When in New York City: Enjoy free "park-ing" at Central Park

New York City. It's the famous concrete jungle that dreams are made of. But living in the Big Apple may just take a big bite out of your paycheck. Most especially if you want your nest to be propped nicely on the branches of the greenest spot of the metropolis.

If jotting your address has to include “Central Park” (e.g. Central Park North by West 110th Street; Central Park South by West 59th; Central Park West by Eighth Avenue), it may mean you have made it there, and perhaps you can just make it anywhere if you decide to uproot yourself from the city. This park has the “biggest and strongest draw in NYC having been top-listed as one of the most expensive real estate in the world. Who doesn’t want a view of the famed green patch from their balconies?

From the small to the big screen, living in this zip code has epitomized upscale living in Manhattan. Surely, it is Central Park they have to thank for. The view of this green patch is gold, and admittedly, has more exposure than all the shows combined, which makes it more famous than the buildings that enjoy raking in the moolah just by standing beside it.

Unlike the edifices in the neighborhood, where a fee is required to “park” (read: rent or reside), Central Park’s shout-out is “the best things in life are free.” But you can’t just pitch a tent and stay in this park. This National Historic Landmark (1858 Central Park winning entry designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux would be so proud) offers much more than just a rejuvenating hue in the gray concrete jungle, making it the most visited park in the USA with about 25 million guests yearly.

Watching over the facility is the Central Park Conservancy, a private, nonprofit organization. It manages the park under a contract with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. To keep the park in tiptop shape, the organization works on an annual budget of $25 million.

What to see across the 838-hectare landscaped oasis? Natural-looking lakes and ponds, extensive walking tracks, bridle paths, two ice-skating rinks (one of which is a swimming pool open during the summer season), the Central Park Zoo, the Central Park Conservatory Garden, a wildlife sanctuary, a large area of natural woods, a 43-hectare billion-gallon reservoir with an encircling running track, and the Delacorte Theater outdoor amphitheater which hosts the "Shakespeare in the Park" summer festivals. Belvedere Castle with its nature center, the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, and the historic Carousel are its indoor attractions.

Whether you sit, play, run, line or ice skate, bike, work the oar, bird watch, appreciate art, ride the horse-drawn carriage; or rock climb, there is just something for you at this world-famous reserve whatever the season is.

Well, I visited during winter—as a tourist. It was photo-op for me, this time at least. At least I have something to look forward to doing when I make it back to the Big Apple—explore more of Central Park sans any fee. Now that’s what I can call free park-ing.