YOUR MONTHLY MILE | July There are endless paths to travel in Central Park, and even lifelong New Yorkers can discover something new in its 843 acres. Check out this month’s featured landmarks to learn more about their history and about the Central Park Conservancy’s mission to restore, manage, and enhance Central Park. 6

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Harlem Meer 1 Conservatory Garden 2 Fort Clinton Begin your journey at The British army occupied Manhattan Conservatory Garden, the Park’s during the American Revolution six-acre formal garden. Its main and built fortifications on land that E 107 entrance is the Vanderbilt Gate, a would later become Central Park. 3 magnificent iron gate made in Paris The British evacuated in 1783, and in 1894 that originally stood before New Yorkers rebuilt the forts in the Vanderbilt mansion on Fifth 1814 in preparation for a possible 2 1 Avenue. The Garden is divided into British attack during the War of three smaller gardens, each with 1812. This area is now known a distinct style: the French-style as the Fort Landscape, where North Garden, Italianate Center forts have been integrated into Garden, and English-style South the Park’s designs as overlooks. Garden. Visit each garden for Fort Clinton — one of two former spectacular seasonal displays. forts you’ll visit on this walk — was named after DeWitt Clinton, mayor E 103 of New York during the War of 1812.

3 Nutter’s Battery 4 Harlem Meer 5 Charles A. Dana 6 Duke Ellington This second overlook marks Central Park designers Frederick Discovery Center Duke Ellington Circle, one of the the site of another military fort, Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux Perched on the northern shore four plazas at the Park’s corners, named after a local landowner at named this man-made water body of the Harlem Meer, the Charles features a larger-than-life bronze the time named Valentine Nutter. the “Meer” — Dutch for “lake.” A. Dana Discovery Center serves statue of the legendary jazz Fort Landscape features high Families flock to this area for as a visitor center and offers a musician and composer with a and rocky grounds and expansive catch-and-release fishing, skating wide variety of free education grand piano. Installed in 1997, it was views that can still be experienced and swimming at Lasker Rink and community programs, the first statue erected in Ellington’s today, making it clear why this was and Pool, and exploration at two seasonal exhibits, and holiday honor in the country. Ellington is one an important strategic location. nearby playgrounds. The Harlem celebrations. Adjacent to the of four African-American figures The Conservancy rebuilt Nutter’s Meer is also a thriving wildlife Center is a small plaza, where honored along Central Park North Battery in 2014, rebuilding the habitat and home to fish, turtles, many community programs take (the others are Malcolm X, Adam wall and adding new paving and waterfowl. place. These include the Harlem Clayton Powell Jr., and Frederick and plantings, with the goal of Meer Performance Festival in the Douglass), which is an area often emphasizing the impressive rock summer, the Halloween Parade called “The Gateway to Harlem.” outcrop at the center of the site. and Pumpkin Flotilla in the fall, and the annual Holiday Lighting event each winter.

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