The Pond Reopens After Extensive Renovation

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The Pond Reopens After Extensive Renovation

The Pond, located at the southeastern corner of Central Park from East 59th to 72nd Streets, and one of the most visited and identifiable landscapes in Central Park, has reopened after an extensive restoration project. Gates have been removed and pathways are open to the public. Some landscapes will remain closed until they are fully established. The site is a tranquil setting for New Yorkers and tourists alike to enjoy a refuge from the City. Flowering currently are forsythia, witch hazel, daffodil, crocus, snowdrop, and cornelian cherry.

The Pond was dredged of decades of silt, and flowering and aquatic perennials and grasses were planted. The addition of new shrubs and plantings increases seasonal color to the picturesque area, and a small, newly created island in the Pond provides a wildlife habitat. The landscape had its original character recaptured with a new natural edge shoreline, reconfigured pedestrian pathways, and restored lawns.

Work began in August 2000 with a wildlife rescue of approximately 10,000 fish and 30 turtles, which were relocated to other water bodies in the Park. The operation was a joint effort of the staff of the Conservancy, City of New York/Parks & Recreation Natural Resources Group and Urban Park Rangers, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and Prospect Park Alliance.

One of the first steps toward reopening the Pond was when the water was turned on to inaugurate a new waterfall in November 2001. The creation of a waterfall adds to the serenity of the location, and recognizes the spirit of the design. It did not exist there historically but it is in keeping with the spirit of the Park's designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.

The Pond restoration was made possible by a generous gift to the Conservancy from Mrs. and Mrs. Julian H. Robertson, Jr.

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The view on the construction of AOL Time Warner Center across the Pond in Central Park on 29 March 2002.