Central Park, NY: Nature, Architecture and Movie Scenes Tour

Beginning at Grand Army Plaza near the Plaza Hotel, step down from a noisy metropolis to a quiet pond. With luck, a heron or egret will be in sight. Stop to admire the 'pigeon lady arch' from Home Alone 2, lined with Nova Scotia sandstone. Take photos on a little stone bridge, then stroll up winding paths. There's only one straight path in the park, and you'll discover its wonders on your way to Bethesda Fountain, the park's centerpiece. It's quite possible that couples will be having their wedding photos taken. On Saturdays, you might spy a wedding or two!
Turning west, you'll come upon a cast-iron Victorian bridge over Central Park Lake. Grand apartment building reflections shimmer over the water: The Dakota, the Langham, the San Remo and others. Celebrity homes.
Climb up to a 19th-century carriage turn, where the rich and powerful of the old days rested their horses.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono lived across from the park for ten years before he was murdered in front of The Dakota. Yoko, raising funds from more than 100 nations, created a teardrop-shaped international peace garden within the park, to honor this man of peace. We'll linger in Strawberry Fields for a moment.
Finally moving southward to return to Midtown, you'll come upon 19th-century statuary - a US soldier and an Italian revolutionary - just before the park's grand restaurant, Tavern On The Green. Looming over us from across the avenue will be the haunted apartment building from Ghostbusters (and Buddy's family home in Elf)! A few minutes ahead, you may stand on the little 'snowball fight' bridge from Elf.
Supertall skyscrapers will greet us as we return to Midtown at Columbus Circle. Just half a mile from the starting point and close to several subway lines!