#140 of 2,463 things to do in New York City

Bodies of Water

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The area

Address

Neighbourhood: Central Park

How to get there

96th St • 6 min walk
86th St • 10 min walk

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Best nearby

We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.

Restaurants

7,091 within 3 miles

Bluestone Lane

158

0.4 mi££ - £££ • Cafe • Australian • Vegetarian friendly

Pascalou

263

0.4 mi££ - £££ • French • European • Vegetarian friendly

The Consulate UWS

433

0.6 mi££ - £££ • French • American • Steakhouse

Paola's Restaurant

314

0.4 mi££ - £££ • Italian • Vegetarian friendly • Vegan options

Billy’s Hot Dog Cart

12

0.3 mi£ • Quick Bites • American

Cafe Sabarsky

714

0.5 mi££ - £££ • German • Austrian • Cafe

Table D'Hote

101

0.4 mi££ - £££ • French • European • Gluten free options

Island

149

0.4 mi££ - £££ • American • Seafood • Contemporary

Heavenly Rest Stop

38

0.4 mi££ - £££ • Cafe • Vegetarian friendly

Perfect Picnic

56

0.4 mi££ - £££ • Italian • American • European

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Attractions

2,569 within 6 miles

Central Park

134,121

0.6 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Parks

The Jewish Museum

494

0.3 miSpeciality Museums

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

55,315

0.7 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Art Museums

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

600

0.4 miHistoric Sites • Art Museums

0.5 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Historic Walking Areas

American Museum of Natural History

26,338

0.8 miNatural History Museums

Manhattan Skyline

21,502

2 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks

Upper West Side

884

0.8 miNeighbourhoods • Points of Interest & Landmarks

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See what travellers are saying

therichastill
Stevenage, United Kingdom3,237 contributions
Not Where You Would Expect It
Right in the heart of New York City. In the middle of Central Park. That is not where I thought I would find a reservoir! Coming from the UK I am used to finding reservoirs in wild, desolate areas where there is no one about. Things are different in the USA. The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis reservoir is named after the former First Lady and this is a nice tribute. It is a huge body of water and is surrounded by trees. I like that there is a path all the way round it and you are encouraged to go round it in an anti-clockwise direction (although I saw a few people bucking the trend). A very nice location and if you are someone who enjoys being close to water you will appreciate it.
Visited October 2023
Travelled solo
Written 18 October 2023
TravelingSoccerLoon
Saint Paul, Minnesota5,847 contributions
Great Place for a Walk or Jog with Scenic Views
Named after the former First Lady given her contributions to the city and as she was known to jog here, this huge body of water located in the northern section of Central Park provides for some amazingly scenic views with the city rising up behind the trees surrounding the reservoir. Great place to walk or jog on a sunny day. You are supposed to walk around the path in a counterclockwise fashion so don't be one of the annoying fools traveling the wrong direction.
Visited May 2023
Travelled solo
Written 10 April 2024
FLHarlock
Tavares, Florida4,942 contributions
Big water!
Visiting Central Park and decided to walk around the reservoir. Cannot believe this is all man made. Excellent walking path with spectacular water views. Very happy we did this. Highly recommended!
Visited June 2024
Travelled as a couple
Written 8 June 2024

These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5

158 reviews

Excellent

77

Very good

65

Average

14

Poor

0

Terrible

2

TravelingSoccerLoon

Saint Paul, MN5,847 contributions

Great Place for a Walk or Jog with Scenic Views

May 2023 • Solo

Named after the former First Lady given her contributions to the city and as she was known to jog here, this huge body of water located in the northern section of Central Park provides for some amazingly scenic views with the city rising up behind the trees surrounding the reservoir. Great place to walk or jog on a sunny day. You are supposed to walk around the path in a counterclockwise fashion so don't be one of the annoying fools traveling the wrong direction.

Written 10 April 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sondra W

Manhattan Beach, CA608 contributions

An oasis among a bustling city

Jun 2021

Nice tranquil reservoir with iconic views. Great way to go out and stretch your legs. Get off at 85th on the metro, and walk in. About 1.5 miles. Go towards the end of the day to get out of the heat and feel like you have really escaped the City!

Written 20 June 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

FLHarlock

Tavares, FL4,942 contributions

Big water!

Jun 2024 • Couples

Visiting Central Park and decided to walk around the reservoir. Cannot believe this is all man made. Excellent walking path with spectacular water views. Very happy we did this. Highly recommended!

Written 8 June 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lambretta101

Gourock, UK4,825 contributions

An oasis of tranquility

Jan 2020 • Couples

I just love everything about Central Park and New York and the JKO Reservoir is no different. Calm and tranquil and a pleasure to walk around.

Written 11 August 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RunningDuff

165 contributions

Great spot

Dec 2014 • Solo

I spent 2 weeks in NY for the marathon and ran past this most days and never got sick of it. The whole park is amazing and this is defiantly worth a look.

Written 10 November 2015

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ben T

Sydney, Australia210 contributions

Beautiful view

Apr 2019 • Couples

A gorgeous part of Central Park, very tranquil and with a stunning view. From the east looking west, it captures a great aspect of New York City and is a beautiful walk.

Written 25 April 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

travelspostcards2018

Singapore, Singapore7 contributions

Nice place to photo shoot!

Feb 2018 • Couples

An another place to take some photos in NYC. Nice view and walkway. We thought the place is always crowded, but also beautiful with the people. It was nice to be there.

Written 14 February 2018

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

vagabondginger

Alicante, Spain1,251 contributions

Central Park

Oct 2021

On previous trips to NYC I have walked various areas of Central Park so this time I wanted to seek out this big body of water right in the heart of this big city. It is located in the Park between 86th & 96th, it is 106 acres, 40 feet deep, has over 1 billion gallons of water and has a mile & a half running path around it. At the time of its construction back in 1858, it was actually the world's largest man made body of water, but it no longer distributes NYC's water supply. In 1994 it was renamed after Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to honor her contributions to the city. The windows of her 5th Avenue apartment on the Upper East Side overlooked this area and she enjoyed jogging here as has President Obama and many others. My walk was actually from the Upper West Side across the park to the East Side and back stopping to take a look at all this water with the background of the city buildings. Remarkable.

Written 3 November 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RubyHannah

Canberra, Australia70 contributions

Wonderful walk in the city

May 2017

I felt like I was in a movie walking around the reservoir - I think I've seen it in so many. You get great views of the upper west side. The park is beautifully maintained and you can get some exercise while enjoying the greenery

Written 27 May 2017

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LWL3333

Wellington, FL17,965 contributions

Oasis

Jul 2016 • Couples

This quiet body of water somewhat insulated from the noise and activity of the city, is located just west of 5th Ave. within Central Park. It is easily accessible from the museum mile on 5th Ave. and therefore can be combined with other sightseeing opportunities nearby. My wife and I went to the Jewish Museum on the same day.

Written 13 November 2016

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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