Frugal NYC - Top 10 Popular Posts November 2008

Frugal NYC has over one hundred posts now and it may be a little hard to figure out what may interest you. I've compiled the Top 10 Popular Posts as of this writing for you to check out and hopefully get you coming back for more. I've been blogging on a steady schedule since September 2008. Please let me know if you have enjoyed the content. Your feedback is very important to me, and I would love to hear from all my readers. You can leave me a comment on a post that interests you, which gets sent to me via email, or email me directly at frugalnyc@gmail.com. If you miss my regular posts, scoot over to my Frugal NYC Twitter account for quick tips!

1. Inbox Zero - In Three Steps!
2. Affordable Dining In NYC
3. GTD - Getting Things Done
4. Governor's Island
5. 10 Free Places to visit in NYC
6. Embedding Google Maps in Blogger
7. No Time To Think
8. 10 Free Blackberry Games
9. Windows Notepad Productivity
10. Central Park Series

What post do you like best? Am I addressing the topics you enjoy reading about? If you would like to contribute to Frugal NYC in any way, articles, ideas, posts, interesting links, advice, financial assistance, or anything else, feel free to contact me via email at frugalnyc@gmail.com.

Harlem Meer

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I visited the Harlem Meer once, after I left the Central Park Convervatory Garden. It was memorable to me because I never knew there was such a lake at the upper end of Central Park. My travels through Central Park usually consisted of the lower half of the park, unless I was rollerblading. I saw several people fishing, catch and release is allowed, and noticed a good sized lake. I could not see the full expanse of the lake, it is pretty sizable. I may head back for a visit this coming summer, in 2009. For those visiting or living in the vicinity of the upper half of Central Park, I think this is a great place to visit, especially since there is an ice skating rink there. For everyone else, its definitely worth a trip if you have never seen this area of the park.

A little bit of history on this section of the park. The Harlem Meer was an addition to the original park, which ended at 106th Street. Central Park now ends at 110th Street. The Harlem Meer is about eleven acres and is near the Lasker Rink and Pool, which I only found out about at this writing. Surrounding the lake are some of the park's most impressive trees, such as oak, bald cypress, beech and ginkgo (the yellow ginkgo leaves are exquisite this time of the year). There are two playgrounds near-by, and of course it is adjacent to Conservatory Garden, which I really enjoyed visiting. In the summertime, there is a jazz festival.

Check out some great pictures of this area and you can find more pictures on Flickr. A couple years ago, the art installation, Christo's Gates also made it through the Harlem Meer.

Have you been to Harlem Meer? What is it that you like best about this area? Check out my other posts on Central Park.

Diana Ross Playground

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I've been in the neighborhood of the Diana Ross Playground, but I've never gone into the playground. It is located in a very nice area and is definitely worth a visit. From all the descriptions I've gathered, I'm tempted to make a visit in the near future. Most likely I will visit next summer. Have any of you out there been to this playground with your kids? Now on to post!

The Diana Ross Playground is located in Central Park near the corner of West 81st Street and Central Park West. It is at the foot of Summit Rock, the highest natural elevation in Central Park, at 141.8 feet from sea level. To the east, is Tanner's Spring, one of two remaining natural springs in the park. I've yet to discover a spring at Central Park, so I will be looking for the spring upon my visit.

It is named after Diana Ross, the recording artist. She donated several hundred thousand dollars toward the re-building of this playground in the 1980s. The playground is equipped with wood climbing structures, tire swings, a tube slide, a corkscrew slide, and a mushroom water spray. It is open from 7:30am to dusk. You can find a picture of the playground from boldt.us and Central Park 2000 websites.

References: Wikipedia, Central Park 2000, Central Park Conservancy

Have you visited any of the 21 Central Park Playgrounds? Have you check out my other posts about Central Park? Share your experience at the Diana Ross Playground in the comments. Thanks again for visiting my blog and for your feedback and comments!

Conservatory Water

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I never knew this location in Central Park was called Conservatory Water until now. I've visited numerous times and have seen bird watchers watching Pale Male, watched people sail toy boats in the boat pond, and watched numerous fish swim about as children play near the statue of Alice in Wonderland. This area has a lot going on and is a great spot to sit and people watch, or just read a book.

There are usually street performers here during the summertime. The last time I was there, a few months ago, there was a singing group who kept the audience spellbound with their harmonizing. Several feet away, there was a jazzman playing his saxophone. There seems to always be life in this part of the park.

If all you want to do is relax, you can lie down on the nearby grassy lawns and just sunbathe for a couple of hours in the summer. Now, in the fall, you may be able to see foliage not found anywhere else in the city. Trees in the area include Lebanon Cedars, willows, pine and beach. In the spring you can view a great display of blossoming cherry trees.

There is a cafe along with public restrooms in the middle of all this, so it is very convenient. You can spend a whole afternoon here if you were inclined. Conservatory Water is located by 5th ave and 74th street in Central Park. It stretches from 72nd street to 75th street.

Have you spent any time at Conservatory Garden? What did you like best about this area? Check out my other Central Park series posts.

Delacorte Theater

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I have not personally experienced a play at the Delacorte theatre, mostly because I don't want to wait on the ticket line for numerous hours. The closest thing to a play at Central Park I've had has been a theatre in the Park production of a Mid-Summer Nights Dream. This actually had the actors and audience move from several locations in the park.

Getting back to the Delacorte Theater. Established in 1962, the Delacorte Theater is an open-air theater located in Central Park. It is adjacent to both Turtle Pond and Belvedere Castle. Tickets are free, and there are usually very long lines due to this. Each individual can pick up two free tickets each, starting at one p.m. of each performance day. The line could start forming at dawn, so be prepared to wait and bring some form of entertainment while you wait. Waiting in line can be an experience in itself and you may very well enjoy a full day in Central Park. The theater has over 1800 seats and hosts an audience of 8000 every year.

This year, Hamlet and Hair were the productions performed. Hamlet took place from May - June and Hair took play from July - September. You can find more details from the New York Shakespeare Festival, now known as Shakespeare in the Park at the Public Theatre website.

To get to the theatre, the closest entrance to the theater is at 81st and Central Park West.

Enjoy your time at the theater! Have you attended a play at the Delacorte Theater? Share your experience in the comments. If I've left out anything important in this post, let me know in the comments and I will amend the post, giving you and your source credit. Have you enjoyed my series on Central Park so far?

Central Park Conservatory Garden

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All five New York City boroughs each have a Botanical Garden. The Central Park Conservatory Garden is the Botanical Garden for the Borough of Manhattan. It is an ideal location to view the fall foliage in the city.

This garden hosts weddings by reservation, and is an ideal place to sit and relax with a book. The six acre garden houses three styles of landscaping: English, French and Italian. Each style is in its own garden. In each of the three different style gardens, you will find different plants in bloom almost year round.

Most visitors do not know that on the walkway under the pergola, in the Italian garden, are thirteen medallions inscribed with the names of the original thirteen states. So be sure to look for them when you visit.

There is a fountain in each of the gardens. There is a geyser in front of the pergola in the Italian garden. The French Garden has the Untermyer Fountain of Three Dancing Maidens. The English Garden has the Burnett Fountain depicting Dickon and Mary from the book "The Secret Garden".

To enter the Conservatory Garden, you can come in through one of two entrances. From the east side enter at Fifth Avenue and 105th Street. The second entrance is at the 106th St. gate inside the Park.

One last thing, late October is the best time to check out the Chrysanthemum displays at the garden, and there is no entrance fee!

Happy visiting, and check back for my other Central Park posts. Have you been to the Conservatory Garden? What did you like most? Do you know of any other public botanical gardens in Manhattan. Please share you thoughts in the comments.

Bethesda Terrace

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This is the second in a series I'm doing on Central Park.

Bethesda Terrace and Bethesda Fountain has been found in many Hollywood movies and TV shows. Movies such as Home Alone 2, Ransom - Starring Mel Gibson, and even the latest TV series Gossip Girl all feature the famous fountain. Many people recognize this statue of a female angel, and tourists and visitors to Central Park can have a relaxing time in this area. This structure is one of the first built in the construction of Central Park.

There is a public bathroom by the Staircases and you can ususally see street performers dancing, singing or performing some other type of art. This always changing aspect can bring regular visitors to the area, including myself. One such performer is Thoth in the tunnel at Bethesda Terrace in Central Park, located across from the Bethesda Fountain. He is like a one man band, and you need to see him perform to fully appreciate what he does.

Surrounding areas include The Ramble (woodland) and The Lake, where you can rent boats to spend an hour in the water. Tavern on the Green, the famous restaurant overlooks The Lake and can be seen from Bethesda Terrace. Visitors will want to take some memorable pictures from this venue.

Bethesda Terrace and Fountain is located at 72st at the Center of the park. You can arrive via, roller blade, bike or walking.

How did you like your visit to Bethesda Terrace? What do you like best about it? Share your thoughts in the comments.

My Series on Central Park

This post contains updates to my Central Park series of posts. I hope you will find this to be a great resource for taking short day trips in and around Central Park.

1. Belvedere Castle
2. Bethesda Terrace
3. Conservatory Garden
4. Delacorte Theater
5. Diana Ross Playground
6. Harlem Meer
7. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
8. The Lake
9. The Ramble
10. Strawberry Fields
11. Tavern on the Green
12. Wollman Rink
13. Central Park Zoo
14. More to come...
    

Have I missed any interesting places in Central Park? Have you enjoyed this series so far? Please leave me your comments and thoughts, and check back for updates to this post and series.

Belvedere Castle

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This is a first in a series of posts about places to visit in Central Park. Many of you may have visited Central Park before, but I bet you do not know all the different features and venues that Central Park offers. So here is the start of My Series on Central Park.

Belvedere Castle is located on top of the second highest natural elevation in central
park, Vista Rock. The highest natural elevation being Summit Rock at 83rd street overlooking Central Park West. Belvedere castle is a great spot to view fall foliage at
Central Park, and I'll be heading there for a visit within the next week.

Belvedere Castle overlooks Turtle Pond, the Great Lawn and Delacorte Theatre. This makes it a very busy area during the summer time. You can watch wild life, both aquatic (turtles, fish among others) and aerial (birds, dragonflies, butterflies and others), in the area. During the summer, you can catch a play at Delacorte theatre - FREE! This is also the spot where meteorological readings are done in Central Park. Now you know where the temperature comes from when you watch the local news' weather report.

To get to Belvedere Castle, located at 79st and the middle of the park, take the park entrance at 79th street and 5th avenue.

Have you visited Belvedere Castle? Did you enjoy the view? If you have never been to this Central Park venue, why not make a visit today? I would appreciate your thoughts on this post and how you have enjoyed the venue.