Central Park. Central Park is an urban park in Manhattan, New York City, located between the Upper West Side and the Upper East Side. Central Park is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated 37.5-38 million visitors annually, and one of the most filmed locations in the world. Central Park is the fifth-largest park in New York City by area, covering 843 acres. Central Park was first approved in 1853 as a 778-acre park. In 1857, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and architect/landscape designer Calvert Vaux won a design competition to construct the park with a plan they titled the Greensward Plan. Construction began the same year, and the park's first areas were opened to the public in late 1858. Additional land at the northern end of Central Park was purchased in 1859, and the park was completed in 1876. After a period of decline in the early 20th century, New York City parks commissioner Robert Moses started a program to clean up Central Park. Another decline in the late 20th century spurred the creation of the Central Park Conservancy in 1980, which refurbished many parts of the park during the 1980s and 1990s. Main attractions of the park include landscapes such as the Ramble and Lake, Hallett Nature Sanctuary, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, and Sheep Meadow; amusement attractions such as Wollman Rink, Central Park Carousel, and the Central Park Zoo; formal spaces such as the Central Park Mall and Bethesda Terrace; and the Delacorte Theater, which hosts Shakespeare in the Park programs in the summertime. The park also has sports facilities, including the North Meadow Recreation Center, basketball courts, baseball fields, and soccer fields. Central Park was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1963 and as a New York City scenic landmark in 1974. The park is owned by New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, but has been managed by the Central Park Conservancy since 1998, under contract with the municipal government in a public-private partnership. The Conservancy, a non-profit organization, contributes 75 percent of Central Park's $65 million annual budget and is responsible for all basic care of the park. Central Park is bordered on the north by Central Park North and the neighborhood of Harlem; on the south by Central Park South and Midtown Manhattan; on the west by Central Park West and the Upper West Side; and on the east by Fifth Avenue and the Upper East Side. It measures 2.5 miles long and 0.5 miles wide with a total perimeter of about 6 miles. Central Park is roughly divided into thirds. From north to south, they are the North End, north of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir; Mid-Park, between the reservoir to the north and the Lake and Conservatory Water to the south; and South End, south of the Lake and Conservatory Water. The park contains five visitor centers: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Belvedere Castle, Chess & Checkers House, the Dairy, and Columbus Circle. While planting and land form in much of the park appear natural, it was almost entirely landscaped during the 1850s and 1860s. The park contains seven lakes and ponds that have been created artificially by damming natural seeps and flows. There are several wooded sections, in addition to lawns, the meadows, and many minor grassy areas. In addition, there are 21 children's playgrounds, as well as 6.1 miles of drives, located within the boundaries of Central Park. Central Park is the fifth-largest park in New York City, behind Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Van Cortlandt Park, the Staten Island Greenbelt, and Pelham Bay Park. Central Park is located on 843 acres of land, making it larger than two of the world's smallest nations, Monaco and Vatican City. Central Park constitutes its own United States census tract, numbered 143. According to American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the park's population in 2017 was four people, all female, with a median age of 19.8 years. Though the 2010 United States Census counted 25 residents within census tract 143, park officials have rejected the claim of anyone permanently living there. Central Park is the most visited urban park in the United States and one of the most visited tourist attractions worldwide, with 42 million visitors in 2016.