The Brooklyn Botanic Garden spans 52 acres and boasts a thoughtfully planned layout. Originally designed by the Olmsted Brothers in 1910, it has welcomed visitors since 1911. The garden is home to an authentic Japanese garden, a delightful Children's Garden, and the vibrant Cranford Rose Garden.
One of the garden's standout features is its impressive collection of cherry blossom trees. With 42 stunning varieties, it holds the largest gathering of these trees outside of Japan. During spring, these blossoms provide a breathtaking display of nature's beauty.
Throughout the year, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden hosts a variety of festivities that attract visitors from near and far. In May, the Hanami Sakura celebration highlights the cherry blossoms at their peak. Later in the year, October brings the flavorful Chile Pepper Festival, adding a spicy twist to the garden's events.
Source - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_Botanic_Garden
The lesser-known historic district on the other side of the Park. It was developed at the turn of the 20th century by Dean Alvord as one of the first suburbs.
A small museum dedicated to finance and the markets, with exhibits that change periodically. Closed to find a new location as of Mar 2024.
This 11 acre lake is one of Central Park's finest spots; surrounded by flowering trees and inhabited by several fish and turtle species.
One of the Seven Sisters colleges, and is affiliated with Columbia University.
The interior of this Episcopal church is a peaceful place, and both the exterior and interior are architecturally harmonious and worth looking at if you are walking nearby.
Sitting on Vista Rock, one of the highest points in the park, the castle provides excellent views of Central Park, particularly to the north. It is a popular spot for photography and contains a visitor center and a nature conservatory. Just below the castle to the north is Turtle Pond, a small, swamp-like pond holding various fish, frogs, insects, and birds.
This beach is a pleasant place to relax. The water is safe enough to swim in, but it's not the best you can get (you'd get a better deal down the Jersey Shore or on Long Island). The boardwalk, one of the longest in the United States, is great for running or biking.
Supported by the Museum of Modern Art, this innovative (and cheap) contemporary art museum is in a former public school building. The conversion left most of the original features of the school - the large ex-classrooms are perfect for installations - and the bathrooms are a blast from the past. P.S.1 is a few blocks south on Jackson Avenue from the Citibank tower; the entrance is a concrete slab (how fitting) which occludes view of the school itself. P.S.1 also has a nice cafe and outdoor seats.
This massive apartment building has been (and is!) home to many celebrities. Probably best known was the former Beatle John Lennon, who was gunned down outside the building on December 8, 1980, by a crazed fan. Lennon had been living at the Dakota with his second wife, Yoko Ono, who still resides in the building. A memorial to the former Beatle exists nearby in Central Park. The building has become a popular place of pilgrimage for many who admire Lennon.
On a triangular city block between Broadway, Park Row and Chambers Street sits City Hall, a gorgeous gleaming white building completed in 1812, which still hosts the mayor's office and the New York City Council chambers. The building itself is fenced off and only accessible by tour, but there is a lovely park surrounding the building, with plenty of shady trees and a pleasant fountain just to the south of the building. Just north of City Hall and on the same block is the 40.71337-74.005552 Tweed Courthouse, a gorgeous government structure and the legacy of Tammany Hall boss William M. Tweed, who used the courthouse project to embezzle large sums of money from the city budget and was convicted in a courtroom in this building.
A children's museum home to exhibits featuring Adventures with Dora & Diego.
This beautiful park extends along the Hudson River north of Riverside Park and features wonderful views of the George Washington Bridge and New Jersey and a community feel.
Built as a pavilion for the 1964 World's Fair, this science center is now full of hands-on exhibits for the public. Highlights include Sports Challenge, Rocket Park (featuring full sized Atlas and Titan tickets), and a science playground.
American woman Jacques Marchais had a dream of traveling to Tibet. While she never made it, her extensive collection of Tibetan artifacts was made into a museum in 1947. The museum now holds over 120 pieces of beautiful Tibetan art. The museum's authenticity was praised by the Dalai Lama.