Whether you are visiting attractions in New York City or heading out to enjoy New York in the fall, it’s common to want to think about the dangers of the dark.
We are well aware of this and it’s common for people to want to stay indoors during the night.
With this in mind, we often wonder about some of the major attractions in New York City and whether or not it’s safe to be there when the sun goes down. Is this something we should not be doing if we want to stay safe?
For this article, we are going to look at Central Park at night.
This is going to include pinpointing whether or not you can go to Central Park at night and if it is safe to do so.
Hours Of Central Park
It’s important to start with the basic hours of Central Park.
For the most part, Central Park is only open between 6 AM and 1 AM. This means anything after this is going to be when the park is closed.
We generally recommend locals and tourists avoid going to Central Park when it’s closed because you are not going to have the same protection as you otherwise would when it’s open.
Central Park At Night
Now that we have mentioned the hours, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty of whether or not you should be heading there as the sun goes down.
Central Park is a popular spot, so it is going to attract people.
We have seen this whenever we are in New York City. However, since the park is closed for 5 hours in the middle of the night, it is best not to go there during these hours.
The one thing we have noticed about Central Park is that it still brings people to its grounds during these hours. We have seen numerous people running around, walking, or just sitting in the dark because it’s something they like doing.
Is this something we would recommend doing? No, it is not the most ideal approach in any major city including New York City because you are going to be walking around in a park that’s closed.
Lots Of Runners
For the most part, we tend to see late-night runners at Central Park.
These are individuals who are going to be running around, exploring the park, and just making the most of their hours based on their schedules.
They will prefer running at night and we do see many locals doing this. When you have grown up in an area, you get used to being in these situations.
As a result, it is not going to be too dangerous but it’s still not something we are going to recommend.
No Gates
You have to realize Central Park does not have gates.
This means they are going to have “closing hours” but that does not mean a lock is going to be set up on the main gate so you can’t go in.
Instead, you can still go into the park if that’s what you wish to do. There is no one out there to block your path.
NYPD
From what we have seen, there is a police presence around Central Park at all hours of the night. This includes when Central Park is closed.
They might not be inside the park, but they are going to be outside patrolling the area.
This is common for most NYC landmarks and the same goes for Central Park. Of course, this might not be as safe for those who are going to get into trouble within the park, but it is still a safeguard for your peace of mind.
Keep a note of this if you are thinking of going to Central Park at night.
Avoid Specific Areas In Central Park
Going to Central Park when the sun goes down does not mean you can walk into any area and feel safe. Some parts of the park are far more secluded in comparison to others and we would not be going there if we were you.
For example, it is not a good idea to go to the North Woods.
The North Woods are isolated and you are not going to be able to see where you are going while having to navigate around bridges, streams, and plants.
The same goes for going to what is known as The Ramble because this area is also isolated. It’s not easy to walk around even when you have a bit of light coming from your phone. We do love this spot when the sun is out, but not when it’s dark outside.
Final Thoughts
Going to Central Park at night is fine.
We know people are going to be apprehensive about this and might not want to head outside at night, but that does not stop locals or even tourists.
When you go here, you are going to find other people running around too!
We also want you to read about fun bars in New York City, visiting Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the legal drinking age in New York.
Amanda Harper is a travel enthusiast with 10+ years of traveling experience across the planet. Her passion for writing and travel makes her a walking bibliography on modern-day tourism.