Community Corner

SEE: Photo Series Celebrates Central Park As Refuge Amid Pandemic

"When I think back on this time, I'll always remember that when everything else fell away, #MyCentralPark remained," one parkgoer wrote.

"When I think back on this time, I’ll always remember that when everything else fell away, #MyCentralPark remained," one parkgoer wrote.
"When I think back on this time, I’ll always remember that when everything else fell away, #MyCentralPark remained," one parkgoer wrote. (Contributed by @NYCWestSide, used with permission)

CENTRAL PARK, NY — As she fights the coronavirus pandemic with the rest of New York City's healthcare workers, weekend trips to Central Park for Dr. Nora Bergasa have become about more than fresh air.

"I feel the opportunity for rebirth in the wind," Bergasa, chief of medicine at Metropolitan Hospital Center, wrote on Instagram. "And those moments of silence where you can be on your own, looking at the colors, for me that is the most important thing. That reminder that nature gives us those colors to enjoy and to remind us that there is always tomorrow."

Bergasa is one of many New Yorkers who are sharing how Central Park has become a sanctuary as they stay home, or work through, the coronavirus pandemic as part of a new photo series led by Central Park Conservancy.

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The conservancy asks parkgoers to post their stories about what the park means to them with the hashtag #MyCentralPark.

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"Every New Yorker has a unique relationship with the Park," the conservancy writes. "The fresh air, expansive views, and ample space for social distancing allow us to recharge physically and mentally during these unsettling times."

So far, New Yorkers have shared stories about stress-relieving runs through the park, eerily empty visits to Strawberry Fields and the appreciation for all workers who keep the park open.

"When I think back on this time, I’ll always remember that when everything else fell away, #MyCentralPark remained," one parker wrote.

Here's a peek at their stories:

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