The Ramble — Central Park

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West Drive near 79th St Transverse, New York, NY, New York, 10024, United States

A 36-acre woodland in the heart of Central Park, between the 66th and 79th Street transverses, that served for decades as New York's best-known outdoor cruising ground. George Chauncey documented the north lawn as "the Fruited Plain" by the 1920s; Arthur Tress photographed the scene here in 1969. The winding paths and dense cover drew men from the Village and beyond, though police entrapment and bashings were common. Today it is calmer and popular with birders, but the queer history is extensively documented by the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project. Public sexual activity remains illegal in New York — stay discreet and aware.