At over 840 acres, Central Park is bigger than the nation of Monaco—and every hill, pond, and path was built by hand. But the real history of New York’s most famous park lies below the surface. Beneath the lawns are traces of forgotten neighborhoods, lost infrastructure, and tunnels that shaped Manhattan’s rise to power.

In this episode, we uncover what truly lies under Central Park: the remains of Seneca Village, one of America’s first communities of free Black landowners; the massive Croton Reservoir that once supplied New York’s water; and the modern tunnels that keep the city alive today. Along the way, we’ll separate fact from legend and reveal how the park’s buried past tells the story of New York itself.