Autumn in Central Park, Manhattan, New York (© mapman/Shutterstock)
Welcome to Central Park. Located between Manhattan's Upper West Side and Upper East Side, it holds the distinction of being the first landscaped park in the United States. Spanning 341 hectares, it's the sixth-largest park in New York City and features three distinct wooded areas: North Woods, the Ramble and Hallett Nature Sanctuary. It also boasts several bodies of water, with Harlem Meer in the northeast being the northernmost lake, covering nearly 4.5 hectares. Central Park is one of the most frequently filmed locations worldwide.
Today's image features the Mall, a pedestrian walkway designed and built in the mid-1800s. Flanked by benches and American elm trees, the Mall's canopy was meant to evoke an architectural space like a cathedral. The 0.4 kilometre promenade is the park's only straight path, and it was intended to be a place for New Yorkers of all classes and backgrounds to gather, stroll, sit and perhaps ponder the passing seasons.