Wide Urban Spaces

One of my favorite urban spaces is the south end of the Lake in Central Park.

First of all, it’s a small open area fenced in by Bow Bridge, a diversity of apartment buildings on Central Park West, the skyscrapers to the south and the open shoreline on the east side.

Then of course there are plenty of leafy trees and dense vegetation.

The San Remo Apartments is the most exciting of the buildings visible across the Lake, located on 145-146 Central Park West. The art deco style limestone building is drawn by architect Emery Roth and stood finished in 1930.

Another art deco building, Century Apartments, and the much lower Gothic style building, Dakota Apartments, can also be seen from the shoreline.

Bow Bridge stretches sixty feet across the narrowest point of the Lake, connecting The Ramble and Cherry Hill.

Unlike the many other bridges in Central Park, Bow Bridge is made of cast iron instead of stone. The floor is made of hardwood.

The bridge was completed in 1862 by architects Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould.

The Greek and Gothic style structure is one of the most photographed places in Central Park and is often featured on the big screen.

Also lovers and newly weds use the bridge to share a romantic moment.

From Bow Bridge there is a spectacular view to skyline of skyscrapers on 59th St. and to the shoreline.

In the fall, the trees stand in a palette of bright colors, and during the summer you can watch row boats sail across the Lake.

The Lake itself is created out of a large swamp as part of the so-called ‘Greensward Plan’ from 1857.

Today the crystal clear water is home to a variety of wildlife and tree sorts such as oaks, magnolia and cherry.

If you pass through Central Park, give yourself a relaxing and quiet moment at the south end of the Lake.

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