With the summer brings the heat, which always seems to radiate off the concrete in New York City. If you want to cool down while still enjoying the summer sun, Central Park is the perfect place. The 843 acres that are Central Park have a variety of different landscapes that sometimes make it hard to believe it is all one park. Don’t worry, The Untitled Magazine is going to give you the lowdown on all the great stops to make this summer in Central Park.
Sheep Meadow
For sun bathers, there are more than a few spots to soak up those sun rays. The most popular spot is Sheep Meadow. No, there are no sheep, but there are 15 acres of open space with lush green grass. The destination gets its name from the fact that in 1864, it used to be home to sheep. Today, people gather in the meadow to sunbathe, run around, fly kites, and have picnics.
#MotivationMonday Join @TheYogaTrail for #outdoor #yoga classes #afterwork, every day 6pm @CentralPark_NYC pic.twitter.com/pm0EpAiGuZ
— The Yoga Trail (@TheYogaTrail) June 6, 2016
Also in the area of Sheep Meadow is The Yoga Trail yoga classes. The Yoga Trail has a variety of classes on Sundays, Mondays, Fridays, and Saturday during the summer that take place in the north section of Sheep Meadow. Classes run for $15 and feature instructors that have 200 hour training.
Get Close to Nature
If you are more into nature and taking hikes, The Ramble is the perfect spot. It consists of 36 acres of winding trails, rocks, and streams, which can make you feel like you are not even in the city. Although it is man-made, it feels like a natural escape. If you want to admire nature in another part of the park, take a stop to the Conservatory Garden at 105th Street. It has six acres of beautiful plants arranged in English, French, and Italian styles. It is also a quiet and calm atmosphere due to its rules that prohibit runners and bikers.
SummerStage
Central Park also has something for music lovers – a concert venue called SummerStage. It is located near the Bethesda Terrance and its entrance is by East Drive. This summer, there are multiple shows such as Umphrey’s McGee in July 7th, PJ Harvey on July 19th, Regina Spektor on July 27th, All Time Low on July 31st, The Revivalists on August 10th, and Young the Giant on September 13th.
Also featured on the SummerStage is the Good Morning America Concert Series. Throughout the entire summer on every Friday, there is a band or artist performing. You could stay at home and watch it, but what is the fun in that if the event is free? Every concert lasts from 7 am to 9 am, with artists such as Big Sean, Zedd, Bleachers, Paramore, Linkin Park, Bebe Rexha and Imagine Dragons. The schedule follows as bellow:
June 30 – Bebe Rexha *(Will be performing at Times Square studio).
July 7 – Big Sean
July 14 – Lady Antebellum
July 21 – Zedd featuring Alessia Cara
July 28 – Imagine Dragons
August 4 – Linkin Park
August 11 – Bleachers
August 18 – Eric Church
August 25 – Paramore
September 1 – Jason Derulo
Delacorte Theater
If you are more of a theater buff, there is also the Delacorte Theater just off of 80th street. During the summer, the theater has free tickets for Shakespeare in the Park-where you guessed it-they feature Shakespeare plays. There are two plays each summer and this year the plays are Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. You can acquire up to two tickets per person on a first come first serve basis on the day of the performance when the box office opens at noon. You can also enter in a digital lottery online if you cannot make it do the box office.
Loeb Boathouse
Another hot spot in the summer is the Boathouse, which offers boat rentals and gondola rides. The restaurant sits right on the Lake, which is the second largest water source in Central Park. It has indoor or lakeside seating, with perfect views of the lake and Bethesda Fountain. From the Boathouse, you can take the shuttle service that makes stops on Fifth Avenue, one of which is at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue
The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue has one of the most extensive art collections in the world and just so happens to be right by Central Park. Even if you have been to the met once before, you have not seen everything. In edition to the regular exhibits, the temporary exhibits this summer are the exclusive collection of Irving Penn photographs that runs until July 30th, Rei Kawakubo‘s fashion designs that runs until September 4th, the rooftop garden commission of The Theater of Disappearance, and that is just to name a few. All of the current exhibitions can be found here.
