Davis Center at the Harlem Meer in Central Park celebrates 1 year since major renovations
Tucked away in the northern part of Central Park is an outdoor space that uptown New Yorkers can enjoy year-round.
April marks one year since the Davis Center at the Harlem Meer opened after a $160 million transformation.
The center replaced the Lasker Rink & Pool, which had been around since 1966. The old facility was only open in the summer and winter and needed major renovations.
Construction began in 2021 and would prove to be one of the Central Park Conservancy's biggest projects in recent years.
Now, it's home for a range of activities depending on the time of year.
Davis Center now operates year-round
For its first year, the Davis Center reports over 173,000 visitors to the facility's swimming pool, ice rink and green space.
Visitors can currently enjoy yoga, rest and relax, or take in the blooming cherry blossoms in the green space.
That doesn't even mention the views of Harlem Meer in Central Park, where geese keep the fishermen company as they catch and release on the man-made lake.
During the ice season, the center says it sold over 40,500 tickets across the Davis Center's public programs, including community skate, Learn to Skate and hockey clinics.
Prices are often affordable as well, with a $10 cost to skate during peak hours — half of what you'll pay at other popular NYC rinks like Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park.
With summer fast approaching, the green will turn into a swimming pool for Learn to Swim lessons and free daily swimming.
Some residents are just discovering the hidden gem
The center also works to engage the community through school field trips. With one year under its belt, that engagement is the center's current focus.
"I find that those who knew about the facility only knew it was coming, because they may have passed in and through the park during the construction phase," said Stormy McNair, the manager of programming partnerships at the Central Park Conservancy.
The green at the Davis Center is open to the public from April 11 through May 12. Visitors should stay tuned for the green to transform into the Gottesman Pool, which will be open from June 27 to Sept. 13.
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