The 22-acre Lake at the heart of Central Park is one of the park's most photographed and most beloved features — rowboat rentals available, Bow Bridge visible to the west, and the skyline reflected in the surface on calm afternoons.
The 22-acre Lake at the heart of Central Park was excavated in the 1850s as part of Olmsted and Vaux's original design. Rowboat rentals are available at the Loeb Boathouse on the east bank ($20 per hour) — paddling out to Bow Bridge gives you the most romantic angle of the bridge that you can't get from shore. The Loeb Boathouse has historically housed one of Central Park's best-known restaurants, currently closed for refurbishment; check current status before visiting. The Lake is also the filming location for the rowing scene in The Notebook. Rowboat rentals: seasonal, typically April through October.
Late afternoon on a calm day — the water is stillest and the reflection of the west side skyline is clearest.
Rent a rowboat rather than watching from shore. Bow Bridge looks completely different from the water — it's the angle that made it famous, and you can't replicate it from any path.
The 22-acre Lake at the heart of Central Park was excavated in the 1850s as part of Olmsted and Vaux's original design. Rowboat rentals are available at the Loeb Boathouse on the east bank ($20 per hour) — paddling out to Bow Bridge gives you the most romantic angle of the bridge that you can't get from shore. The Loeb Boathouse has historically housed one of Central Park's best-known restaurants, currently closed for refurbishment; check current status before visiting. The Lake is also the filming location for the rowing scene in The Notebook. Rowboat rentals: seasonal, typically April through October.
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