The north end of the park

A friend of mine who lives not too many blocks north of me asked me if "I went down more than up," since moving to the 90s. I hadn't thought about it, but yes, I do tend to walk south looking for coffee, or grocery stores, or nail salons (of which there are three within three blocks, by the way). That's the case when I go into Central Park, as well. I enter at 96th and immediately turn right, down to the part of the park I am more familiar with, having lived in the 70s for 9 years.

But this weekend, the conspiracy of red lights led me to 97th street, and turning left and up made more sense. I can't believe I've never explored the top 20% of the park in depth before. It's far less crowded than the middle or lower end, which makes walking a pleasurable activity, rather than an exercise in video game-like ducking and weaving.

On what is called Great Hill (it's more of a mound), there's a perfect tree.

The Harlem Meer, framed in wildflowers.

Someone has carved a faux relic into a boulder in the North Woods.

The statuary in the park is amazing. The three ladies splash in a fountain in the Conservatory Garden.

She looks happy, doesn't she?

All of the benches in the park have metal plaques on them; usually they commemorate a dead loved one. Sometimes they celebrate a couple's anniversary or the fact that someone really just loves the park. I usually pick the bench I sit on based in part on what the plaque says.

Sometimes they are very sad.