My nephew, Kyle, created this interesting pumpkin as a birthday present to me and represent Halloween 2026
I still can’t believe that Halloween is over. I swear I blinked my eyes on the Forth of July and I am now seeing Christmas decorations. One moment it is sunny and eighty degrees and the next the leaves changed colors early and there was October, which seemed to zoom by. What is funny is that Grace, who I report to in the parade, contacted me in July to see if I was volunteering and that made time go faster.
Arriving in Manhattan to a pop up Halloween store in the subway at 42nd Street
I knew it would be a busy time for me so I glad the goal at work that all my exams and papers would be done and graded for my students so could enjoy the Halloween weekend as well and just relax. It would be full steam ahead for them as well. All the days leading up to the holiday were busy so there were a lot of late nights. I could relax and just be part of the parade on Halloween night.
Don’t be fooled by the holiday. Halloween is the new start to the Christmas holidays and people spend big money on decorations, parties, costumes and entertainment and not just in the City. The suburbs where I live Halloween decorating of homes is huge and for four years I ran our Men’s Association Halloween House Decorating Contest to showcase our residents work.
My blogs on the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association Halloween House Decorating Contest:
My across the street neighbor just loves pointing him in my house’s direction all through Halloween. The funny part is that when you Google “Giggles” the scarecrow, he now has his own byline on the Internet. Funny how things work out!
You really have to tour our town on Halloween Night to really experience the lights and decorations. People really spend a lot on decorations and some homes really decorate to the hilt. This house is decorated right near my bus stop when I return home from the City. You should see it at Christmas time as well.
My neighbors house by the bus stop into the City decorated on Halloween night
The decorations at the bus stop from Manhattan when I returned home on Halloween night
I had to be in Manhattan by 3:00pm to report to my Marshaling duties at Dominick Street in lower Manhattan so I left early for the City and ate lunch in Chinatown before I arrived at the Village. We have lucked out with the weather every year as a warm spirt seems to arrive just before Halloween and it was a beautiful but cool day that got warmer as the sun rose.
My first stop was Dumplings (Jin Mei) on Henry Street in Chinatown for their fried dumplings. This place is really catching on as the line was ten deep when I got there and twenty deep when I got to the front of the line. Their dumplings are worth it. Fifteen for $5.00 in this economy make them very popular right now. That and they are really good!
My lunch before the parade. Fried dumplings and a Coke
The Pork and Chive Fried Dumplings are so good
This was the view from the park that I eat at when I am in Chinatown just off Catherine Street
I walked to the parade route from Chinatown and I could see the City was preparing for both the Halloween Parade and the Marathon on Sunday. It was going to be a very busy weekend in the City. There was sidewalk barriers all over Lower Manhattan and the police were being placed for the night’s activities. I also saw lots of people in costume arriving in Chinatown preparing to walk in the parade.
Arriving on Dominick Street where the heart of the parade and puppet rehearsals
Preparing the puppets to start the parade
Dominick Street is where the magic of the parade starts as the puppets that were created in the Hudson Valley studios are assembled and then the puppeteer’s who perform in the parade practice before they head uptown at the beginning of the parade. Most of these puppets you will see later on YouTube at the beginning of the parade.
Lining the puppets up before the volunteers arrive
I was not too sure what this was meant to be but it really was creative
The puppets lined up in a row
These maiden witches have participated in many parades
While I checked in and started my duties for the parade, volunteers and entertainers started to arrive and thus the people started to want to sneak into the parade. This went on all night long as it usually does. Everyone ‘lives in the building in the parade route’ or everyone is ‘going to dinner’ just ‘across the street’ knowing full well the streets are blocked off and it is chaos in the streets behind us.
The puppet volunteers arrived between 4;00pm and 5:00pm to practice
The day turned into night as time zipped by and the frantic behavior of getting inside that parade route went on from 5:00pm to 7:30pm. Trying to get performers and musicians and their friends who do not have passes inside takes a lot of coordinating. We had stragglers still trying to get in at 8:00pm when their floats were long gone.
The park on Sixth Avenue and Dominick Street
We were finally able to shut the street operations at Dominick Street by 8:45pm. The parade had started at 7:00pm and most of the floats had already headed uptown. One woman was crying at 8:00pm that her friends texted her to join their float and she did not have a pass to get in. We told her to go home. These are the things I listen to all night long.
The staging area on Spring Street for all the floats
The staging is where the magic comes to life and one of the most chaotic areas of the parade. I can’t understand why people want to sneak to see it here. It is so busy and the volunteers here have a lot on their hands. Everyone is trying to get all the entertainment organized in the parade and get them uptown all while letting all the costumed people into the parade to fill in around the floats.
Letting the bands into the parade takes a lot of work
The costumed characters entering the parade at Spring Street
This part of the parade route is trying to keep things organized and not a place where the public should be standing around gawking. The whining and complaining I hear every year from these people trying to sneak in thinking that they are going to sit down on some grand stand and watch the beginning of the parade is a pipe dream. There is so much going on to run this parade and there is no place to sit down.
Our favorite coordinator in his annual costume dressed as little pig
Getting the floats ready to travel uptown
The floats on Spring Street heading uptown
I had to do everything from being in everyone’s way to get some pictures in. For people reading this blog on the Halloween Parade, this is NOT the area to best see the parade so stop trying to sneak in. Go four blocks uptown and you will see much more.
The floats kept leaving the Shute to head up Sixth Avenue
The float heading uptown
The crowds heading uptown
The crowds heading uptown
The costumed crowds heading uptown
The crowds and floats heading uptown
The costumes were so creative.
The crowds continued their route uptown
The Balloon women
Skaters making their way uptown
Looking downtown at the last of the floats heading uptown
The costumed characters heading uptown
The costumes were really creative this year
The Central Park skaters heading uptown
The last of the costumed characters heading uptown before I left at the parade route to head uptown for the Volunteers Dinner.
The last float heading uptown at the end of the parade
I walked uptown through the parade up Sixth Avenue and could not believe the crowds that night. People were packed along the parade route. The crowds thinned a bit in the Village as people saw the end of the parade coming.
The crowds in the restaurants all over lower Manhattan were packed with people. There was not one restaurant, bar, fast food place or pizzeria anywhere around the parade that was not busy. Even the neighborhood Walgreens had lines ten deep with people buying snacks and drinks. I think with everything going on from the economy to the wars to politics and justly general life, people were here just wanted to blow off some steam.
As I passed Christopher Street and the Stonewall bar, the birthplace of the Gay Liberation Movement, the place was packed with people both inside and outside the bar restaurant
I saw this painted on the wall as I walked
The decorations on top of the buildings on Christopher Street
The scary skeleton on the side of that building
The witch in one of the display windows off Christopher Street
People all over the Village devoted their homes for the Halloween holiday
I walked the entire way up to da Umberto’s Italian restaurant for our Volunteer dinner and the restaurant was already packed with volunteers who were starved from a long day working the parade. I was glad I had the dumplings earlier that day because I was now ready for dinner. The food here is wonderful and we are always grateful to the sponsors who donate this dinner to us.
Arriving at da Umberto’s at 107 West 17th Street for dinner
Joining the rest of the volunteers at the parade for dinner
Enjoying the buffet dinner. Here we have the Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary and Olive oil
The staff at da Umberto’s does a nice job and the service here is always so friendly. The food is really good here and I really enjoyed the buffet dinner they provided especially the Chicken Parmesan and the Squash Ravioli.
Here we have the pastas on the buffet line Penne Vodka and Fall squash
My dinner that night
The biscotti for dessert
After dinner was over and a nice conversation over dinner with other volunteers at the table, it was time to head home. Some people were heading for Brooklyn for the big ‘After Party’ at Industrial City. I was exhausted between work, Midterms, yard and housework and laundry, I just wanted to head home.
I walked from 16th Street up Seventh Avenue to Port Authority and I can tell you the City was packed that evening. All the restaurants above 23rd Street were just as mobbed as the ones that surrounded the Village. This was the largest crowd I have seen for the parade since before COVID when it was 72 degrees in 2019. From West 16th Street to West 42nd Street, there was not one eating establishment that did not have a crowd. Even the $1.50 Pizza Slice places had long lines long after the parade was over. The pizzeria in Port Authority, which is never that busy, had a line with people eating before they went home (their food is really quite good).
The lights of Midtown
I walked by Bryant Park and just enjoyed the views. All the lights were on in the buildings surrounding the park. It was just the perfect night to walk around. This is when the City works its true magic.
Looking downtown on Fifth Avenue to the Empire State Building
Looking up at Fifth Avenue
I walked around Bryant Park on the way back to Port Authority. The night lights around the park are dazzling.
The lights in Bryant Park
The lights around the park
The New York Public Library at night
The fountain in the park
The face in the fountain gushing that evening
With mild 60 degree weather and clear starry skies, it was a spectacular night in Manhattan for both the parade and for Halloween. The streets were packed all along the way and even around Port Authority, all the restaurants and bars were packed with people wanting to have a good time. I have never seen the City so busy on Halloween night. People were desperate for a good time and I am sure they had one. It looked like people just wanted to blow off some steam. What a night for the parade!
It is the week of Halloween in New York City and the Museum of Modern Art opened its door for a Members get together.
The MoMA was haunted on a pre-Halloween Night and members of the museum were looking for a fright!
On October 28th, the Museum of Modern Art held their annual Members Night with a Halloween theme “It’s Alive”. They asked members to dress up and carried the Halloween theme throughout the museum with entertainment, refreshments and art lectures on spooky looking art. It was a fun evening out on a warm October night.
The Costumed guests at the Museum of Modern Art
The guests were greeted at the museum with a DJ playing and a pumpkin carving display being created. On the second floor, there were arts and crafts for adults and children, while a spooky silent film played in a darkened hall. The theme of the evening was “It’s Alive” and the museum came to life with each member arriving.
Members mingling among the ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night
The sign welcoming us for the Members Evening “It’s Alive”
Many of the museums were having their Members Nights before the start of the holidays but nothing beats a night at the MoMA before Halloween night. This was no ordinary night of Trick role Treating at the museum. There was a costumed DJ spinning tunes as we entered and the whole lobby was filled with people in costume.
The lobby was the heart of the party
I love the art in the lobby
There was a pumpkin carving demonstration on the first floor when we walked in
The museum planned an array of activities to enjoy from the DJ spinning to the to the dancing and music on the first floor. Pumpkin carving and artwork to enjoy with our creative side to a spooky silent film to watch and then tour the haunted halls of the museum looking for sinister art. Movies and music on the patio as the sun set and the moon rose in the night sky.
Our directory of the evening
My first stop was the outside patio and it was just beautiful this evening with the weather warm at 65 degrees and such a pleasant night to be outside. The cool weather finally gave way to a warm week leading into Halloween. Surrealist movies were playing on the screen while the Beauty of Midtown lights gleaned in the background.
The patio was busy with people chatting and enjoying the nice weather
My video on the patio
The patio fountains were lit for the evening
I then made my way to the second floor to watch a silent horror film, ‘The Cat and the Canary’
The beginning of the film
The movie in full
The silent film “The Cat and the Canary”
Watching the silent film
The silent film “The Cat and the Canary”
While we were watching the film, the tables were set with play dough and paper to create what inspired us. I created my version of Mr. Bill. It was fun being a kid again!
The table setting our spooky instructions
The spooky instructions
My version of Mr. Bill doing the scream
My creative artwork
After my time with the arts and crafts , I sat down to watch the full film which had lots of twists and turns on it.
I needed a drink after the film was over and with it being Midterms week at work, I really needed one to relax me. I eyed the Blood Orange Margarita and watch it get mixed. They even put a small gummy eye at the bottom of the drink.
The Blood Orange Margarita sounded good after a long week of running around
The margarita looked cute but not for $17.00. I thought it was a bit small with too much ice. The candy eyeball was cute though.
As I was enjoying my drink and listening to the music, the museum laid out trays of Halloween candy like M & M’s and Tootsie rolls, which got devoured quickly. As I walked around the lobby, the main floor turning into a dance floor of witches and ghosts and many costumed characters.
The make shift dance floor on the first floor
The party continued on the first floor
I continued the evening walking the galleries of the Fifth Floor looking for Halloween art. There were talks and tours all night and I joined other members on the Fifth Floor and I found many ‘haunting’ objects in the halls of the MoMA.
Artwork on the Fifth Floor
The spider like Alexander Calder piece
The colorful surreal pieces of the Fifth Floor
A missing mysterious magician
A headless Spector rooming the halls
Colorful art dominating the Fifth floor
The party continued into the later evening with the dance floor going strong.
The costumed characters on the dance floor on the first floor
I took a break from the festivities and relaxed on the patio enjoying the warm night and admiring the lights of Midtown. With everything going on in the world today, the MoMA tricked us in for a real treat at the museum that night.
Relaxing in the patio at the end of the evening
The haunted pools of the patio relaxed me that evening.
All good things come to an end and the museum started to close down by 9:00pm. I could tell many of the party goers did not want to leave but out into the darkness we went only to be treated by the array of lights to Midtown Manhattan.
Looking at the MoMA from a distance down Seventh Avenue
Decorating for Halloween has become a big business and all signs of the Fall were around us. Unfortunately with Halloween on Saturday I was already seeing the signs of Christmas lurking in the background. Designers were putting up pine displays and decorations you could see just waiting for Halloween night to end. Still for tonight, Midtown was a haunting display.
Pumpkins lining an office building on Sixth Avenue
The Fall leaves are falling along the sides of West 55th Street
Looking down 8th Avenue at night
It was fun to walk around the City on this warm October night and enjoy the pre-Halloween festivities. Trick or Treat everyone!
I had a five week break from the college when my first Summer class was cancelled. So I concentrated on traveling through New Jersey and New York, both the City and Upstate for my blog. I wanted to revisit many historical sites that I had seen during the holiday season (was Christmas six months ago?) or in the past. There were places like Central Park, where I had not seen certain sections in the Spring. This lead to me being part of many walking tours of gardens during the month of June.
With all the wet weather we had in the Spring, the gardens in June were lush with flowers and flowering trees and plants. Pathways lined with color and walled gardens beautifully laid out. It was interesting to see how these were planted, designed and maintained.
The entrance to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in June 2026
All the rain we had in April and May and the warm days of early June had awakened the Cherry Blossoms and I visited as many locations to see them in full bloom.
Please read my blog on visiting the Cherry Blossoms:
Once they were finished, gardens came to life all over the tri-state area and many historical homes and parks came to life in a sea of color and smells that showed the power of Mother Nature to make things beautiful. I was impressed with the work of many volunteer staffs and their dedication in taking care of these sites for all of us to enjoy.
Visiting to Amour-Steiner House for the Spring Garden Tour:
The Amour-Steiner House the day of the Garden Tour
The beds were in full bloom when we toured the gardens
The colors of the flowers were patriotic red, white and blue
In between the hedges, there was elegant statuary and potted urns with colorful flowers blooming with bright hues.
The urns were filled with bright colors of the season
Statuary representing the arts and music lined the hedges
The flowers were so brilliant that afternoon
I enjoyed looking at the statuary
The gardens were so beautiful with the house in the background
As we left the gardens, I admired the ornate Fox and the Glove gate on the way out
We then crossed the lawn to tour the greenhouse, where many of the flowers were and still are grown for decorating the house both inside and out.
The landscaping has a romantic spin on it as the property was planted to accent not just the property but the house as well giving it a natural but balanced look to it.
Touring the formal greenhouse
Even the working greenhouse had a romanticized look about it that reflected the house
The inside of the greenhouse. Each side of the counters seasonal flowers are grown for the property. This greenhouse is used all year long supplying the house with a steady stream of flowers.
In the middle of the greenhouse was a beautiful Victorian aquarium that was lined with more flowers. There were no fish at this time.
I loved the beautiful flowers that lined the counters
The Spring colors were breathtaking
We then started the tour of the house starting with the outside veranda that held more urns and planters of fresh flowers
The beautiful veranda lines the entire house
The beautiful colors from the potted and hanging plants
The veranda decorated for the upcoming ‘250th Anniversary of the United States
I walked the veranda before the tour to show the view of the property.
My tour of the patio
The hanging plants
The potted plants
We even admired the birdhouse that matched the house
We then went inside to tour the house. It would be interesting to see the house without all the Christmas decorations that I saw the last time I toured the house.
The triangle room off the foyer once used as the Receiving Room
The beautiful foyer to the second floor
The main Parlor/Living Room used for entertaining
The formal Dining Room
The decorative sideboard
The other decorative sideboard
The Dining Room table set for a Spring dinner
We then started the tour of the second floor which started in the game room at the top of there landing. I remember the big Christmas tree being here when the house was decorated for the holidays.
I liked the room was the way it is here
Then we toured the bedrooms which were not that elaborate but functional and comfortable as they are today.
One of several bedrooms on the second floor
The bathroom which is considered normal today was ahead of its time with flushing toilets and hot and cold running water
The office off the side in one of the Octagon corners
The Egyptian Room was the height of fashion with travel and new discovers in Egypt at the time.
The ceiling and decorations of Egyptian Room
The decor of the Egypt
The beautiful porcelain in the room
Then we toured the Curio Room. I thought the room was a lot of fun with small objects that people would have collected from their journeys at that time.
The shelves, counters and walls were filled with all sorts of interesting objects
Many types of object’s
The Victorian Terrarium that was becoming fashionable at the time
The fold out desk with small objects in each slot
A Victrola and Terrarium
The last part of the tour was of the newly renovated kitchen. The shelves were lined with a collection of shiny pots and pans.
The ‘modern’ Victorian kitchen
When the tour was over, I visited the gift shop and looked over the kitchen once more. It is interesting to see how ‘modern’ back then is ‘contemporary’ today. Victorians set the tone for the modern American home of today and the expectations of the American dream.
Before I left the grounds, I visited the gardens once more. It was such perfect weather to walk around and I enjoyed the beauty of these gardens. Mother Nature creates this all this.
Walking around the grounds of the home
I enjoyed walking around the gardens that day
I found this tour one of the most relaxing I have taken in a long time. The beauty of both the house and the gardens was wonderful. Just sitting on the veranda and looking over the grounds was the perfect way to spend the afternoon.
Taking the Clermont Garden Walking Tour 2026:
I returned in the Spring of 2026 for the an updated walking tour of the gardens “Gardens and Grounds: Evolving Landscaping of Clermont”, where the State of New York horticulturalist who had just been hired to maintain the gardens, explained to us the developments and goals that the State wanted for the direction of the landscaping on the property. They wanted it brought back to the 1930’s blueprint of what Alice Livingston had originally envisioned for the estate when she returned from Europe.
Arriving to the Clermont estate at 1 Clermont Avenue in Germantown, NY
We started the tour with a history of the house and Alice Livingston’s return from Europe to create her famous gardens
The front of the mansion in the Spring of 2026
We started the tour at the Walled Garden which was just finished being restored. The back wall had just been finished and the site’s main horticulturalist explained that she was working with a group of volunteers to maintain the gardens.
The Walled Garden designed by Alice Livingston
The Walled Garden in the Spring of 2026
The inside to the entrance of the Walled Garden
The back part of the Walled Garden
The next garden we toured was the Wilderness Garden which included wildflowers and a fish pond
The Wilderness Garden sign
The back part of the Walled Garden leads to the Wilderness Garden
The entrance to the Wilderness Gardens
The lecture on the design and plantings of the Wilderness Garden
The colorful wildflowers that line the grass paths
The fish pond in the Wilderness Garden
We then followed the path and walked up and toured the Cutting and Children’s Garden. These colorful gardens once supplied the house with an assortment of fresh flowers. It also taught the Livingston girls the attributes of gardening.
The Cutting Garden and Greenhouse sign
The main Cutting Garden
The Cutting garden
The Cutting Garden in the late Spring
The in season flowers in the Cutting Garden
The Children’s Playhouse and Garden is next to the Cutting Garden
The Children’s Garden in the Spring
Touring past the old Greenhouses
Part of the former greenhouse
The tour through the grounds with my group
The pathway back to Clermont
Touring along the river
The former roadway between the house and the river
The South Spring Garden
Our last garden toured was the one closest to the house and that was the South Spring Garden of which Alice could see from her window. When the porch was removed from the home and Alice developed plans for other gardens, this garden went ‘native’.
The South Garden
The South Garden in bloom
The views from the South Garden
The flower planters near the South Garden
The planters filled with Spring geraniums
Walking back after the tour was over and looking at the beautiful grounds
Ending the tour that day with a walk along the river
It was a beautiful day to walk the gardens and the perfect way to spend the afternoon. Each time I take a tour of the gardens, I am amazed how different they seem. I love the different times of the year and how it changes these gardens.
I returned to Manhattan the next week and as I was working in Inwood and Washington Heights neighborhoods, I took a tour of Isham Park with the Bruce Reynolds Gardens and Fort Tyron Park with the Heather Gardens, when they were in full bloom. It was breathtaking with the back drop of the Hudson River on a sunny afternoon.
In Isham Park, I toured the Bruce Reynolds Gardens, which is in the center of the park. They were in full bloom when I walked around the gardens and relaxed under the shade trees.
The new Bonnefont Restaurant is open for lunch and brunch
The restaurant was closed that afternoon but I was able to look at the menu online and it is an interesting menu. The cuisine is a mixture of French and Contemporary cooking.
Walking back through the gardens to the Fort Tryon location
Walking to the Fort Tryon site
The Fort Tryon site
Visiting the Brooklyn Botanic Garden before Rose Night in 2026:
I got an email from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden saying that the Cranford Rose Garden was at its peak of blooming and that I should see it while it was at its prime. I was busy at work and was able to travel down to down to the gardens a few days later. Talk about perfect timing as the petals just started to fall.
The Cranford Rose Garden at peak is one of the most beautiful sites. The colors and the fragrances are just amazing. I could not attend “Rose Night” in 2026 because of a prior commitment plus it would be a gloomy night with the threat of rain. So I went the Friday afternoon before the event, which would be held the next Wednesday. By that point, the flowers would be out of peak.
The Cranford Rose Garden in bloom at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The Cranford Rose Garden is amazing from every angle and the views from the top of the hill overlooking the garden shows the extensive amounts of roses planted and the array of colors.
The beds of roses of all colors and species
The entrance to the Cranford Rose Garden is full of an array of different types of colorful flowers
Touring the Rose Gardens in June 2026:
The tour
The beautiful and diverse flowers in the Cranford Rose Garden
The beauty of flowers up close
All sorts of roses line the trellis borders of the Rose Garden
What I love about walking around is that you can see the diversity of the roses. The garden is planted with different species so they bloom at different times giving the beds an array of colors at different times. Along the beds and trellis everything bloomed so vibrantly.
The beautiful orange roses that lined the trellis
The colorful trellis pathways
The reds and pinks in full bloom
Roses lining the lamppost
Admiring the beds of roses at the Cranford Rose Garden
Purple reins supreme
Walking through the trellis pathways of red
The beauty of the trellis
The back part of the garden
The back terrace of the Cranford Rose Garden
The elegant statuary of the rose garden and the sun dial
The back Terrace area
The back of the Cranford Rose Garden is lined with all sorts of flowering plants having a rainbow of colors.
Walking through the terrace gardens
The beautiful roses in the back of the garden
The roses in the back of the Cranford Gardens
Walking out the back of the gardens
The back path of the Cranford Rose Garden
The fountain in the back of the Cranford Garden
Visiting the Cranford Rose Garden when it flowering is one of the most interesting collection of colors and scents. This is why I try to time my visits around the blooming of the flowers.
The fountain in the peak of the rose season
The Tour of the Gardens at The Cloisters in the Spring 2026:
One of my favorite places with in the Metropolitan Museum of Art to visit is The Cloisters in any season. One of my favorite places when it is decorated for the Christmas holiday season, the Spring and Summer offer such beautiful displays of historical plants that try to match the theme of each Cloister and its historical background.
The docent led a very large group of us through each Cloister and told us of the way the curators plant the gardens to represent what may have been planted during the Medieval era for medical and nutritional functions of those peoples lives.
(From the Museum website)
The gardens of the Middle Ages included both real and ideal gardens. Poets and artists delighted in the depiction of fantasy gardens like the Garden of Love or of Paradise, but no real garden of the time remains to us. Historical records are rare and incomplete; the ninth-century plan for the monastery of St. Gall, with its carefully drawn and labeled garden beds, is unique. Archaeological excavations are yielding valuable new evidence, but we still know more about infirmary gardens of medicinal plants and aristocratic pleasure gardens than we do about humble kitchen plots of potherbs and vegetables (Met.org).
The gardens of the Museum, planted in reconstructed Romanesque and Gothic cloisters, evoke those that provided sustenance and spiritual refreshment within the medieval monastery. Designed as an integral feature of the Museum, the gardens have been a major attraction of The Cloisters since its opening in 1938, enhancing both the setting in which the Museum’s collection of medieval art is displayed and the visitor’s understanding of medieval life. The gardens are designed and maintained by a horticultural staff actively engaged in researching and developing the living collection (Met.org).
The Cloisters at 99 Margaret Corbin Drive in Fort Tryon blooming in the late Spring
We walked through the Cloister discussing how plantings were determined by medical and religious purposes
The flower beds in the Cloister
The view of the Hudson River was amazing
The flowers in bloom
My video of the Garden Tour in the Summer of 2026:
The video
Flowers in bloom
Flowers in bloom
Flowers in bloom
We moved the next Cloister looking over the medical plants and flowers
The Cloister in bloom
Walking around the Cloister
The plants around the sills of the Cloisters
Touring the Cloisters and admiring the flowers
Everything in bloom
We toured the last Cloister while the tour guide explained the plantings
The last Cloister we toured
The garden in full bloom
The growth of the hops growing on a trellis
The hops planting up close
The flowers in bloom in the Cloister
A wonderful video on “Art and Gardens at the Met”
We ended the tour admiring the art in the Tapestry Room and having a discussion about the use of plants and flowers in Medieval art.
‘The Hunt of the Unicorn’ tapestry discussion
I then visited the ‘Creatures of Myth and Imagination-European and the Americas’ exhibition.
This exhibition was an interesting look at mythical beasts of the era of great exploration from European to the Americas. It reminded me of the book “In Search of Ancient Astronauts” with many golden creatures that look like they are visitors from another planet, Ancient Gods to worship and one civilization’s outlook on the unknown. The artwork was a cross between mysticism and respect.
The exhibition sign for “Creatures of Myth and Imagination: Europe and the Americas”
Set in the evocative atmosphere of The Met Cloisters, Creatures of Myth and Imagination: Europe and the Americas sheds light on a selection of works created on either side of the Atlantic Ocean between 500 and 1500 CE. The exhibition’s exploration of hybrid creatures deepens our understanding of their apparent necessity among diverse peoples. In the Americas, a complex gold pendant by a Tairona artist of northern Colombia, depicting a confrontational figure with hands on hips, a crocodile-like head, and an enormous headdress, would have reflected and expressed the wearer’s status and power. In Europe, ferocious dragons such as the one depicted on a monumental fresco from the monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza, Spain, took center stage to convey a multiplicity of meanings both sacred and profane (Met.org).
The exhibition gallery
Unusual mythical creature
(From the museum website)
For as long as humans have told stories, we’ve imagined creatures that transcend the natural world. Fantastical beings combining the features of animals, humans, and even plants appear across cultures, emerging in the most ancient myths and enduring in contemporary epics. The widespread presence of these supernatural beings, possessing the power to transform and be transformed, reflects a global impulse to make sense of both known and unknown worlds. Visual artists have given form to these imaginary creatures, resulting in some of the most fearsome, beloved, and extraordinary works of art ever made (Met.org).
Small gold ancient Gods
Ritual Knives
Double pendants
Earth Deity
I took one last tour of the museum gardens before I left for the afternoon. On the balcony overlooking the Hudson River offered beautiful views and beautiful potted plants.
Walking out of the back Cloister
The back Cloister
The beautiful white flowers
The balcony overlooking the Hudson River
The potted plants by the doorway
The view of the Hudson River
Looking north up the Hudson River
The tour of the Gardens was amazing and the exhibition on the Pre-Columbian art interesting. It was a wonderful tour of the Cloisters.
I had a private function at the Museum of the City of New York across the street from the Central Park Conservatory Gardens. When the event was over, I took a walk around the gardens when they were in full bloom.
The gardens just went through a major renovation and each of the paths had rows of colorful flowers that were beautifully taken care of and designed to bloom at different stages of the growing season so there was always color in the gardens. The effect was amazing.
The entrance of the Central Park Conservatory lawn and fountain
The fountain and the geometric garden
Central Park Conservatory gardens at the entrance
The entrance of the gardens from the Harlem Meer area
The entrance to the flower gardens from the Central Park Conservatory lawn
The Central Park Conservatory garden beds
My video of touring the gardens in Summer 2026:
The tour
The gardens in full bloom in the Summer of 2026
The flower beds in the central of the gardens
The Central Park Conservatory Fountain and Lotus pools
I walked behind Hippo Park in Central Park one afternoon to discover a beautiful floral garden that was the 91st Street Garden that I had missed on previous walks in the park. The Garden did not look like this in the Fall.
The 91st Street Garden in the Summer of 2026
Then I remembered the scene in “You Got Mail” and remembered that this was the garden where they met. I always thought it was closer to Riverside Drive than it was here in the park.
The sign for the garden
As I passed the garden, I remember this was the garden in the last scene of the movie, “You Got Mail” when Meg Ryan realizes that her secret email pal is Tom Hanks. It was such a great scene and the perfect end to a great Rom-Com.
The end of the movie “You Got Mail” with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks
The Gardens from the front
The flowers in full bloom
The flowers in full bloom in July 2026
All I could think about was this scene as I walked around the garden. The funny part is this was the first time I had ever visited this garden as I did not know where it was located. I knew it was on 91st Street but could never figure out where. You have to walk on the path behind the Hippo Playground and follow it to the other path.
The gardens from the front
Walking back up through Riverside park from the Hippo Playground
Walking in Riverside Park in the 90’s
You have to find your way through Riverside Park to find the garden but in the Spring and Summer it is worth the walk up and down the hill.
These are just some of the places that I am still visiting as the Summer season begins and there are more historical sites to see and more smaller gardens to visit. Let’s see what the rains produce in the coming months.
Places to Visit:
*Bloggers Note: the prices of these sites vary from season to season and can change from year to year. This is the same with the hours depending on what season you visit.
Fee: Adults $30.00/Seniors $17.00/Children $12.00/Members & Patrons and Children under 12 are free (prices do fluctuate). NY, NJ and CT students and NY residents Pay as you wish.
Museum Hours:
Hours: Open 7 days a week
March-October 10:00am-5:15pm
November-February 10:00am- 4:45pm
Closed Thanksgiving Day, December 25th and January 1st.
*Some galleries may be closed for construction or maintenance.
The weather has been so strange over the last few months. We had one of the coldest winters since the 1990’s and one of the snowiest. It seemed like the cold air and frigid temperatures would never end. Then came a small break in the weather when it turned 52 degrees in the middle of March.
Branch Brook Park in Newark, NJ during the start of New Jersey’s Cherry Blossom festival
The 52 degree day got even better when the ‘Spring Thaw‘ came during our Spring Break from the college and I was able to resume my walk exploring Alphabet City. The tough part of visiting the neighborhood was that the countless community gardens were either closed or just starting their ‘budding process’, where the warm weather was bringing plants back to life from their Winter slumber. It had been such a cold and miserable Winter.
My search for the flowers and the Cherry Blossoms of the Tri-State area started at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden during the last week of March just after the heat spell. The crocuses came out about two weeks earlier then they normally did and I wanted to see ‘Crocus Hill’ at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, so I visited the Gardens in the last week of March to see the beginnings of Spring.
The Japanese Gardens in March 2026
The Japanese Gardens in the beginning of Spring
The Snowdrops in full bloom
The flowering plants peaking out in the early Spring
The Fragrance Garden in the early Spring
The early Daffodils in full bloom
The daffodils in full bloom
The Snowdrops in full bloom representing the beginning of Spring
Crocus Hill in the early Spring
Crocus Hill in bloom
The last of the Crocuses in bloom on the hill
I walked around the gardens and got to see so much of the plants and trees in bloom.
The first Cherry trees in bloom in the watershed lawn
Crossing the bridge in the with the first of the flowers
The snowdrops were beautiful at this time of year
The Willow Tree in full bloom in the watershed lawn
Walking around the Rock Garden
The colors were so vibrant in the Rock Garden
Walking along the paths towards the Cherry Blossom Lawn
Walking through the Cherry Blossom Lawn waiting for the magic to appear
Walking through the Cherry Blossom pathways waiting for more to come
I would take the next four weeks exploring the City and the outskirts in search of the perfect Cherry blossoms. I would be coming back to the Gardens four more times to see how the rest of the garden would progress. The changes in three weeks was Mother Nature work her magic!
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden in the first week of Spring. It would not stay this way long!
My own yard started to come back to life with the first crocuses of the season popping out of the ground early. All that planting in the Fall really paid off. After all that snow and a bitterly cold Winter, it was nice to see the first traces of Spring.
The first crocuses of the season popping up in the yard
My daffodils coming to life
All the hard work of the Fall paid off in the Spring as my gardens came back to life. Crocuses, Daffodils and Rose Bushes were all coming back to life.
In the first week of April, my best friend and I had been planning to go to the NY Botanical Garden for ages and on an unplanned afternoon, we just decided to go and see the Annual Orchid Show that everyone was talking about. I was blown away by the beautiful arrangements and displays.
I had never been to the NY Botanical Gardens before so it was a double treat for me. We got to walk up to the Conservatory when the daffodils were at peak bloom and these gorgeous white and yellow flowers just swayed in the wind as we passed.
Some of the Cherry Blossom trees were in full bloom early in the season so the view of the park was spectacular.
The Conservatory in the Spring
The turn of the Century Conservatory
The Orchid Show:
(From the Garden’s website)
New York City has never bloomed like this. At The Orchid Show: Mr. Flower Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle, orchids collide with concrete in a dazzling reimagining of the Big Apple, from stoops and slice shops to the subway itself. Step into a breathtaking fusion of nature and cityscape artistry in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, and experience the flair and style of New York transformed by thousands of flowers.
The entrance to the Orchid Show
The sign welcoming us to the show
The inside of the Conservatory
The magnificent orchids
The orchids in the beginning of the show
The inside of the Conservatory
The beauty of the potted plants
The beautiful potted plants
They were more beautiful up close
The inside display of the Conservatory
The flowers lined the paths
Then we walked through the fountain area and got to see the beautiful turn of the century fountains. We walked all through the Conservatory that afternoon and these were the breathtaking plants that we saw that day. I had not seen this many orchids out of Hawaii.
The fountain elegantly decorated for the event
The fountain area in full bloom
All sorts of beautiful orchids lined the pools
They came in all colors and sizes
The Tropical display
The orchids in full bloom
The colors were fantastic
Then we walked through the desert display at the end of the Conservatory which was really nice.
The Desert display
The Desert Display
The start of some interesting displays at the end of the show
The Pizza display where I did really think we could order lunch
Blogger Justin Watrel in front of the car washing display
My best friend, Maricel, who toured with me
Blogger Justin Watrel at the end of the Orchid display
The end of the Orchid Show display
The Orchid Show was amazing and I will have to come back next year. I loved the displays and the sheer colors of the flowers.
Then we walked the grounds. The New York Botanical Garden’s version of Daffodil Hill is not the same as the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens but still beautiful.
Leaving the Conservatory towards the other gardens.
The path outside the Consrvatory
The beautiful Cherry Blossoms in the gardens that day were in full bloom
We headed to the NY Botanical Garden’s Daffodil Hill display after the Orchid Show and walked down paths of flowering Cherry Trees. It was quite a site as everything was coming into bloom in the park.
The pathway to Daffodil Hill
The pathways to Daffodil Hill
The daffodils were just starting to come in and some were at peak bloom. Though not as impressive as the display at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden it is still impressive and had just come into bloom when we arrived that day. It is a nice place to walk around.
Daffodil Hill at the New York Botanical Garden’s version
Another section of Daffodil Hill
Walking back to the front of the gardens
The next Friday, I visited Newark, NJ’s Branch Brook Park which was in full bloom and at its peak of their famous Cherry Blossoms. Since it was going to rain on that Sunday and I knew the park was going to be packed on Saturday for that reason plus all the activities planned for the weekend I thought it would be easier to visit on Friday after work.
So I got there at 4:00pm and the park was packed people who must have thought the same thing. I know how to park here since I have been coming here for years. You never try to park in the parking lot up in the park and always try to park as close to Bellville as you can and then turn yourself around so that you can get out of the park.
The traffic in the park that afternoon was near impossible and I parked by the bridge and was able to get out and enjoy the park and the beautiful trees.
The Cherry Blossom Festival in Newark in April 2026
I visited the Cherry Blossoms in Branch Brook Park in Newark on a Friday afternoon, thinking the park would be quiet. With the Cherry Blossom trees at peak flowering, the park was packed. People were lining the paths and picnicking and taking pictures.
Walking along the busy paths during a Friday afternoon
The paths at the beginning of the park near Bellville
Walking along the pathways
Walking along the catch basin
The catch basin of the river is always so picturesque. The trees were just starting to release their petals and yellow flowers were in full bloom.
Walking along the catch basin
Walking along the catch basin
Walking along the catch basin
Walking along the catch basin on my way to the main part of the park was breathtaking.
The Cherry Blossoms were at full peak when I visited
The catch basin in full form
The catch basin in full bloom
These beautiful yellow flowers line the basin
The views are amazing
The basin near the bridge
The rock formations on the other side of the street
The Cherry Blossoms in full bloom
Walking towards the main part of the park
Walking up to the main part of the park
Walking through the pathways of the park
The main part of Branch Brook Park was a dazzling array of colors of the different types of flowering trees.
Walking through the main section of the park
The cherry trees in full bloom in Branch Brook Park
The pathways along park
The Cherry Blossoms in full bloom
As I walked back to the car, I passed the bridge again and the views were spectacular. A burst of colors dazzled the pathways.
The view from the bridge
The on the walk back to the car
The view under the bridge
The catch basin near my car
I was only in the park for about an hour and a half and the park was getting busier in the early evening. I guess people were like me and did not want to deal with the crowds that would besiege the park in the early evening. I was glad to have the time to take these amazing pictures before the petals would start to fall the next week. You have to time your visits to see Cherry Blossoms in bloom very carefully. I learned that from trips to Washington DC.
While everyone else was in Newark seeing the Cherry Blossoms with massive crowds (trust me, I have experienced Branch Brook Park on a Saturday during Cherry Blossom season and it is not a pleasant experience dealing with all those cars and people. You also you can’t get the pictures you want).
That Saturday, I took an extensive tour of both the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and Central Park to see more of trees and gardens coming to life with the warmer weather.
I started at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden when they announced that Daffodil Hill was at full peak. The Cherry Blossoms in the Japanese Gardens which were the first one to bloom were also at full peak and I wanted to see both. It is when the gardens show their true beauty.
Walking to the Japanese Gardens
The Japanese Gardens in full bloom
The view of the pond in full bloom
The crowds each trying to get pictures in of the Japanese Gardens
Both the Cherry and Magnolia trees were in bloom at the same time
The beauty of the Japanese Gardens which
The Magnolia Court was just at peak and the flowers were brilliant
The different species of Magnolias like the Cherry Blossoms bloom at different times with different colors
I have seen Daffodil Hill when it was at peak flowering but never this vibrant before. All the flowers were blooming to perfection and I had never seen it this colorful before. (It worked out perfectly as a few days later and we’re got hit by a 90 degree heat wave for three days, which affected these very sensitive plants. By the next weekend, they were gone).
The most beautiful view of the park and the reason why keep joining year after year. Just to see Daffodil Hill in full bloom.
Daffodil Hill
Daffodil Hill
This is something no one should miss
Daffodil Hill
The tour of Daffodil Hill
After I finished my tour and picture taking at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, I took the subway back to Manhattan and decided to head up to Central Park to see the Cherry Blossom trees there as well.
I had read that they were at peak as well and had never seen them in bloom before. This was a real treat!
Walking through Central Park in the Spring
Central Park in the afternoon
Walking through the Cherry trees in Central Park
The beautiful potted plants along the pathways
Central Park in all its beauty on a Spring day
I had never seen the Cherry trees in Central Park fully in bloom before and I was spellbound by the beauty of the park in the Spring. I had missed this for so many years due to time or weather.
The pond was packed with people who rented sailboats where the ‘Big Kids’ played with the ‘Small Kids’ and families were having a good time.
The Central Park pool in the Spring of 2026
The boats sailing in the ponds
Some of the statues that surround the Conservatory Pond are the famous ‘Alice in Wonderland’ located in the Margaret Delacourt Memorial that was built in 1959 by Spanish born American artist Jose de Creeft. The artist studied at the Academie Julian in Paris and studied under artist Mariano Benlliure at the Artistic Foundry of Masriera Campins.
It was commissioned by George Delacourt for his wife, Margarita, who loved to read the book to her children. It is one of the most popular statues in Central Park (Central Park Conservatory).
Alice in Wonderland Statue
The famous poem by the statue
‘Hans Christian Anderson’ statue that faces the other side of the pond. This statute was created in 1958 by artist Georg John Lober for the 150th Anniversary of the author’s birth. It had been commissioned by the Danish American Women’s Association in his honor. Georg John Lober was born in Chicago and was based later on out of New York City. He studied at the Beaux Arts Institute of Design and National Academy of Design working under artist Gutzon Borgium. In his later years, he worked for the New York Municipal Art Commission (Wiki).
You should take some time to walk around the pond and see both statues especially the detail work of the ‘Alice in Wonderland’. These are the favorite of many adults and children alike (Central Park Conservatory).
Hans Christian Anderson Statue
I walked a little further into the park and followed the path and the crowds of people enjoying their time in the park. I got to Bethesda Fountain in all its glory. The fountain was busy with street musicians playing and tourists dancing around. I never get tired of this part of the park.
The Bethesda Fountain is just as glorious as it is now as it was in the Gilded Age. The statue was dedicated in the park in 1873.
The fountain was so beautiful in the Summer of 2024
The area around the fountain was crowded with visitors taking pictures and enjoying the Cherry Blossoms
The fountain in the Spring of 2026
The statue was designed by artist Emma Stebbins, who was an American born and a native New Yorker. She studied at the National Academy of Design and spent most of her professional career in Rome. She was know for her neo-classical works and public sculptures both large and small (Wiki/NY Post/Artist Bio).
Central Park during the Spring of 2025
The band shell in the Spring of 2026
Central Park in the Spring of 2026
The park was packed with locals and tourists enjoying the warm weather and the blossoming Cherry Blossoms. It was fun to watch the City come to life around me. The skaters and dancers were enjoying a Michael Jackson tune from his “Off the Wall” album and with everything going on in the world, it was nice to see people just enjoying themselves.
Central Park in the Spring
Walking around Central Park in the Spring
Watching skaters and dancing
Watching skaters and dancers
Central Park in the Spring of 2026. The colors were amazing!
While touring Central Park, I walked all through the park by the lake area and Boro Bridge to see the park in full bloom with all sorts of Cherry Blossom trees at peak, and daffodils and tulips in showing their brilliant colors. The park was so amazing and everyone was enjoying the Spring weather. It is what everyone thinks of when they think of New York City.
The fountain by the lake
The Cherry trees by the lake
Boro Bridge in the distance
The view of the lake by Boro Bridge
The lake in all its beauty on a Spring day
Walking around the park admiring the Cherry trees
Capturing a couple singing the song ‘Suddenly’, a different version than what I had heard before.
What a delight to hear in Central Park! Talent is everywhere! This guy could really belt out a song!
I went back to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for my forth time of four weeks of visits there on a Friday night, to see the Cherry Blossoms, one of the most beautiful displays of the trees not just in New York City but the East Coast.
Entering the Brooklyn Botanic Garden the first weekend in April through the Eastern Parkway entrance.
Walking through the entrance to the gardens was so beautiful. Everything was in full bloom and the sheer vibrance of the colors of all the flowers and trees just stood out. I had never seen the garden at such a peak bloom.
The flowering bushes by the entrance
The tulips in full bloom by the entrance
These tulips were so colorful
The tulips lining the garden walls were so colorful
The flowering trees coming into bloom at the entrance
The flowering bushes at the entrance
The beauty of the trees in the early Spring
Walking down the pathways, the first Cherry Trees were just amazing.
The Lilac Garden was in bloom filling this part of the gardens with the most amazing fragrance
The Rose Garden was just coming into its own as the plants were starting to bud. In a few weeks this garden will have the most amazing colors and smells
All the Cherry Blooms were starting to open or were at full peak when I visited. I got there when the buds were open beautifully and had never seen them so vibrant.
By this fourth trip that I made on the Friday night before they started to charge people to enter the gardens for ‘Members Picnic Night’, I was able to finish all my work and travel to Brooklyn to see the Cherry Blossoms at their absolute peak.
Just like Daffodil Hill two weeks earlier, I had never seen the trees so full, fluffy and vibrant. There was supposed to be rain in the forecast for three days so I wanted to get there before that happened and wrecked the petals. The view of the trees was just spectacular.
The Cherry Blossom lawn on an early Friday night
I had never seen the blossoms this full before
The crowds on the Cherry Blossom lawn could not stop taking pictures and videos
It was a spectacular evening to walk through the lawn. I think people were just as spellbound by the beauty of the trees as I was that evening.
I walked down the pathway off to the side and under all these beautiful trees
You have to join me for these amazing walk under the Cherry trees
The pathways were so vibrant with color
Then I walked through the lawn and took pictures as well
I could not believe how beautiful the trees looked and how fluffy the flowers were that day. This is what a Cherry Blossom looks like when it is absolutely perfect!
I think people were spell bound
The fountain at the edge of the Cherry Blossom lawn
Walking back up the pathway to see other parts of the garden
Then I took the back path through the Japanese Garden and it is amazing what a week can do in these gardens in the Spring. Most of the Cherry trees had turned green and another series of flowers had bloomed. You can see this from the beginning of this blog until now.
The back path of the Japanese Garden from Cherry Blossom lawn
The Japanese Gardens
Entering the Japanese Gardens through the back path gives you a better perspective of the garden
Walking along the path of the Japanese Gardens
The waterfall in the Japanese Garden I never noticed before
The garden is so beautiful in the Spring
Looking at the platform from the other side of the gardens
The Cherry trees had turned green when I made this visit
After I finished the tour of the Japanese Gardens, I walked around the Watershed Lawn and the Fragrance and Shakespeare Gardens again to see the flowers blooming. What a site!
The Watershed Lawn
The Watershed lawn
The Fountain at the Shakespeare Garden
The tulips along the pathways
I had never seen this flowering plant before
The Fragrance Garden in bloom
The Fragrance Garden in bloom
It was a spectacular trip and shows how beautiful New York City is in the Spring. The dazzling display of color and delightful smells of the flowers and trees with the promise of more to come as ‘Rose Night’ in the gardens approaches in June.
To see how the parks and gardens work their magic in a one month period goes to show that all is not bad in the world. Maybe we just have to look for the good in it all.
The Cherry trees as I was passing the Brooklyn Museum that evening
Even my backyard was looking much better after the harsh Summer and Winter months
One night later on I found a deer nibbling in my garden. I do not know how he found his way into Hasbrouck Heights but this was different.
