Walking through New York City, you are constantly surrounded by masses of skyscrapers, dirty city streets, and it is refreshing to once in a while take a walk through a peaceful non-developed area filled with greenery. Located in the heart of New York City, Central Park is a massive man-made park that isn't only filled with nature but contains historical buildings, statues, monuments, beautiful bridges, bodies of water, a zoo, ice skating rink and hundreds of walking/bike paths. Despite the visual aspects that we witness today, Central Park didn't always look the way it did today and its history possesses many ups and downs. Since it was first constructed in the 1800's, the park has managed to undergo a complete downfall in the 1970's and then become restored into what it is today. This involved reconstruction of historical buildings, re-planting greenery, and making improvements in the management and security of the park. It wasn't a short or easy process, but Central Park has proven to be essential in improving the lives of its residents and making this city as great as it is today.
The economic recession in the 1970's and 80's brought Central Park to the worst state that it has ever been in. The poor management and low funds of the time had left the park in an "advanced state of deterioration." The benches and playgrounds were broken, the buildings were swamped with graffiti, and the lawns had turned into dirt. At this point, the park had simply been a reminder of the life and happiness that it used to be filled with. However, when the Central Park Controversy was formed in the 1980's things began to look uphill for the well-being of the park. This plan to restore the park was a very long (15 year) process and was very costly as well. It all began with restoring the fields; re-planting the meadows, planting trees, and fixing the walking paths that surrounded it brought upon a vision of a new luscious Central Park.