Central Park Loves and Hates

New York City is a very complex city. It is full of public spaces and areas. Examples include the subways, the sidewalks, the roads and so forth. However, something that is commonly missing is green space and massive areas of vegetation and landscaping. There is one best example of an exception to this that is also a public space. This, of course, would be Central Park. There are many good to great things to say about that area. However, there are other things that are less than positive, although it depends on one’s thought patterns and perspectives. While Central Park is very much an oasis and an outlier within the greater New York City area, it also has some qualities that are less than positive and encouraging.

People familiar with Central Park also commonly know just how huge it is. They also know how it stands apart from the skyscrapers and urban landscape that abuts it. Seeing the park from an elevated position, such as from a helicopter or one of those aforementioned skyscrapers or other such positions, shows the contrast even more. Certain times of year such as fall make for a beautiful clash of urban and natural landscapes. One of the great things to know about Central Park is that there is a non-profit group known as the Central Park Conservancy that cares for the park. They are responsible for funding the ongoing operations of the park and otherwise caring for the same. Roughly three fourths of the funds are raised by the Central Park Conservancy. The upkeep of the park costs nearly $70 million a year and nearly a billion dollars has been invested in the park since it was brought into existence. As one might expect, there is a lot of work that must be done every year. This would include seeding to grow grass, picking up trash, removing graffiti and otherwise preventing the park from falling into disrepair. The short list just described helps points to what, if anything, that one could “hate” about the park, or any other park with a similar purpose or structure (Central Park Conservancy, 2017).

There are plenty of people that use and exist within the Central Park space that do not harm it or pollute it. Just a few examples would include most tourists, dog-walkers, joggers and so forth. However, there are some people that actively create problems and disarray in the park. Other things, at the very least, remind others of the social inequality and other problems that exist. It all comes down to the people or the “marks” they leave, the signs they give and so forth. An example of a person that can be directly despised and “hated” when it comes to Central Park would be graffiti artists and those that litter. Those people surely know better but do not care. They deface and otherwise harm the park through their actions. However, there are indirect people examples that can cause hate and despair. Those would include those that are homeless, poor and destitute. Panhandlers and people sleeping under bridges are just a few of the symptoms to see. Some of those people are hostile and nasty and thus can be hated directly. However, some are mentally ill or otherwise unable to care for themselves. This is a symptom of a broader social problem where the victims of society are not protected like they could or should be.

There are a lot of things and facets to like or love about Central Park. When it comes things that can be “hated”, the word “hate” might be too strong a word to some. However, there are some signs and actions that can be loathed or hated, even if one decides that hating any person in particular is a bridge too far. Regardless, everyone is going to have their proverbial list of “pros” and “cons” when it comes to Central Park. What comprises those lists will obviously depend on a number of factors. These factors would include one’s political worldview, their upbringing, their view of social issues, their views about urban/city matters and so forth.

Works Cited
Central Park Conservancy. (2017). About Us. Centralparknyc.org. Retrieved 2 November 2017,
from http://www.centralparknyc.org/about/