Loeb Boathouse

The Loeb Boathouse, one of the most famous icons of Central Park is located at the northeastern tip of the Lake and houses the Boathouse Restaurant. It is a romantic setting for dinner on a mid-summer’s evening, watching the sun sink behind the trees and maybe catching a gondola slowly poling past.

Around 1874, Calvert Vaux designed a two-story boathouse at the eastern end of the Lake. About the new Boathouse Vaux said: “In order to compensate for the interruption of the view from the walk, and better accommodate those who should wish to wait in the vicinity, the roof was made a deck to be covered with awnings furnished with seats.” The original structure served nobly for eighty years until the 1950’s, by which time it was so run down that it had to be demolished. The current Boathouse took its place in 1954 and was largely financed with a gift from investment banker Carl Loeb.

Today the Boathouse features year round dining, with overhead heating helping to compensate for the chilly winds of winter and enabling patrons to enjoy the view overlooking the lake. More informal snacks are available on the outside terrace across from the bicycle rental concession. And of course you can also rent rowboats or take a ride in an authentic Venetian gondola.

The Boathouse is also used by the dedicated group of Central Park Bird watchers who come virtually every day to record their observations of birds and other Park wildlife.

Bow Bridge

Bow Bridge is one of the most photographed and filmed locations in Central Park and it deserves every bit of its star reputation. Stretching sixty feet over the lake, from Cherry Hill to the Ramble, it is not only one of the most beautiful cast iron bridges in the world, but also offers some of the most breathtaking views of the park around it.

Completed in 1862 Bow Bridge was built of cast iron instead of stone, which was used for almost all of the other archways in the park. While this was ostensibly done for economic reasons (eliminating the need for stone cutters and masons) it is impossible now to imagine how it could have been executed in any other manner. From its graceful curves to the subtle ornamentation it is one of the finest examples of the magic that resulted from the combined vision of Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould. It displays an understated, yet powerful aesthetic that provides the perfect transition btw the carefully crafted Cherry Hill and the natural jumble of the Ramble.

The bridge also provides the perfect perch from which to watch the slowly moving row boats as they glide across the lake, or to photograph the skyline over Fifth Ave. as it rises from the leafy skirt of trees that edge it. It is one of the most popular, and best known, spots to meet and has hosted numberless romantic moments, both on and off the big screen. In fact, if you edited them together, you could probably construct an entire Woody Allen feature just from the scenes filmed on Bow Bridge. And despite rumors to the contrary the bridge has always been very easy to work with and has nothing but admiration and respect for the celebrated director.