Hansom Carriage Path in Central Park

I knew there were special times when the roads in Central Park are reserved for pedestrians and bicycles.

But I never noticed that there are special paths for hansom carriages, separated from both the street and the sidewalk by cobblestone borders:

Morning in Central Park at Columbus Circle

Even a statue needs a few moments to collect its thoughts before the day begins. This one is part of the U.S.S. Maine Monument.

New York is encouraging green transportation, and it's a good business, too, for entrepreneurs like pedicab drivers
and bicycle tour and rental companies like Bike and Roll, which offers bike tours all over New York City and really inexpensive bike rentals.

Parks on the Streets of Midtown NYC

Gotta love what NYC Traffic Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan is doing to humanize and beautify Manhattan! Who would have thought of the idea of placing cafe tables and chairs, dramatic and colorful planters full of flowers and leaves, and specially tinted paving on Broadway in front of Macy's? It's called "Broadway Boulevard", and it extends from Herald Square to Times Square.

It's so amazing to be able to plop for awhile and watch the world whiz by in one of the densest traffic patterns anywhere.


The idea of creating "parks on the streets" is so clever. It doesn't require watering or mowing, and it gives weary feet, legs, and lungs a place to pause and regroup.