Thursday, June 25, at 8:36 a.m. at Darien Metro-North Station or 8:39 a.m. at Noroton Heights Metro-North Station
On Thursday, June 25, the Wanderers will travel to the northern end of Central Park in Manhattan. We will take the Metro North train to Grand Central that leaves the Darien train station at 8:36 a.m. and the Noroton Heights station at 8:39 a.m. As usual, we will gather at the Information Booth on the main floor of Grand Central and proceed together by subway to the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
We will wander into the northern end of Central Park and enjoy the beauty of the Conservatory Garden, Central Park’s formal garden and one of the most significant public gardens in New York City. Our Wandering will take us past the scenic Harlem Meer; the scenic overlook and canons at Fort Clinton; the acclaimed Davis Center, which opened last year; and through the North Woods, the largest woodland in Central Park, which contains unusual physical features, including the Ravine, the Loch and the Pool.
The Wanderers plan to have lunch at Sylvia’s Restaurant, 328 Malcolm X Blvd (between 126th Street and Lenox Avenue). After lunch, we will complete our Wandering by strolling to the Metro-North Railroad Station at 125th Street and returning home via Metro-North.
Contact: Chet Cobb or Harry Bergen
Summary:
“On Thursday, June 25th, twenty-five Wanderers were happy to experience warm and sunny weather during a wandering across the northern end of Central Park. Entering Central Park through the ornate Vanderbilt Gate at 103rd Street and Fifth Avenue, the Wanderers were immediately impressed by the well-landscaped beauty of the Conservatory Garden, including the Italianate Center Garden with its semicircular pagoda, the French parterre North Garden with its Untermyer Fountain and statue of the Three Dancing Maidens and the English style South Garden with its Burnett Fountain.
The wandering took the Wanderers past the scenic Harlem Meer, the historic overlook and canons at Fort Clinton, Nutter’s Buttery, McGowan’s Pass, the architecturally acclaimed Davis Center with its large swimming pool and through the North Woods, the largest woodland in Central Park that contains unusual physical features including the Ravine, the Loch and the Pool. The Wanderers’ last stop in Central Park was at its oldest surviving building, the Blockhouse, built in 1814 as a lookout tower with openings for guns.
The Wanderers then exited Central Park onto 110th Street and wandered 15 blocks north on Malcolm X Boulevard to lunch. Due to the large size of the wandering group, the Wanderers split into two groups and each Wanderer enjoyed a well-deserved lunch at either Sylvia’s Restaurant or the nearby Red Rooster Restaurant. After lunch, the Wanderers wandered a few more blocks to the Metro-North Railroad Station at 125th Street and returned home via Metro-North.”
(1) Wanderers standing on the stairs leading to the pagoda in the Conservatory Garden, Photo by Sam Bridges;
(2) Jack Carley, Harry Bergen and Doug Bernacchi standing behind Fort Clinton’s canon with Bill Flowers standing in line of fire, Photo by Chet Cobb;
(3) Fred and Lorry Given taking a break after wandering through the North Woods, Photo by Chet Cobb;
(4) Wanderers successfully locating and assembling at the Blockhouse, Photo by Chet Cobb; and
(5) Tom Igoe relaxing at the Blockhouse, Photo by Chet Cobb.
John Colon is originally from New Orleans but came north to attend Dartmouth College, graduating in 1982. After a brief stint in investment banking in New York, he attended Harvard Business School and subsequently joined Greenwich Associates for the remainder of his career, retiring as a senior advisor in 2021.