Central Park (2004)
by Bond No. 9

The top notes are strange green ones. Smells like some kind of food that I've had on some rare occassion, but I can't put my finger on it. The basil is definitely a factor, but there's more to it.

A little more citrus seems to come out as mid notes. Lemon, mainly.

I didn't really smell any distinctive basenote. But I did not apply a great quantity, so this could be a factor perhaps.

This fragrance seems to play it safe for the most part. Not very likely to offend. It is well done, but lacks some of the boldness of some other Bond no 9 scents. I could imagine it being a bit more potent in warmer weather though.

Wow, that's gonna leave a mark! Central Park is an extremely Green/Citrus scent with typical Bond lasting power. Reminiscent of an old-school Citrus like 4711, but much more modern and wearable. The Verbena stands front and center here, like no other I've come across. Really classy.

I admit to being a relative newbie as regards the critical assessment of fragrances...Having said that, this strikes me as VERY citrusy and only minimally green in the top notes and throughout. I'm not getting the apparent "green overdose" cited by others to such an extent that I wonder if some are confusing this with Bond's sharp, unapologetically green Gramercy Park.

Anyways, on my skin this dries down very gradually to reveal SWEET florals still laden with the opening citrus medley. Someone below referred to this frag as semi-gourmand, and I agree 1000%. The base seems closely related to that of other Bonds I've sampled; that is, it is musky but decidedly light and androgynous and very, very smooth. In fact, the whole presentation is nicely rounded - there's nothing that seems incongruous. Sillage could be better (although warmer temps will help), but longevity (as with all the Bonds) is well above average. I would say this is definitely a classic spring/summer go-to frag for men and women alike.

Holy smokes! Given the right temp and this is a powerfully fresh, cool and crisp scent. I smell cool limey water - like standing under an icy waterfall, smelling lime trees all around. This is summer. The whole thing stays limey, and becomes more woody and faintly musky towards the end. It's transparent like others have mentioned, mostly due to the use of cedar and not sandalwood. But I always wondered what sandalwood might have done here - probably given it more dense spices, which would have made it more adaptable to all temps. When it's cooler around, and the body does not heat up, it still smells great, but loses that refreshing waterfall effect. Instead, I get a weird almost buttery note with the green freshness lost somewhere in the background. Its projection does not actually change as much, but this was made for hot, and preferably humid weather. It is masculine - I honestly can't see a girl wearing this and being sexy - too woody. I can sort of compare this with Riverside Drive, but Riverside is that sandalwoody spicey scent with a beautiful basil top. Riverside is definitely a richer fragrance, but when the heat's calling, I only have one choice and that is Central Park.

I love the verbena at the top and if you like green, this is isn't half bad. The woody and musky finish is particularly well done also. I prefer Little Italy for the summer from this House, but may succumb to CP for a change or if the summer is endless.

So far my absolute favorite! On my skin, there's nothing else that smells quite like it.