Cedar Hill

Cedar Hill, a classic pastoral landscape undulating softly down to a shallow green valley, is an ideal spot for passive Park activities such as picnicking, reading, and sunbathing. The name comes from the Red Cedars on its crest, but several other varieties of evergreen dot the hill as well. At the southern border is Glade Arch, a handsome stone archway that originally supported carriage traffic to Fifth Avenue. In spring, a variety of flowering bulbs and perennials crowd the slopes on either side of the pathway under the arch. To the north is the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Heavy use of this popular landscape took its toll. A 1994 restoration included new irrigation, repaired and improved drainage, and replanted grass. Perhaps most important at that time, a new management system was introduced dividing the Park into 49 zones, each with its own gardener and support team.

Cedar Hill was the first zone in Central Park to use red flags to alert the public to horticultural care being performed or adverse lawn conditions (such as wetness after a rain, when grass is vulnerable to damage) requiring the landscape to "take a breather" from use. When the red flag comes down, it's back to books, hampers, and lotion. Following the success of this system at Cedar Hill, it is now used at the Great Lawn and other prime lawn areas.