What is the oldest part of Central Park?

Constructed in 1814, decades before the Park was even an idea, the Blockhouse is the oldest surviving building in Central Park. Located on a prominent rock outcrop in the North Woods, the stone structure was part of a fortification system built to defend New York from the British during the War of 1812.



The oldest part of Central Park is the Ramble, which was the first section to open to the public in June 1858. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as a "wild" contrast to the more formal areas of the park, the 36-acre Ramble features winding paths, dense plantings, and rocky outcrops designed to mimic the forests of the Catskills. In 2026, it remains a sanctuary for birdwatchers and those seeking a natural escape within the city. Another contender for the "oldest" title is the Greenway or the site of the former Seneca Village, which existed before the park was built, though the Ramble is officially the oldest completed landscape feature of the park's original Greensward Plan. The nearby Bethesda Terrace and The Mall followed shortly after, but the Ramble's deliberate "naturalistic" chaos was the first experience New Yorkers had of their new pastoral retreat, marking the birth of American landscape architecture as we know it today.

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Here's what the people living in Central Park do for work — and how long it takes them to get there. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. 7,633 people call Central Park home. The population density is 7,178.42 and the largest age group is between 25 and 64 years old.

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No. It is public parkland owned by the City of New York. At the absolute worst, it is conceivable (although unlikely) that the Metropolitan Museum of Art might be permitted to expand slightly, but that would be the extent of any new development. What had to be torn down or moved to build Central Park in New York City?

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Parts of what became the five boroughs were swampy — for example, the land on which La Guardia airport was built was a marsh that extended from Jackson Heights to Flushing. Parts of the Southern rim of Brooklyn are still swampy. But most of the city — and virtually all of Manhattan — was not.

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Central Park is owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation but has been managed by the Central Park Conservancy since 1998, under a contract with the municipal government in a public–private partnership.

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Named for the Italian meaning beautiful view, Belvedere Castle offers park goers exactly what its name implies. With its two balconies, it supplies wonderful panoramic views that include some of Central Park's most beautiful and famous landmarks: the Delacorte Theater, the Great Lawn, the Turtle Pond and the Ramble.

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Smoking. Smoking is not permitted in Central Park, including electronic cigarettes.

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The residents of Seneca Village persisted and fought to keep their community together; however, in 1857, the city used eminent domain to forcibly remove them. The village was eventually vacated and the city demolished Seneca Village, leaving little trace of the stories and people who had occupied it.

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