Randy Olson, Melissa Farlow Photography

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Rooftop view of sunbathers in New York's Central Park. Shadows sweep across Sheep Meadow, a 15-acre space where people congregate for picnics on in New York City on Sunday afternoon.

Woodlands dwarfed by high-rise buildings line the east boundary of Central Park and modern urban life surrounds the entire perimeter of the pastoral park.

Until 1934, a shepherd stopped traffic on the west drive so his flock could travel to and from their meadow.

When Central Park was just an idea, most New Yorkers lived below 38th Street in crowded, chaotic quarters. Frederick Law Olmsted planned the park with Calvert Vaux as a refuge from urban stress in a natural environment. The Park’s design embodies Olmsted’s social consciousness and commitment to egalitarian ideals.

Copyright
MELISSA FARLOW
Image Size
5046x3460 / 6.5MB
Keywords
Contained in galleries
Frederick Law Olmstead_National Geographic magazine 3/2005
Rooftop view of sunbathers in New York's Central Park. Shadows sweep across Sheep Meadow, a 15-acre space where people congregate for picnics on in New York City on Sunday afternoon. <br /> <br /> Woodlands dwarfed by high-rise buildings line the east boundary of Central Park and modern urban life surrounds the entire perimeter of the pastoral park.<br /> <br /> Until 1934, a shepherd stopped traffic on the west drive so his flock could travel to and from their meadow.<br /> <br /> When Central Park was just an idea, most New Yorkers lived below 38th Street in crowded, chaotic quarters. Frederick Law Olmsted planned the park with Calvert Vaux as a refuge from urban stress in a natural environment. The Park’s design embodies Olmsted’s social consciousness and commitment to egalitarian ideals.