Gapstow Bridge

Gapstow Bridge is the rustic stone bridge across the narrow neck of the Pond, just inside the park's southeast corner. The present bridge went up in 1896, replacing an earlier, more elaborate span whose cast-iron elements had worn out, and its stones are half-covered in vines. Look south from the middle and you get one of Central Park's great views: the Central Park South skyline rising over the water, with the Plaza Hotel at the corner; to the north is Wollman Rink.

It is also a movie set. In Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Kevin wanders the path around the Pond near the bridge, looks up at the Plaza and meets the Pigeon Lady on the rocks by the water, and fans have been posing here ever since. Come in the early morning for the quietest views, or at dusk in December when the skyline lights up.