Fore•sight
The ability to foresee; the act of looking forward; a view of the future.
I can’t claim to know the details of the conversations taking place in the mid-1800’s about the future of NYC, but it is clear to me that at least some of those voices demonstrated incredible foresight. While some proposed that public grounds be constructed in order to establish the city’s international reputation as being commensurate with that of London or Paris, others understood that a rapidly expanding populace would benefit from an escape from the congestion of city life, even if for just an afternoon. And thus, Central Park was planned and created.
I once heard these 843 acres described as covering “an irregular terrain”, which I find a creative illustration of the rolling hills throughout and consistent mixture of paved, unpaved, and uneven surfaces. This, however, should not discourage those with mobility issues from setting out for this NYC gem as the myriad of paved paths are extensive and widely accessible.
Opened in 1859, it is the first landscaped public park in the United States, welcomes 42 million visitors annually, and requires more than 300 employees to maintain to it.
If your goal is to cover as many uninterrupted miles during your workout as possible, you’ll be pleased to learn that the interior paths within the park are entirely paved and provide clearly delineated and separate lanes for walkers, runners, and cyclists. Now should that create within you an implicit faith that your safety is assured? Not hardly. Be sure to keep your head on a swivel ‘cuz this is New York City baby and it stops (let alone slows down) for no one!
And that’s…Henry’s Take.
www.centralparknyc.org
