My favorite spot in Central Park

My favorite spot in Central Park is near the entrance at 86th Street and Central Park West. It's called the Arthur Ross Pinetum, an arboretum filled with pine trees, benches and picnic tables. I took a picture here 4 years ago in the summer of 2006 when I was interning in the city and participating in a baseball game nearby on the Great Lawn.

I submitted the photo to Creative Quarterly: The Journal of Art & Design, and it was published in their Summer 2007 issue (around the same time I moved to New York City), so the picture means a lot to me.

So while at the park during this particular visit, I lounged in the grass with friends and admired my surroundings. I ventured off to take pictures of the reservoir, the winding paths and the grassy area inside the Pinetum.

Now, four years later, I decided to visit again and recapture my favorite spot. From there, I can easily walk to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir to admire the swimming turtles and floating ducks in the dark blue water. I hope to make it back here a few more times this month and next before it gets to cold—but even then I will surely be back to take pictures of my favorite Central Park spot in the snow!

 

The Reservoir

Central Park animals

I love seeing the animals in Central Park—though I have yet to visit the Central Park zoo! While visiting Turtle Pond, I spent what felt like an hour just watching the turtles swim around near the rocks. At one point, just before it poured rain, there were a bunch of people around, including a little girl, all watching the turtles peek their heads above the water and through the duckweed, looking for food. Most of the turtles were your basic size, but one in particular was humongous! The little girl reached her hand out to the turtle and he almost ate it haha. I felt bad for the turtle because he seemed hungry so later on after I got a snack at Public Fare, the concession stand inside the Delacorte Theater, I brought a little bit of it back to give the turtle, but because of the torrential downpour that just happened, all of the little turtles were gone.

I waited for them to come back, but they never did... 

^(lol, I don't mean to sound sad or serious here, but it's true!)

Turtle Pond

The biggest turtle they had there!

Three ducks in a row in Turtle Pond

Wildlife at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

I love the color Cherry Blossoms are famous in Japan), I know people who really like turtles, and someday I want a pet duck, so the wildlife on view at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens inside the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden are fun as can be for me!

orange Koi fish being koi

I couldn't keep up with this one!

Check out my related guide on guidespot.com

The turtles!

In their usual spot on the rocks in Central Park's pond.

4th of July

Central Park was deserted (cloudy weather, everyone was in The Hamptons or at the Jersey Shore). But I went anyway - well, I didn't know it was going to be so empty. I was hoping to mooch off of someone's bar-b-q but there weren't any.

While there I went to my favorite spot - The Pond above 59th & 5th Avenue - always lovely with all of the animals and weirdos on benches (no weirdos will be pictured).