The Dancing Crane Café at the Central Park Zoo is open to both zoo visitors and outside patrons. It has both indoor and outdoor seating, and features relatively inexpensive fare, such as sandwiches, snacks and drinks. It is located at 64th St. and Fifth Avenue. Le Pain Quotidien provides light fare such as sandwiches and bakery items. There are sit-down options both inside and on the terrace. You can also walk up to place your order and take it to go. The café provides extended-range Wi-Fi so you can check your email either on the pavilion or in nearby Sheep Meadow. It is located mid-park at 69th St.

If you want to sit and sip an alcoholic beverage in an elegant setting, Petrie Court Café and Wine Bar is for you. Located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Central Park as a backdrop, this European-style restaurant by day serves lunch, Sunday brunch and afternoon tea, and by night transforms into a swank wine bar. It is on Fifth Ave. at 82nd St. And of course there's Tavern On The Green. This restaurant is one of New York's iconic dining spots, attracting thousands of diners every year, and it has also been known as the place to be seen in New York City.

Trains: Along Central Park West the B,C trains stop at 96th, 103rd, and 110th St. At 110th and Lenox the 2,3 trains stop and then head to the UWS to 96th and Broadway.

Buses: At 96th St the M96 and M106 bus run crosstown across the park. The M10 bus runs along Central Park West, and the M1, M2, M3, and M4 buses run along 5th Ave and 110th St. MTA Link