New York's relentless hustle and bustle can really ware you out. The perfect antidote is a day's walking in beautiful Central Park. Produced by Catherine Stubbs.

New York's relentless hustle and bustle can really ware you out. The perfect antidote is a day's walking in beautiful Central Park. Produced by Catherine Stubbs.

BURIED within every corner and crevice in Central Park lies a hidden code that not even many seasoned New Yorkers know about.

And it’s no surprise, they’re not easy to spot. But once you do, they’re everywhere. And its all because of the park’s sheer size.

For decades the city of New York has made efforts to mark the lamp posts within Central Park with embossed, numbered metal plaques.

The lamp posts contain a series of numbers that to the uneducated eye might look like a serial number. But the truth is far more interesting.

They are in fact a map to help lost souls navigate throughout the park, which spans a whopping 843 acres along 51 blocks. For Central Park’s 45 million annual tourists, this is New York City’s urban jungle — and without the help of Google Maps, it’s easy to lose your way.

The code has changed over the years and different variations are seen on different lampposts, depending on its age (the first were erected in 1907).

The first two numbers indicate the closest cross-street in your vicinity.

The second two indicate the lamp post number within that block.

Newer versions usually include a “W” to indicate you’re on the West side of Manhattan, or an “E” to indicate you’re on the East side. “C” means you’re in the Centre of the park.

The numbers were originally painted on the lampposts, some have sat there for decades, others have clearly been replaced with newer versions.

It’s easy to ignore in this modern age of technology and instant answers, but when you’re battery has run out of your phone, this might just be the lifesaver you need.

#NYC tip: lamp posts in #CentralPark indicate where you are. So, this marks West 72nd St, light post 4.#Triumphwalks pic.twitter.com/pOeJdMdXuX — Carol Cain (@GirlGoneTravel) November 5, 2014