A walk to remember

To experience the best of the heterogeneous New York City simply visit its beloved Central Park

Every step one takes inside Central Park brings with itself a reminder of the sheer magnitude of New York City. Although having seen it on paper and in many a romantic comedies before, neither compares to the experience of actually being there, amongst its picturesque strawberry fields, intricate waterways and dreamy architecture.  What stands out most about Central Park is how everything about it seems to pay homage to the diversity that makes its mother city so spectacular.

Some make their living blowing giant bubbles for children in the park. PHOTOS : NISMA CHAUHAN

Some make their living blowing giant bubbles for children in the park. PHOTOS : NISMA CHAUHANMany skateboarders and bicyclists frequently visit the park. PHOTOS : NISMA CHAUHAN

Covering over 840 acres of upper-middle Manhattan, the park is a veritable museum of the different ethnicities, religions and races that comprise the Big Apple. In fact, there is literally so much to see herein that even four whole days are not enough to cover its entire expanse. It has been estimated that nearly 40 million people visit Central Park every year and on this particular afternoon, there had to have been at least a thousand, despite the cold winter breeze. Amongst them were people of all casts and creeds, races and religions, social classes and sexual orientations and the best part was that they were all mingling in harmony. Even the vegetation and terrain in Central Park is highly varied, ranging from flat swards, gentle hills and shady glens to rocky ravines and pathways. It’s hardly surprising therefore that the park has been dubbed one of man’s greatest achievements in artificial landscaping.

The Park hosts a variety of people including those who come looking to make a living. PHOTO : NISMA CHAUHAN

The positive energies of so many different people doing so many different things at the park is strangely uplifting. PHOTO : NISMA CHAUHAN

There seems to be something magical encompassing Central Park that can rejuvenate even the most exhausted of tourists. The deeper one walks into the park, the calmer they feel and can begin to understand why so many New Yorkers come here to seek respite from their hectic city lives. The positive energies of so many different people doing so many different things is strangely uplifting; even mundane tasks like walking dogs or munching on a salad for lunch feels exciting. Over here, one can meet everyone under the sun, from skateboarders and Frisbee enthusiasts to cab-drivers, bankers and babysitters. The benches are occupied by texters, talkers, waffle-eaters and the happy or the sad.

Central Park is New York City’s most breathtaking and celebrated attraction. PHOTO : NISMA CHAUHAN

The park’s canopied pathways, lit by vintage luminaire lamps, have seen many lovers and marriages, and look like still-life portraits. Every now and then, one encounters couples appreciating the romance of the setting, perhaps on a first date or the last. This breathtaking site does not only mirror the diversity of New York but captivates everyone with its vivid storytelling, allowing them to briefly escape the city’s fast-paced life.

Nisma Chauhan is a subeditor at the magazine desk.  She tweets @ChauhanNisma 

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, January 3^rd, 2016.