"All radiant in the magic atmosphere of art and taste." So raved Harper's magazine on the opening of Central Park in 1876, and though that was a slight overstatement, today few New Yorkers could imagine life without it. At various times and places, the park functions as a beach, theater, singles' scene, athletic activity center, and animal behavior lab, both human and canine. In bad times and good New Yorkers still treasure it more than any other city institution.

In spite of the advent of motorized traffic, the sense of disorderly nature the park's nineteenth-century designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, intended largely survives, with cars and buses cutting through the park in the sheltered, sunken transverses originally meant for horse-drawn carriages, mostly unseen from the park itself. The midtown skyline, of course, has changed, and buildings thrust their way into view, sometimes detracting from the park's original pastoral intention, but at the same time adding to the sense of being on a green island in the center of a magnificent city

Getting around the park
At 840 acres, Central Park - which runs from 59th to 110th streets and is flanked by Fifth Avenue to Central Park West - is so enormous that it's almost impossible to miss and nearly as impossible to cover in one visit. Nevertheless, the intricate footpaths that meander with no discernible organization through the park are one of its greatest successes; after all, the point here is to lose yourself ? or at least to feel like you can. To figure out exactly where you are , find the nearest lamppost - the first two digits on the post signify the number of the nearest cross street.  

Orientation
The Reservoir divides Central Park in two. The larger and more familiar southern park holds most of the attractions (and people), but the northern park (above 86th St) is worth a visit for its wilder natural setting and its dramatically different ambience.

As for safety , you should be fine during the day, though always be alert to your surroundings and try to avoid being alone in an isolated part of the park. After dark, it's safer than it used to be but still not advisable to walk around. The exception to this rule is in the case of a public evening event such as a concert or Shakespeare in the Park; just make sure you leave when the crowds do.

Bicycle rental
One of the best ways to see the park is to rent a bicycle from either the Loeb Boathouse. Bikes from the Boathouse are $9 and require a $250 cash or credit card refundable deposit.

Seasonal events
SummerStage concerts are held at the Rumsey Playing Field near 72nd St and 5th Ave (phone: 212/360-2777, www.summerstage.org). Shakespeare in the Park takes place at the open-air Delacorte Theater, near the W 81st Street entrance to the park, where tickets are distributed daily at 1pm for that evening's performance, but you'll probably have to get in line well before. Tickets are also distributed downtown at the Public Theater (425 Lafayette St) between 1pm and 3pm the day of the performance. Call the Shakespeare Festival (phone: 212/539-8750) for more information.

New York Philharmonic in the Park (phone: 212/875-5709) and Metropolitan Opera in the Park (phone: 212/362-6000) hold several evenings of classical music in the summer.

Claremont Riding Academy , 175 W 89th St phone: 212/724-5100. Mon-Fri 6.30am-10pm, Sat & Sun 6.30am-5pm. Horseback riding lessons are available, as are rentals for riders experienced in the English saddle. $42 for a 30min lesson, $35 for a ride on Central Park's bridlepaths.

The Harlem Meer Festival , 110th St between 5th and Lenox aves phone: 212/860-1370. Fairly intimate and enjoyable free performances of jazz and salsa music outside the Dana Discovery Center on Sundays from 4 to 6pm throughout the summer.

New York
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Exploring New York
v 42nd Street and around
v Central Park
v Chelsea
v Chinatown
v City Hall and TriBeCa
v East Village
v Fifth Avenue & around
v Financial District
v Garment District
v Harlem and N Manhattan
v Little Italy and NoLita
v Lower East Side
v Metropolitan Museum of Art
v Midtown East
v Park Avenue (Midtown)
v United Nations
v Midtown West
v Murray Hill
v Outer boroughs
v Bronx
v Brooklyn Heights
v Queens
v SoHo
v Statue of Liberty & Ellis Is
v Union Sq & Gramercy Park
v Upper E side
v Upper W side
v Walking Tours
vWest Village