The Resevior & (MUSE)

Chris and I decided to walk around the closest part of Central Park on Saturday October 1, 2006. This ended up being ..............

The Reservoir, which covers a large area of Central Park from east to west and from 86th Street to 96th Street, was constructed between 1858 and 1862. It is probably best known for the 1.58 mile track surrounding it, where thousands of runners tone up every day. The Reservoir itself (officially named the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in 1994) contributes significantly to the environmental pleasure of the exercise, particularly in the summer when water evaporation from its surface cools the air.

(Ok! I didnt write this but I did take the pictures - All that you see here!)

The unsightly seven-foot chain-link fence surrounding the Reservoir, which was erected in 1926, obscured joggers' and pedestrians' views of the magnificent Manhattan skyline. In 2003, the Conservancy completed the installation of a new Reservoir fence, made of steel with cast-iron ornamentation, closely resembling the original historic fence that was in place from 1864 to 1926. The new four-foot-high fence, installed on the existing eight-inch granite coping stone, has opened up breathtaking views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline.

The 106-acre water body is 40 feet deep and holds over a billion gallons of water. It is still under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. Although it no longer distributes fresh water to Manhattan residents, its overflow is critical for providing fresh water to the Pool, Loch, and Harlem Meer — the series of connecting water bodies in the northern part of the Park.

On your walk or run around the Reservoir, take a moment to admire the three pedestrian cast-iron bridges that span the bridle path, identified by numbers 24, 27, and 28. The best loved and most elegant is Bridge No. 28, known as the Gothic Bridge, just south of the Tennis Courts. The beautiful curved ironwork and graceful curves suggesting Gothic church architecture make this one of Central Park's most distinctive bridges.
Bridge #28 (Gothic Bridge)

Note also the three ornamental stone gatehouses designed by Calvert Vaux — two on the north and one on the southeast shore of the Reservoir — that house the equipment necessary to control water flow and treat the water. At the Reservoir's major entry at East 90th Street is the John Purroy Mitchel Monument, a curious terrace commemorating one of New York's youngest mayors, who served one term from 1914 to 1917. The gilded bust of Mitchel was created by Adolf Alexander Weinman and dedicated in 1926. Mitchel died in a plane crash while training as a WWI pilot.

Engineers' Gate at 90th Street and Fifth Avenue, more commonly known as Runners' Gate, is the major entrance for the start and finish of the weekly races sponsored by the New York Road Runners Club. The NYRRC, founded in 1958 by the late Fred Lebow, organizes all running events in Central Park, including the New York City Marathon every November. Each year, over 30,000 runners participate, representing more than 110 countries from around the world.
Bird-watchers also value the running track as a superb vantage point from which to spot birds in every season. They have sighted five different species of gulls and over 20 species of waterfowl, grebes, cormorants, and loons. Sightings are particularly rewarding during the winter, when many other birding spots are relatively inactive.

The Reservoir track is particularly delightful in the spring, when the ornamental cherry trees are in bloom on the slopes below the track. The trees to the north and south of Purroy Mitchel Monument are some of the oldest ornamental cherry trees in the Park, some dating back to a gift from Japan in 1912 to commemorate the Hudson-Fulton Centennial.

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There are not many bands that I can approach my boyfriend with and actually know he will enojy listening to them. A co-worker gave me a MUSE cd during my internship and I have been hooked ever since. I immdiately knew Chris would embrace them and I was right. Check out any cd and I think you will enjoy them as well.