The Pond, Central Park, New York, NY, 11/15/2014
I returned to my hometown New York City during an unseasonably cold November and enjoyed a long stroll with friends up Fifth Avenue from 28th Street to The Metropolitan Museum of Art at 82nd Street. When we reached Central Park we followed its scenic paths until we arrived at the museum. I was instantly charmed a short distance into the park by this romantic view of a red maple (Acer rubrum) and Gapstow Bridge curving gracefully over a narrow neck of The Pond. With its rustic stone closed-spandrel arch construction, Gapstow Bridge fits perfectly into this landscape. It is the second bridge on the site. The first, a much more elaborate wood and iron bridge deteriorated and was replaced in 1896. Designed by Howard & Caudwell, Gapstow Bridge is built of unadorned Manhattan schist, stands 12 feet high, spans 44 feet of water, and stretches 76 feet in its full length.
