it as a local, with the definitive guide to New York If you’re a first time visitor or familiar already, this guide will help you uncover an authentic local experience like no other. There’s something for everyone, no matter what your test, and a host of secrets and tips that will help you experience NYC like a local This one-of-a-kind travel guide to New York includes: • Two-color, bold modern design with contemporary illustrations throughout • Narrative style throughout, making the local, personal voice central to every entry • Structured by six themes and subsequent sub-themes, rather than areas, to echo how people are traveling, rather than where. Themes include Eat, Drink, Shop, and more! • Each entry includes its unique address so readers can pinpoint precisely where they are heading • Each theme ends with a tour spread, dedicated to a specific interest or experience. For example, “A Night Out in Greenwich Village” and “Thrifting in Williamsburg” • Created keeping in mind readers traveling in a post-Covid world Discover the best of the Big Apple Soaring skyscrapers, iconic museums, world-renowned parks, and a foodie scene like no other, New York is a city with something for everyone! The Empire State Building, Met Museum, and so many more incredible sights known across New York and the world are just waiting for you, and who better to give you the low-down on where to go than the locals? From the best brunch spots and dive bars to the ultimate thrift stores and off-Broadway shows, this New York guidebook will help you find all the local’s favorite hangout spots and hidden haunts. Canoe along Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal, browse long-standing record stores in the East Village, and while away an evening at an Upper East Side wine bar. More in the series From Paris and London to San Francisco and Tokyo, there are more places to discover with these niche local guides! Written by the people who call it home, the Like A Local series from DK takes you beyond the tourist track to experience the heart and soul of each city!




Red-Tails in Love


Book Description

Updated Edition—Ten Years Later The scene of this enchanting (and true) story is the Ramble, an unknown wilderness deep in the heart of New York's fabled Central Park. There an odd and amiable band of nature lovers devote themselves to observing and protecting the park's rich wildlife. When a pair of red-tailed hawks builds a nest atop a Fifth Avenue apartment house across the street from the model-boat pond, Marie Winn and her fellow "Regulars" are soon transformed into obsessed hawkwatchers. The hilarious and occasionally heartbreaking saga of Pale Male and his mate as they struggle to raise a family in their unprecedented nest site, and the affectionate portrait of the humans who fall under their spell will delight and inspire readers for years to come.




Barnes & Noble Complete Illustrated Map and Guidebook to Central Park


Book Description

Explore Central Park’s more than 150 landmarks and attractions. Six walking tours take you around the Pond, Mall, Lake, Ramble, Reservoir, and Meer. Illustrations of birds and waterfowl and a seasonal guide to flora reveal the natural wonders. Fifteen pages of maps identify all the paths, roadways, places of interest, and public services. It’s a fantastic resource for travelers and native New Yorkers, too.




The Complete Illustrated Map and Guidebook to Central Park


Book Description

Central Park: it’s New York City’s urban paradise, and this colorful guidebook documents every stunning inch of it. A detailed map covers all 843 acres, with icons pointing out the best photo sites, most important monuments and statues, locations of restaurants and public services, and many other features. The highlighted attractions include Belvedere Castle, the Wildlife Center & Zoo, and great bird watching spots, while a handy sports section offers comprehensive information on jogging, tennis, biking, and rowing. Plus, you’ll find leads on six walking tours, a seasonal flowering guide to the park’s plants and trees, and ideas for fun kids’ activities. With over 100 full-color photographs, including a full illustrated history of the park, this outstanding volume is packed with fascinating facts about New York’s popular garden spot.