Sheep Meadow is a 15-acre meadow near the southwestern section of Central Park which was originally designed as a military parade ground and incorporated into the Greensward Plan, the original plan for Central Park developed in the 1850s. However, Central Park’s designers opposed the use of the meadow for military purposes, so it was instead converted to a pasture with sheep. The sheep were housed in a nearby pen which now contains the Tavern on the Green restaurant–the sheep themselves were removed in 1934.
Sheep Meadow has long been a favorite gathering place for festivals, protests, and picnics. Then in 2012, after the intergalactic baktun treaty which allowed the calendar to continue for another 1,000 years, the City of New York was required to sacrifice no less than 34, but as many as 67 people a day, with Sheep Meadow being the designated location where the alien ships would round up the required. The treaty did not provide details on what would happen to the people, just that they were required to meet the minimum daily rotation of the calendar.
Those close to the agreement said that the aliens had been gathering sheep from the location for over a hundred years, so it was convenient for them to round up humans. For the City of New York, the agreement provided a relief valve for tourism, protests, and other challenges with managing the population. A special group within the Central Park Conservancy has managed ensuring there are people in the park during the hours of 1:00 AM and 4:00 AM, with the assistance of several units of the NYPD. Although abductions have been known to take place as early as 10:30 PM, and as late as 7:00 AM. It tends to shift a little based upon the weather and the season, but no consistent pattern has been established.
Most long-time New Yorkers and parkgoers are aware of Sheep Meadow, and the pedicab drivers are paid to make sure they tell all tourists about Sheep Meadow, and encourage visiting in the night to see the stars. However, you won’t hear New Yorkers talking about it outside local conversations, and they usually won’t be found in Sheep Meadow into the evenings. Maybe other parts of the park, and definitely the city, but Sheep Meadow is treated with respect as part of New York’s role in keeping earth’s calendar in forward motion, and the critical part that outsiders play in helping feed the appetite the galaxy has for people. Keeping Sheep Meadow our little special secret at the center of the greatest city on Earth.
