| Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir (picture by Peter Watts) |  |
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
Photographer Description of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
A panorama taken from the northern edge of the large reservoir in Central Park. the picture was taken in spring, and the white and pink cherry trees are in bloom. The darker, more purple trees have yet to bloom, but are only a few days away. At the northern end the Reservoir forms a curved bay, which can be sheltered resulting in still waters that reflect the sky, as happened when taking this image.Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir - Further Information
The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir is more often referred to as the 'Central Park Reservoir' or simply the 'Reservoir'. It is the largest body of water of Central Park in New York, and the largest on Manhattan. The Reservoir covers 106 acres, 12% of the total area of Central Park. It is 40 feet deep and holds an estimated billion gallons of water.The Reservoir used to be an integral part of the water system of New York until the new water tunnel was opened in 1991, at which point it was disconnected from the water supply. This is a very popular place for New Yorkers to come jogging. A 1.6 mile track meanders round the curved edge of the reservoir, with joggers running in an anti-clockwise direction. The Reservoir is so vast, that the skyscrapers of Manhattan seem small and distant, a reminder of the size of Central Park itself.
The original Reservoir was built between 1858 and 1862, part of a network of basins throughout New York. One was on Fifth Avenue, under what is now the New York Library, and the other was just to the south, now occupied by the Great Lawy, though a small section remains exposed forming Turtle Pond, overlooked by Belvedere Castle. Between the two are Cleopatra's Needle and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Other large lakes in Central Park are The Lake and Harlem Meer
Travel Directions and Getting There:
Subway: 81st Street (West side - A, B, C, D lines ), 77th Street (East side - 4, 5, 6 lines)