Central Park in the Snow

The first time I ever took an extended walk in Central Park at night by myself, it was on a night when it was snowing in either the late 1980s or early 1990s. The snow was falling softly and gently and laying down a perfect covering, illuminated by the street lamps in the park. As I walked, I passed a beautiful blond policewoman and I looked at her and managed to get out, "Good evening," and got a lovely smile in return. I stopped at the ice skating rink and watched as the snowfall was lit up by the lights on the rink, creating an ever-changing filtered pattern over the skaters, who seemed to be having a good time. I walked further up and went through the Mall, that long passageway leading up to the Naumberg Band Shell, with trees on either side and the Literary Walk, featuring statues of assorted authors, at its southern end. I was the only one on it and it was just one long breathtaking passage of white snow and snow-covered trees overhead and illumination from the lamps. I then went down the steps to the Bethesda Fountain and stood there for a while in the snow. It was one of the best times I ever had in the park. I had one other evening like this a few years later, but every time after that, whenever it's been snowing like this I haven't been anywhere near the park.

I didn't have a camera with me at either time when I was in the park at night when it was snowing, but I have tried to take pictures of the park in the snow when I could in the years since.


Here's a shot I took in sometime in 1992 in the early evening with a 35mm camera:

Here are others in the daytime, also on 35mm, taken in the early 1990s.

The Wollman Skating Rink, looking south:

Without the skaters:

The Dairy:

The Sheep Meadow:

Sledding in the Ramble:

The Delacorte Theater:

And now, some more recent photos, taken with a digital camera on Dec. 28, 2010:

There are more people in the park at night these days than there used to be. And on this photo trip, I didn't venture as far into the park as I did on earlier trips.

Maybe next time.