When I went to New York city, Central Park was not on my must-see list because there were so many other attractions and I didn't even have enough time to see them all. Also, I am not particularly interested in parks cause I've seen a lot of these in England. But my gang insisted that we should go so I had to follow. And it didn't disappoint me at all.
Looking at the NYC map, you'll find that Central Park covers almost half of Manhattan. Therefore it's huge, and you definitely need a map or you'll definitely get lost. This is the place where New Yorkers go, after work, or on weekends, with families. You can do all sorts of outdoor activities in here. There are sports grounds, lakes, skating ground, restaurants, and paths with street performers and so on. It was summertime when we went there and the park was very crowded at some spots, especially at where the performers are and around the skating ground. It's an excellent place for pinic if you have plenty of time to kill in New York.