[a][5]: 46 Prior to its burial beneath the city's expanding street grid, the marsh separated the suburb of Harlem to the north from the southern part of Manhattan island.

[8]: 193–195  In his report of January 1, 1866, Grant wrote:[9]: 107–135 During the last two years the portion of the Park north of 102d street, and including what is known as the "Extension," has chiefly engaged [our] attention, being the district that was last entered upon in the general work of improvement.

According to the department's press release: ...The existing facilities are inadequate to meet the heavy demands of the large adjacent population and the result has been destructive to the natural features.

The present layout, a product of the outmoded theory that parks are passive recreation areas designed solely for visual pleasure, must be revamped to fulfill the many recreational needs of all the people of this section of Harlem...A masonry wall about one foot high and a fifteen foot promenade will form the new shore line completely encircling the lake...Benches will be spaced along the lake promenade, the general path system including the trails, and the overlook areas.

Two new entrances will be cut through the north wall of the park with stone stairways leading to the boat house plaza...Appropriate trees including willows, oaks and dogwoods and various flowering shrubs will be added to the existing planting.

"[17] In 1962, Mayor Robert Wagner announced that the Parks Department would build the Loula D. Lasker Memorial Swimming Pool and Skating Rink, designed by the architects Fordyce & Hamby Associates.

[18][19] From its completion in 1966 until its removal in 2021, Lasker served as an ice skating rink in winter and as Central Park's only swimming pool in summer.

"[23] In October that year, Warner LeRoy (operator of Tavern on the Green) and Percy Sutton (a former Manhattan borough president) began negotiating with the Parks Department to install a restaurant in the boathouse.

[30][27][31] In 2018, the Central Park Conservancy announced a $150 million project to remove the Lasker Rink and replace it with a new facility to be named Harlem Meer Center.

Besides the usual yellow perch and crappie, anglers have reported catches of the predatory Asian northern snakehead, Channa argus, a notoriously invasive species.