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A picturesque view of the Davis Center greets pedestrians who follow the water from the Loch to the Harlem Meer.  

History and Design of the Davis Center

Local families will likely remember the old Lasker Rink and Pool, which formerly occupied the space this gleaming new project now calls home. But, the 8-acre project is really a throwback to the park's original design, reconnecting the park's northern reaches with the rest of Central Park by integrating smart design choices into the landscape and reopening the water flow between the Loch and the Harlem Meer.

As the water flows from the Loch to the Harlem Meer, so too will pedestrian traffic along a stream that cascades down a series of mini waterfalls as it marks the perimeter of the project before spilling into the Harlem Meer, which received some upgrades to its outline, too—a bridge allows you to traverse the stream before connecting to a floating boardwalk on its southwestern end. Visitors can meander along its edge, looking for the local waterfowl and the turtles that populate its waters.

Design for the project was spearheaded by Susan T. Rodriguez of Susan T. Rodriguez Architecture & Design, in collaboration with Christopher Nolan, former chief landscape architect of the Central Park Conservancy, and Mitchell Giurgola served as executive architect. Unlike its predecessor, Lasker, which stood out like a sore thumb in the otherwise bucolic landscape, the Davis Center's architecture utilizes the park's geography and topography in concert with the smart design choices, allowing the physical building and landscape to work together. Indeed, once the newly planted greenery takes root, it will be hard to spot the footprint thanks to shifting the building into the slant of the hill and giving it a green roof.

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A welcoming marriage of the green space with the Davis Center's interior invites visitors to linger for a while. 

Recreation and Programming at the Davis Center

While Lasker Rink was home to a pair of ice skating rinks by winter, and a swimming pool in the summer, it was—for much of the year and to much of the public—fenced off. The Davis Center changes that. Visitors to the site in the spring and fall will be able to step onto the Harlem Oval, a movable turf lawn built atop the footprint of the new Gottesman Pool, which opens to the city this summer as one of the Parks Department's FREE swimming pools.

For most of the year, the Davis Center's physical building serves as a place of respite. A large, sun-filled room greets visitors with 14-foot-tall sliding glass doors that can swing open to the oval or pool deck on warm weather days, briging the outside in. There's tons of seating with custom-built picnic tables designed for the space. It was easy to picture this atrium as a popular spot for everyone from picnickers to creative types looking for a little natural inspiration during their workday. There are public restrooms, water fountains, and even bottle filling stations. Soon, a concession stand will open, and the hope is a local Harlem restaurant will serve as its concessioner.

The Central Park Conservancy plans to run the facility rather than offering its use to the highest bidder. Its focus is on offering FREE and low-cost programming, drawing the community in. Indeed, the calendar is already peppered with fun events from Games on the Green to Funkaerobics and Sunset Yoga.

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In the summer, the Gottesman Pool offers a respite from heat and humidity. Rendering courtesy of the Susan T. Rodriguez Architecture & Design

The Gottesman Pool at the Davis Center

During swimming season—annually from late June through Labor Day—Davis Center access is limited to swimming patrons who follow the rules of NYC pools, including bringing their locks for the on-site locker room.

While the physical footprint of the pool is slightly smaller than its predecessor, it's still larger than an Olympic-sized pool and offers a completely new experience. Parents of little ones can appreciate the fact it's zero-entry and has a maximum depth of 3-feet-8 inches. A splash pad will be installed on the pool deck, too.

The Ice Rink at the Davis Center

Come winter, ice skating will again return to northern Central Park thanks to the opening of the Davis Center. A single ice skating rink will be situated on the site and the Central Park Conservancy will manage its programming and ticketing—again with an emphasis on FREE and low-cost programming to the local community.

RELATED: Best Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks in NYC for Families

Know Before You Go to The Davis Center at the Harlem Meer

• The best entrance for direct access to The Davis Center is 110th Street and Lenox Avenue, but you can also enjoy a lovely stroll through the North Woods and past the Loch if you enter at 103rd and Central Park West.
• Save time to explore the rest of this lovely section of the park, including the destination-worthy East 110th Playground, the Dana Discovery Center, which offers catch-and-release fishing and more family programming, and the beautifully manicured Conservatory Garden, which is in full bloom right now.
• Bookmark the Davis Center website and our own Mommy Poppins calendar for updates on the FREE and low-cost programming at the Davis Center at the Harlem Meer.

Unless noted, all photos by author