FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
July 1999

It's summer, and whether you are a hard-boiled New Yorker or an out-of-towner looking to uncover secrets even the natives don't know, you need the Barnes & Noble Complete Illustrated Map and Guidebook to Central Park. The first and only comprehensive guide to New York City's crown jewel, this lavishly illustrated book is filled with more than 100 full-color photographs and detailed, easy-to-use maps. It appeals to both the newcomer to the park and the seasoned user who wants to know more about Central Park's hidden treasures.

No urban park anywhere can match Central Park's combination of inspired landscaping and recreational variety, and this book's wealth of information includes everything you need to experience it all: the park's history, walking tours, bird-spotting, a calendar of bloom times, sports activities, even the feeding times of the sea lions at the zoo. It contains guides to the park's trees, statues, monuments, bridges, and arches, as well as the opening and closing times of the park's many attractions, handy phone numbers, and a comprehensive index. The book's photographs and text also highlight the park's treasures and its many architecturally and historically interesting buildings, including:

The magnificent Angel of Waters monumentThe Shakespeare Garden, a hard-to-find but enchanting hideaway. Its four acres are home to many of the plants and flowers named in Shakespeare's works.The Dairy, which was built in 1870. It was the only place in New York City where children could get untainted milk fromapprovedfarms. Now it is the park's main information center. Belvedere Castle, the park's most picturesque architectural feature, rises dramatically like a medieval fortress with its mixture of Norman, Gothic, and Moorish styles. Its three ascending terraces offer visitors commanding views of the landscape and wonderful photo opportunities. It also houses an information center.

Through text and photographs, Berenson and coauthor Ray Carroll describe the ingenious work of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, codesigners of the park. Their vision transformed a bleak and rock-filled section of Manhattan into the glorious heart of the city. Although the advent of the automobile was still decades away, Olmsted and Vaux designed transverse roads to permit vehicular traffic — horse and buggy at the time — to flow discreetly below the main level of the park. Their foresight and imagination created a park that has remained an urban oasis throughout our century and will continue to delight people millennium after millennium.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

110 historic and full-color photos; distance

Includes: Over 150 places of interest to visit in the park 6 walking tours An illustrated history from first ground-breaking in 1857 to the renovation of The Great Lawn 110 historic and full-color photos of sites in the park Distance map for runners, rollerbladers and bikers Seasonal flowering guide to trees, shrubs and wildflowers 4-page spotter's guide to birds and waterfowl

SYNOPSIS

A beautiful guidebook to New York City's magnificent Central Park. The colorful guide includes a detailed map of all 843 acres in the park, with icons showing the best photo sites, the most important monuments and statues, locations of restaurants and all public services and many other features. Included too are six walking tours as well as fun activities for children.

The park's many attractions are highlighted, including Belvedere Castle; the Wildlife Center & Zoo; bird watching sites; and a seasonal flowering guide to trees, shrubs and wildflowers. There is also a handy sports section that offers comprehensive information about jogging, tennis, biking, rowing, rollerblading and horseback riding. With over one hundred full-color photographs of the park, this outstanding guide is packed with useful information and fascinating facts about New York's most popular attraction.

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