Central Park is an iconic urban park located in Manhattan, New York City. It is one of my favorite places to visit over weekends, especially to experience all the seasons ranging from spring, summer, fall, and especially in the winter when it snows. Central Park coordinates are 40.7829° N, 73.9654° W.
Central Park is the location that I recommend to visitors in NYC given not just its physical footprint in Manhattan, but especially for the integral role that it plays for New Yorkers in this urban jungle that we call home. Central Park’s coordinates in terms of streets are between 59th Street to the south and 110th Street to the north, and Central Park West to the west and Fifth Avenue to the east.
Central Park spans over 843 acres and has a perimeter of 6 miles, making it one of the largest urban parks in the world. I have walked this perimeter often, and it is one of my favorite things to do on a weekend.
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Central Park Coordinates and Location
Central Park is one of Manhattan’s main attractions spanning over 840 acres. As one of the most visited urban parks in the United States, and possibly one of the best known parks in the world, it is a must visit for locals and tourists alike.
Central Park NYC coordinates are 40.7829° N, 73.9654° W, but for someone looking for the street coordinates, Central Park lies between 59th street and 110th street from south to north, and Central Park West (CPW) and Fifth Avenue from west to east. It’s shape rectangular, stretching 2.5 miles from north to south and 0.5 miles from east to west.
Central Park has winding roads and paths by design, but it is easy to navigate based on the buildings that are visible from most areas in the park, using Google Maps of course, and by using secret codes on each and every lamp post in Central Park. The Central Park Conservancy also provides downloadable PDF maps of the park, which are very useful as they include detailed information about the park’s trails, playgrounds, and other amenities.
Here is the location of Central Park in Google Maps –
About Central Park
Central Park is a large public park located in Manhattan, NY. It has been the center of New Yorker’s existence, both literally and figuratively, since it was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1858.
Central Park offers something for everyone, including lakes, gardens, recreational facilities, a memorial to John Lennon at Strawberry Fields, concerts, free Shakespeare at Delacorte Theater, running paths, biking paths, walking paths, endless options for picnics, free music, free New York Philharmonic concert in the summer, ice skating, a secret Christnas Memorial Tree for pets, even a zoo, and the list goes on. Visitors can take a stroll through the park’s scenic and winding paths, rent a boat to row around the lake, or attend a concert or event at one of the park’s many venues.
Some of Central Park’s iconic landmarks include the Central Park Zoo, the Bethesda Fountain, Bow Bridge, the Central Park Conservatory Garden, and the ancient Cleopatra’s Needle that is held up by crabs at its base. The park is a popular setting for photographs, weddings, wedding proposals, numerous films and television shows, and is an integral part of all things New York.
Central Park is often compared to Hyde Park in London given the footprint of both parks and the role that they play in an urban setting.
Weather Observatory at Belvedere Castle
Central Park serves as an important location when it comes to the weather forecasts for NYC. Belvedere Castle in Central Park is home to a weather observatory that has been collecting data for over 100 years. The observatory was established in 1919, and has been an important source of weather information for the New York City area ever since.
The observatory is located on the top floor of the castle, which sits atop Vista Rock, the second-highest natural point in Central Park. The location provides an excellent vantage point for observing weather patterns in the area, and the observatory collects data on temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, barometric pressure, and precipitation.
Belvedere Castle is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, and provides a great vantage point to look on to Delacorte Theater, where Shakespeare in the Park is performed for free every summer.
Location Codes on Central Park Lamp Posts
While it is easy to get lost among the winding paths of New York, Central Park’s 1,600 cast-iron lamp posts serve as secret navigation devices that can tell you exactly where you are at by looking at a code on each one of them. The first two digits of the code will tell you the nearest street to the lamp post, while the last two digits indicate whether the lamp post is on the east or west side of the park. Even numbers indicate the east side, while odd numbers indicate the west side. For example, if you see a lamp post with the code “6202,” it tells you that you are on the east side of the park near 62nd Street.
The lamp posts in Central Park are a very beautiful and historic feature of the park, especially at dusk when the lights start to come on. They were designed by architect Henry Bacon and sculptor J.Q.A. Ward, and have been a defining feature of Central Park since the late 19th century.
Original Survey Bolt in Central Park
Speaking of coordinates, I would be remiss not to mention the iconic secret but not so secret Survey Bolt in Central Park. Believed to be one of the original survey bolts from when the Manhattan grid was first planned in 1811, its location is not publicized in general, so I am not going to break that circle of trust for this unique piece of history that can still be found in Central Park.
The Survey Bolt was used to mark the street intersection points of the original plan, and while Central Park was not a part of the original plan, street intersection points may have been marked but left undisturbed since no actual intersection was built here. The bolt is believed to be one of the few remaining survey bolts in New York City, and it is a testament to the city’s history and growth over the years.
Central Park has many secrets waiting to be discovered, making it a must visit for everyone.
Central Park Coordinates Pokemon Go
I am often asked if I know the coordinates for Pokemon Go in New York, which I have researched online to be able to answer this question! According to multiple sources, including Travel on the Fly, Central Park is one of the best places for Pokemon Go. The Pokemon Go Central Park coordinates are 40.7803,-73.9630.