Central Park

Probably the most famous park in the United States of America and is visited by 25 million people a year. The park is 843 acres and features 2 restaurants, 2 ice-rinks and a swimming pool in its midst and is overlooked by the Empire State Building. Central Park is also home to one of the three ‘Cleopatra’s Needle’ obelisks, the other two being in Paris, France and London, England. This is the oldest public monument in North America, which was built in 1450 BC and erected in New York City in 1880. This park also plays host to the National Weather Station and the Blockhouse, a fort from the war of 1812. There is also a large public swimming pool and a zoo, which is home to many hundreds of animals, both rare and indigenous to America, including polar bears, red pandas and also has an indoor rainforest. There is also a lovely Alice in Wonderland sculpture featuring the Cheshire Cat and the White Rabbit, among other characters. Central Park has also been used in many films including the James Bond film ‘Live and Let Die’, ‘Night at the Museum’, ‘Cruel Intentions’ and ‘Serendipity’. The park attracts mostly family groups, but it is also frequented by students and business men and women wanting to get out of the office for an hour. Although the park is safe during the day, it is not during the evening so try not to walk through the park after dark, but if you do stick to the well-lit outskirts.