the-boathouse

The Loeb Boathouse

The Loeb Boathouse is a Central Park icon and the place to go if you want to rent a boat or go for a ride with a gondola! Not only that, but the restaurant is one of the best and most famous all over New York! You’ve probably seen The Boathouse in movies like When Harry Met Sally or Manchurian Candidate.

Boating on The Lake traces its roots back to the 1860s. In 1872 Calvert Vaux answered the need of a boathouse by creating a beautiful two-story Victorian building.
Between 1924 and 1950s the first boathouse was replaced by a somewhat mysterious wooden structure. Not much can be found about it, except that it by the 1950s was in a need of a repair.

The boathouse that we know today was created thanks to the generous donation by businessman Carl M. Loeb and $110,000 from NYC Parks, and was completed in 1954. The restaurant was opened in 1983 after a renovation for around $750,000.

The Loeb Boathouse is popular among birdwatchers. There’s even a notebook in the restaurant that allows enthusiasts to note their sightings.
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