There's been a lot debate lately about whether Central Park is safe for pedestrians because there are some e-bike riders using it to get around the city safely.
Well, Rip Van Winkle called and he wants to tell you something: You have no clue about how dangerous Central Park used to be.
Thankfully, we have at our disposal Clarence Eckerson and his 25-year, 45,000-hour archive of footage from the Bad Old Days of New York City. The Streetfilms auteur stitched together some old footage from the days when car drivers had free rein in Central Park, and the two minutes of unembellished footage will make your hair stand on end.
Play it at full volume to get the full effect of the noise and horror of a park filled with cars:
For those claiming that @CentralParkNYC is now more dangerous than ever, maybe you need a reminder that isn't true. Not even close. (2002)@StreetsblogNYC @OpenPlans @bfurnas @jonorcutt @kencoughlin @BobaCyclist @TransAlt @bikenewyork @NYC_DOT @2AvSagas @JessieSingerNYC pic.twitter.com/l6mbrxHMWD
— Streetfilms (Now 1,134+ films!) (@Streetfilms) January 15, 2026
