Who owned the land before Central Park?

Seneca Village From the 17th century, the strip of west side land—from what would have been Seventh to Eighth Avenue—was first owned by Dutch investors and continuously bought and sold by private citizens until the City finally purchased the land for Central Park. It remained sparsely populated until the 19th century.



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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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Its original purpose was to offer urban dwellers an experience of the countryside, a place to escape from the stresses of urban life and to commune with nature and fellow New Yorkers.

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East Meadow Stake out a shady spot in this pastoral meadow that contains some of the finest trees in the Park, including an American elm that is believed to be one of the original Park plantings. A restroom is also near the East Meadow at the entrance to neighboring Robert Bendheim Playground.

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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.

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