Central Park is ranked #1 out of 32 things to do in New York City. See pictures and our review of Central Park. Getting there. Route to Trailhead with Google Maps. Interstate 890 to exit 7, rt 7 east. Follow to golf rd, turn left (west). At stop turn right and park on the left in big dirt parking lot. Trails are across the street. Trail head 42.796755,-73.906204. I Rode It!. About. Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on 843 acres (3.41 km) of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan.