Hyde Park vs Central Park Parks are oasis of calm and tranquillity in the middle of the madness of the city. Hyde park and Central park are the largest open space in each respective city. Both are steeped in history, charm and beauty. Central Park dates back to 1859 and at 843 acres is an almost a perfect square patch of grass. One of the most popular and romantic ways to view the park is on a horse drawn carriage so one can look at its various features at a leisurely pace. Like so much of New York best places there is so much to see it is difficult to know where to start. There are statues like Alice in Wonderland, the Angel of Waters fountain, a zoo and the famous Bow Bridge. Seasonal features include a free open air theatre during the summer months and in winter there is ice skating. Hyde Park is a London Royal Park and was owned by King Henry VIII. It is 630 acres with a perimeter of 4 miles, and seeps into Kensington Gardens. Features of the park include the spectacular Serpentine Lake popular for boating and sailing, and the statue of Peter Pan. To the South of the Serpentine is Rotten Row, the fashionable riding track through the park. The park also features Queen Victoria's monument to her husband the Albert memorial. The best thing about Hyde Park is the quintessentially British and eccentric Speaker's Corner at Marble Arch where subjects exercise their right to free speech on a variety of controversial and contentious subjects including religion, politics, fox hunting, trade unions and the world. It is for this very reason Hyde Park wins.