This is the place that brought Central Park its very first town center. It’s still a local fave, offering up good coffee, cool ice cream, hot yoga, fresh flowers, vintage wine, great pizza and so much more. Here’s where you also come for the concerts, farmers markets and other events of the Village Green.
IN A WORD, EVERYTHING
HONESTLY, IT WOULD BE EASIER TO SAY WHAT'S NOT HERE.
After all, the big idea behind Central Park was to include everything that anyone could want or need, and make it all so close that you could walk or bike to coffee, to school, to the office, the park, the lunch date, the concert, the farmers market, the [insert just about anything you can think of here].
GET YOUR CENTRAL PARK BEARINGS
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WHAT ARE YOU CRAVING?
LET'S EAT...THEN SHOP
Or is it better to shop, then eat? Well, whatever you’re most in need of — be it groceries or camping equipment, a latté or a lawn mower — you’ll find it in Central Park. Here are just a handful of Central Park’s many shopping and dining destinations.
EAST 29TH AVENUE TOWN CENTER
EASTBRIDGE TOWN CENTER
Perhaps best known as the home of Little Man Ice Cream, Eastbridge is actually a combination of local eat-and-drinkeries plus fitness-and-beauty businesses. In other words, this is the place to put it on, then take it off.
THE SHOPS AT NORTHFIELD
Here, a lively Main Street is lined with local boutiques, national brands and yummy restaurants. And just beyond are the big stores: Super Target, Macy’s, Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World and more. Plus the Harkins Theatre Northfield 18 and The Improv comedy club.
STANLEY MARKETPLACE
Right next to Central Park on the Westerly Creek Greenway, this place used to be 140,000 square feet of airplane manufacturing. Now it’s the fun, high-flying collective of more than 50 locally owned businesses. Everything from food and drink to outdoor roller rink.
Go Outside
WAIT...HOW MANY PARKS?
Sixty parks. Plus two more just for dogs. If you do the math, almost 25% of Central Park’s total acreage is devoted to parks and nature. Or put another other way, almost every home in Central Park has at least one park within a five-minute walk. Oh, and even that five-minute walk will be a lovely experience thanks to Central Park’s tree-lined streets and 62 miles of trails.
MakE a Splash
A PLENTITUDE OF POOLS
Lots of places build one big pool and call it done. Which is fine. But it means the pool won’t be within easy walking or biking distance for most residents. That’s why Central Park has not one, not two, not three, but seven neighborhood swimming pools. So just grab your towel, pull on your flip-flops, hang up the car keys and head to your favorite neighborhood pool.
IN GOOD COMPANY
A GREAT HOME FOR GREAT BUSINESSES
It’s a fascinating cycle. It starts when an interesting neighborhood begins to attract interesting businesses. Which makes the neighborhood more interesting. Which attracts more people and businesses. Then things get more and more colorful and flavorful and lively until what you have is … Central Park.
Almost 200 companies — big and small, local and national, well-established and up-and-coming — have found a home and a devoted following here. From Torchy’s Tacos to Little Man Ice Cream. From yoga studios to the United Airlines Flight Training Center. From Four Friends Kitchen to the F.B.I. And the gravity of good vibes has gotten so strong, destinations like Stanley Marketplace have sprung up right next to Central Park.
It’s one brilliantly busy place...
THE GIFT OF BEAUTY
PUBLIC ART
We have a very specific purpose in mind for the entire aesthetic experience of Central Park, including our public arts program. We want to reward people for getting out of their cars, looking up from their smart phones and taking just a moment (hopefully more) to engage with the world around them.
Central Park’s public art master plan created a selection committee of local artists, residents and other community representatives who evaluated art proposals based on artistic excellence, suitability for the site, accessibility and sustainability. (Which happen to be some of the qualities of Central Park itself.) The result? Almost two dozen art pieces scattered about all 12 of Central Park’s neighborhoods. Making our little corner of the world just a little more artful.
