Celebrate Central Park at The Plaza

New York City is rolling out the green carpet to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Central Park. And guests at The Plaza have the best view in town: right across the street.

Sign up for The Plaza Spa “Walk in the Park,” an hour-long workout with a personal trainer who leads you through the serene natural beauty of one of the world’s most famous urban parks. Starting and ending with stretches, your walk or jog includes some of the park’s best places for people watching as well as bird watching.

Encompassing 136 acres of woodlands, 250 acres of lawns, and 150 acres of lakes and ponds, the park is an island of tranquility in the middle of Manhattan. History buffs can learn about the park’s design 150 years ago by celebrated landscape architects Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux. Romantics might take a horse and buggy ride into the park. Depending on the season, you can enjoy a wealth of activities, from bike riding and boating to fishing, ice skating, and nature hikes. Scheduled through December, concerts, light shows, exhibits, and performances make the park come alive.

Bird watchers head for The Ramble, a 38-acre preserve that resembles Adirondack terrain. Rated one of the top fifteen bird watching sites in the nation, over 215 species have been spotted in the Ramble. Meandering paths take you through a forest rich in plants from the Adirondack and Appalachian mountain ranges. Rocky outcrops, secluded glades, and a tumbling stream make the city’s hustle and bustle seem far away.

Another place to bird watch is the Turtle Pond, a nesting place for migratory aquatic birds as well as turtles who lay their eggs on a tiny island. People watching, however, is a spectator sport.You can join joggers around the reservoir, fly a kite in Sheep’s Meadow, or row on the lake. There’s even a zoo. In summer, attend free concerts by the New York Philharmonic under the stars, or brush up your Shakespeare at the open-air Delacorte Theater.

Gardeners stroll amid Shakespearean settings in a serene homage to the Bard of Avon. Only flowers mentioned in the great scribe’s works are planted in the Shakespeare Garden. For examples of formal English, Italian, and French gardens, head to the northernmost part of the park, the six-acre Conservatory Garden, a favorite spot for wedding proposals as well as photos following the “I do’s.”

Gazing at the majestic skyline surrounding Central Park, you feel the vitality of this city that never sleeps. And there on Central Park South, rising above the treetops, The Plaza beckons you home.

For more information, visit the Central Park Conservancy on the Web at www.centralparkny.org.

Kids Enjoy YPA Treatment at the Plaza

While you’re at the spa, The Plaza’s “Young Plaza Ambassadors” program offers kids 6 to 18 special privileges. Membership includes a YPA Photo I.D. and personal wallet filled with proprietary Plaza dollars for treats at the Plaza’s boutiques, even ice cream sundaes in The Palm Court.

Shape up your youngster’s manners at etiquette classes offered in the formal setting of a Plaza suite. Topics discussed include table manners, how to handle silverware, being served, and serving. Young ladies and gentlemen learn social graces such as responding to written dinner invitations and how to receive guests at home.

Guided by professional etiquette counselors, exercises include creating a proper place setting.The instructor puts plates, napkins, glasses, cups, and silverware in a jumble on the table, then it’s up to the young hosts to arrange an attractive setting. Scheduled once a month at the Plaza, a light lunch is included with the class fee. For details, call (212) 546-5377.

And for a souvenir, take home a copy of The Plaza’s new children’s book, Corneel At The Plaza. Corneel is a cuddly canine who befriends a lonely little boy at the hotel. This would win the heart of Eloise, even if she didn’t like dogs.