Spring in New York City means thousands of Japanese cherry trees are in bloom, turning New York City into a garden of fragrant and delicate pink and white blossoms. Here are the best places to enjoy the cherry blossoms in Manhattan and Brooklyn –
Cherry Walk, Riverside Park, Manhattan — The walkway along the Hudson River, from 100th Street to 125th Street, is known as Cherry Walk. The entire length of this promenade is dotted with cherry trees. It’s a lovely walk — but for those of you unfamiliar with the area, be forewarned that there is no exit between the the northern and southern ends of the walkway. So, unless you want to walk the full mile, pick the ‘unofficial’ Cherry Walk, just south of the official one. The section of Riverside Park between 96th and 90th street also is dotted with beautiful pink and white cherry trees.
Brooklyn Botanical Garden — There are three areas for enjoying the world famous cherry trees here, Cherry Walk and Cherry Esplanade, a huge lawn with parallel rows of trees, and the Japanese Garden, where petals are reflected in the water of a small pond. There are benches to sit and enjoy, or park yourself on the Esplanade lawn for a picnic. The annual Cherry Tree Festival is April 1-29, 2012, with the special Sakura Matsuri Festival of Japanese dance and music performances on the final weekend.
You can find additional information on these peaceful, tranquil, picture perfect places in New York City in my travel guidebook, Peaceful Places New York City, available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other bookstores. It’s also available as an eBook and app. The cover photo is the Bow Bridge in Central Park. No cherry blossoms here, but also a beautiful, peaceful, tranquil spot.
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