Central Park Between Fifth Avenue & Central Park West 59th Street to 110th Street New York, NY Jogging Path Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir 85th-96th Street New York, NY 10028 * Google Maps aerial view * Google Maps street view - GB1 night shot

History - written by Chris Buchner (used with permission)
The jogging path is a 1.58 mile span of track that goes completely around the reservoir at the mid-North end of Central Park. Named after Jacqueline Kennedy in 1994, the reservoir creates a nice setting for joggers as well as cools the air around it in the summer time. Completed in 1862, the 40-foot-deep reservoir, which holds a billion gallons of water, feeds other bodies of waters including the Loch, Pool and Harlem Meer even though it no longer serves a purpose to Manhattan residents. It's the only part of Central Park not controlled by the Parks Department, instead it's under the jurisdiction of the Department of Environmental Protection.

The New York Road Runners Club often meets on the track for weekly races. Founded in 1958, they organize all of Central Park's running events and the famed New York City Marathon every November. The track is also ideal for sightseeing, as it offers a nice view of the uptown skyline where the buildings tower over the trees. Three ornamental gatehouses sit along the reservoir. Created by Calvert Vaux, they house the machinery needed to control the flow and levels of the reservoir.

Fun Facts

• 15 Years Later: The seven-foot-high chain-link fence was replaced with a shorter four-feet-high cast-iron fence in 2003. When scuba divers discovered a piece of the original fence that stood from 1864 to 1926 at the very bottom of the reservoir, the Central Park Conservancy commissioned a steel replica with cast-iron ornamentation, closely resembling the original. Also, the bench Peter was sitting on is no longer there. (text written by Chris Buchner, additional source)

Outside Links

• Official Site
• Unofficial Site - Photo Tour
• A View On Cities
• Plant Tour Of The Reservoir (archive)
• New York Architecture