A Celebrity Told Me That

So, I was just hanging out with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and she is like a bottomless pit of information about this gorgeous bridge (photographed here by DeaPeaJay on Flickr). It’s called Bow Bridge because of its shape like the bow of many beautiful instruments. You might recognize it from any number of movies, television episodes – even commercials. Or maybe you’ve been lucky enough to actually stroll its pretty length, which stretches from Central Park’s Cherry Hill to the wild and beautiful Ramble.

I bet you weren’t escorted there by Julia though. Only us insiders get that privilege. It’s not my only Central Park experience with celebrities either. Just yesterday Sarah Jessica Parker told me all about The Pond. Such a boring name for such a favorite spot. It fascinates me that just yards from the crazy-busy sidewalks of Fifth Avenue, and in fact still within sight of its towering scrapers, you can escape to a place of relative country solitude by the banks of the Central Park pond. Sarah Jessica told me all about it herself.

Jerry Seinfeld enlightened me on the literary walk, beautiful elms, and other features of the popular walkway known as The Mall. And Kelly Ripa was just so cute when she told me all about the Carousel, a traditional favorite for children like her own.

Okay, you’ve caught on by now, right? My insider’s celebrity tours of Central Park are actually something anyone can score. It’s as easy as dialing a phone number, and it’s perfect for New York City group tours.

It’s called the Central Park Audio Tour, and you’ll find your in-the-know ticket to this tour on signs throughout the park. Simply dial the number on the sign then input the two-digit number that corresponds to the Central Park spot where you stand (followed by the pound sign as all good phone commands must be), and a famous New Yorker or celebrity Central Park fan will regale you with history, trivia, humor, and tales of the Park and its oh-so-favorite spots.

I love the idea for many reasons. First, all historical information should be shared by favorite celebrities. It’s like the sugar with the medicine. (I know, I know, that’s just wrong.) Also, the audio tour provides the perfect balance between strolling the park on your own for the first time with no idea what you’re seeing or following along behind a tour guide at a pace that may be slower or faster than you’d prefer on your own. With the audio tour, you spend as much or as little time in each pleasant Central Park space but with the added value of an expert guide. Finally, you can do it from anywhere. I’ve not yet been to Bow Bridge in the flesh nor The Pond, The Mall, Belvedere Castle, The Carousel, or any of the Central Park landmarks. But through the audio tour (and pictures like those above), it’s like I have been there. And that is pretty cool.

Related posts:

1. Central Park with a Valentine