7. Remnants of the Old Yorkville Reservoir

Before Olmstead and Vaux got their hands on the Central Park site, a rectangular reservoir had been built in 1842, known as the Yorkville Reservoir. According to the Times, the architects felt “cursed” by the gawky thing and designed around it. It was filled in and covered in the 1930s but you can see several parts of the reservoir walls when you walk on the 85th Street Transverse police station inside the park –  a long wall that is runs from the NYC Parks maintenance facility continues through the new police station extension, where it is has been deliberately left exposed in the training room and the detective’s offices. You can also see parts of the same wall from the southern end of the Great Lawn.

Another spot the wall can be seen is on the east side of the Great Lawn. There’s also a historic marker near the Delacorte theater.