Bethesda Terrace New York
Central Park
From the hub of Olmsted’s & Vaux’s Central Park - Bethesda Terrace - spoke the elm tree lined Mall and the 72nd Street transverse roadway, now closed to traffic.
To its north lies The Ramble (on the other side of The Lake). To its west lies the main body of The Lake and Strawberry Fields. To its east are row boat rentals, the Boathouse Restaurant, and The Boat Pond (officially, Conservatory Water) - the little boat pond - as in E B White’s children’s novel, "Stuart Little". And, around it, the spectacular Alice in Wonderland and Hans Christian Anderson bronze sculptures. All can be experienced in one fell walking swoop.
At The Terrace itself, breathtaking sculptural balustrades frame magical depictions of wild animals, while framing the staircase (pictured) that leads you from The Mall above to the Bethesda Fountain below, and whose name is "Angel of the Waters". She is atop the fountain featured in the 2003 film Angels in America, as the finale of the camera’s swooping 'one shot' opening credit roll that begins in San Francisco. The sculptor was informed by the Gospel of John, which describes an angel instilling healing powers to the waters of the Pool of Bethesda.
Its maker, Emma Stebbins was, in 1863, the first woman (and first openly gay) ever to receive a public art commission in the City of New York. Its earthly raison d’être is its commemoration of the Croton Reservoir water system which led to the end of a cholera outbreak in the city in the 1840s.
Find your way with 300 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
Nice place right!? There’s so much more to discover:
Discover all other hidden gems in New York
Sea & Sea
Fried fish takeout
"Sea & Sea " in NYC is a traditional-looking fish shop with wet, tiled floors, cool air, grated ice on every hand, busy with customers from near and far...
By
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Pikine
Senegalese restaurant
Come to "Pikine" in NYC to eat shoulder-to-shoulder with Senegalese people!
By
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Modern Bread and Bagel
Extreme gluten-free bagels
"Modern Bread and Bagel" in NYC has surfaced as exemplary, using criteria such as size and texture, seed and salt density. Here are some more top picks...
By
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Patsy's 'El Barrio'
Historic Pizzeria
Patsy’s, famed for its 900°F coal-fired pizza, still thrives in Spanish Harlem, gritty, iconic, and sublime. Thin crust, no tables, just pure NY history.
By
Geoffrey
Dunbar
The Dublin House
Irish Bar Centenarian
"The Dublin House" in NYC has been around since Prohibition and it still is neighborhood-sized. By the end of the night, everyone speaks Irish here...
By
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Pain d’ Epices
French / American patisserie
"Pain d' Epices" is a French bakery in NYC that makes croissants so flaky & buttery, the only way to avoid the crumbs is to 'put your back to the wind...'
By
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Django
Tribeca jazz boîte
"Django" in NYC is proof that the city's jazz club world is recovering. I celler/cavern is intimate enough that after performances I walk over to engage...
By
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Pastrami Queen
Traditional kosher Jewish deli
"Pastrami Queen" in NYC has if not the best, among the very best pastrami sandwiches in the city. It's the kind of American excess you just can't miss...
By
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Grandma's Place
Inclusive Books and Toys
I stumbled across a store about which I had read but never visited—the very inviting and colourful playground of Dawn Harris-Martine), retired teacher, now famous—named Grandma’s Place.
By
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Sisters Uptown Bookstore
African diaspora hub
"Sisters Uptown Bookstore" in NYC is a hidden shop/cultural center w/ an eye-opening trove of books by African diaspora authors. A true neighborhood spot!
By
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Color World
Curb Side BBQ
Color World sets up on the corner of 116th and 2nd Avenue, rain or shine. There they serve beef, pork, goat, oxtail, and chicken for $10 a plate.
By
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Don Alejo Coffee
Coffee, toasts and burritos
Their prices are in keeping with the neighborhood: a plate of two eggs, two pancakes, 'home' fried potatoes and your choice of sausages or bacon, is $12.
By
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Heading to New York?
300 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
Authentic Stories by Real People
Escape the Crowd & Travel Slow 🐌
... for just €9.99
Heading to New York?
✓ 0 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
✓ 300 Insider Tips
✓ Escape the Crowds
✓ Find Spots nearby
✓ Authentic Stories
... for just €9.99
Our team loves New York
Get to know our other Spotters from New York
As featured on:
