Frederick Law Olmsted | A Passion for Parks, National Geographic: Sheep Meadow in NY Central Park

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Shadows sweep across Sheep Meadow, a 15-acre space where people congregate for picnics on in New York City on Sunday afternoon. Until 1934, a shepherd stopped traffic on the west drive so his flock could travel to and from their meadow.

When Central Park was being considered, most New Yorkers lived below 38th Street in crowded, chaotic quarters. Frederick Law Olmsted planned the park with Calvert Vaux as a refuge from urban stress in a natural environment. The Park’s design embodies Olmsted’s social consciousness and commitment to egalitarian ideals.

Today, woodlands dwarfed by buildings line the east boundary of Central Park and modern urban life surrounds the entire perimeter of the pastoral park.