☞ WALK: The Conservatory Garden in Bloom

The Brooklyn Botanical Garden has one of the greatest collections of spring cherry blossoms in the city but a trip to Central Park's Conservatory Garden takes less time and also does an adequate job for bloom enthusiast. They are not quite cherry blossoms but the crabapple trees provide the same overall look to the Italian garden in Central Park. Most of the blossoms are at about 85% in bloom so there is still time to get a languid stroll or afternoon picnic in. The Conservatory Garden is one of the best kept secrets to uptowners since this corner of the park is hardly ever busy. Just be forewarned that there is no sitting on the lawn at this formal garden but many of benches abound for watchers to enjoy the view.

The main entrance at the Conservatory Garden is at Vanderbilt Gate which is located at 5th Avenue and 105th Street. Take the 2,3 Train to 110th Street and walk east, then south. If you are coming from Broadway north of 110th Street, take the M4 bus, and get off at the Museum of the City of New York stop on Fifth Avenue at 104th Street. Read our past post to get more on the history of the Conservatory Garden and see the large green houses that actually existed on the site: LINK. All photos by Ulysses