Tag: Exploring Inwood

Day Three Hundred and Eighty Six Touring the Cloister Gardens and viewing Mythical Beasts at The Met Cloisters June 14th, 2026

The Cloisters Museum & Gardens: A Branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

99 Margaret Corbin Drive

Fort Tryon Park

New York, NY 10040

(212) 923-3700

Open: March-October 10:00am-5:15pm/November-February-10:00am-4:45pm

http://www.metmuseum.org

https://www.metmuseum.org/visit/plan-your-visit/met-cloisters

Fee: Adults $30.00/Seniors/Students $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.

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d106609-Reviews-The_Met_Cloisters-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Touring the Cloisters for the Garden Tour:

https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/collection-areas/medieval-art-and-the-cloisters/met-cloisters-gardens

I went on the Spring Garden tour at the Cloisters Museum with a discussion on Spring plantings and the use of those plants during Medieval times. The museum studied what plants were used for religious and medical practices.

We started the discussion of the plantings out in the first Cloister by the Hudson River

The Tour of the Gardens at The Cloisters in the Spring 2026:

(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 plantings of the first Cloister we visited

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

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

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 artists at that time thought of the natural world with awe and respect. They admired the beauty of the natural world where in some points was still feared,

‘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”

https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/creatures-of-myth-and-imagination-europe-and-the-americas

(From the museum’s website)

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.

Day Three Hundred and Seventy-Six Touring the Met-Cloisters at Christmas time ‘The Yule Tide Tour’-The Walking tour of the Museum January 4th, 2026

I love the holidays in New York City. There are so many Christmas themed events to go to and decorated homes to visit. One of my favorite tours is at the Met Cloisters for their Christmas themed walking tours that take place from December through early January.

The Cloisters Museum & Gardens: A Branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

99 Margaret Corbin Drive

Fort Tryon Park

New York, NY 10040

(212) 923-3700

Open: March-October 10:00am-5:15pm/November-February-10:00am-4:45pm

http://www.metmuseum.org

https://www.metmuseum.org/visit/plan-your-visit/met-cloisters

Fee: Adults $30.00/Seniors $17.00/Children $12.00/Members & Patrons and Children under 12 are free (prices do fluctuate).

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.

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d106609-Reviews-The_Met_Cloisters-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

The Cloisters Museum & Gardens: The Branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to Medieval Art 99 Margaret Corbin Drive Fort Tryon New York, NY 10040

To finish my weekend of holiday festivities before the Epiphany, I took the annual Christmas walking tour of the Met Cloisters. The museum hosts an interesting walking tour of the history of the holidays during the Medieval era. Each tour has a different theme to it. There is the history of Christmas in that era, the use of plants and flowers in the decorating of the religious sites and the historic significance of the visit of the Three Kings.

Each tour guide incorporates the artwork, architecture and plants into the discussion. On average you will have about forty people on the tour.

The entrance of the Cloisters decorated for the holidays

The Christmas Tide Tour:

https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/christmastide-deck-the-halls

The entrance of the gift shop decorated for the holidays

The archways were decorated with seasonal plants and fruits. I read online that the volunteers went into Fort Tyron Park and collected ivy from the wild to decorate the museum. Every day the museum is open during the holidays these are replaced on a daily basis.

The entrance to the galleries decorated for the holidays

We started the tour with a discussion of plants that once decorated churches and ministries

With the change in attitude towards the Christmas holidays during the Middle Ages and its incorporation into church traditions, decorating for the holidays came back into style. The use of holly, evergreen and mistletoe became part of the Christmas tradition and to justify the decorating, they were related to Christian symbols.

The beauty of the life plants in winter

Each of the Cloisters were lined with fresh greens and potted plants giving each of the Cloisters its own special mood.

One of the Cloisters bright with plants

The stairs leading into the chapel decorated for the holidays

The chapel on the main floor decorated for the holidays

The colorful floral displays lining the window sills of the chapel

This led to a discussion about what each plant, flower and fruit meant in the Christian tradition, a clever way to justify decorating and celebrating during the holidays. Ivies, pine, winter flowers and even late season apples not only lined places of worship but gave a festive look and district smell to these buildings. A symbol of life in the cold winter months while they waited for the arrival of Spring.

The plant types that decorated the houses of worship

The flowers and plants lining the chapel

The decorative candle stands lining the walls of the chapel

We then toured the main Cloister, closed for the Winter but was lined with plants, flowers and greens brighting every corner of the building. These were examples of plants and flowers that would have decorated these halls at the holidays.

Walking the halls of the Cloisters

Touring the halls of the Cloisters with flowers and plants to celebrate the season

Walking the halls of the Cloisters

The flowering plants of the Cloisters

The flowering plants and vines that would have decorated churches in Medieval times

We then toured the Tapestry Room and discussed the use of plants in art form and the use of the detail as symbolism in art. These tapestries were meant to cover the drafty walls of palaces and bring in color and decoration to the stone walls.

The famous ‘Hunt of the Unicorn’ tapestry

We then took a detour to the outside gardens that are enjoying their winter slumber. These gardens were used by the cloisters for food, medicines and decorative use. They will start coming to life in a few months.

The Cloisters Gardens

The garden terrace over looking the Hudson River

The terrace gardens in the winter waiting to come to life

Then we went back inside for a discussion of the Three Kings and the Epiphany and its symbolism in art at the Cloisters. These are some of the works featured on the ‘Christmas Tide’ tour to symbolize that visit.

Some of the woodwork from that era

The Visitation of the Three Kings

The Visitation of the Three Kings depicted in stained glass

The Visitation of the Three Kings depicted in statuary

We visited the last of the Cloisters and discussed some of the plants in the collection

We were admiring the plants and flowers

A candelabra in the hallway of the Cloisters

As I exited the building that afternoon, there were potted plants at the entrance of the Cloisters. It was a real treat to walk around the building at the holidays.

The potted plants outside the entrance of the museum

On my way down the stairs and out the door to Fort Tryon Park, I took another walk down the stone steps and walked through Ann Loftus Park. This popular playground was quiet this time of year, awaiting the Spring and the wonderful warm afternoons ahead.

Walking through Fort Tryon Park

Fort Tyron Park

Riverside Drive to Broadway

New York, NY 10040

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park/history

Open: Sunday-Saturday 6:00am-1:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d2305249-Reviews-Fort_Tryon_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://visitingamuseum.com/tag/fort-tyron-park/

Ann Loftus Park in the winter time

Ann Loftus Park quiet in the winter

Ann Loftus Park upon leaving the park that afternoon. The quiet beauty of the Winter.

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park/highlights/11234

https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/playgrounds/325

After the tour was over, I went to G’s Coffee Shop for second breakfast that morning.

G’s Coffee Shop at 634 West 207th Street

G’s Coffee Shop

634 West 207th Street

New York, NY 10034

(212) 942-0679

Free Delivery

Open: Sunday-Saturday 7:00am-9:00pm

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Breakfast—Brunch-Restaurant/Gs-Coffee-Shop-205601462950934/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d17445018-Reviews-G_s_Coffee_SHop-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

G’s Coffee Shop 634 West 207th Street New York, NY 10034

My breakfast at G’s Coffee Shop

I love coming for breakfast at G’s Coffee Shop after a tour of The Cloisters. The food and service of this small ‘hole in the wall’ diner is wonderful. The meals are so reasonable and when you dine at the counter, you can watch the food cooked right in front of you. I had a wonderful Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwich with a side of golden pancakes. What a great meal on a cold winter morning.

The Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwich

The breakfast sandwiches here are so good

The pancakes were wonderful. The perfect comfort food on a winter day.

It was a really great tour and it was fun to walk around the neighborhood through the parks and seeing all the post Christmas decorations. Inwood is a really beautiful section of Manhattan with lots to do and see. It is the perfect place to spend the Christmas break.

Sherman Creek Park 3725 Tenth Avenue New York, NY 10034

Sherman Creek Park

3725 Tenth Avenue

New York, NY 10034

(212) 720-3480

https://www.nyrp.org/en/gardens-and-parks/sherman-creek-park

Click to access booklet.pdf

Open: Sunday-Saturday 24 hours

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d28168553-r1062346026-Sherman_Creek_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

When I was recently walking around Washington Heights for the “Great Saunter” perimeter walk around the coast line of Manhattan over the summer, I revisited this little park that is tucked away inside Highbridge Park that lines the eastern side of Upper Manhattan. This is the Sherman Creek Park and Swindler Cove. I just thought it was a small extension of the park but it is way more.

The is a once dumping ground for garbage and waste that has been reclaimed and given a rebirth as a ecologically created watershed that is not only helping clean the East River with its plantings but also a sanctuary for birds, butterfly’s and other small creatures when they are migrating.

The paths are well landscaped and offer a sense of quiet and relaxation from the noise of the neighborhood especially in the summer when families are barbecuing and having parties in the small strip of part that is Highbridge Park. Small streams, a waterfall and river plantings plus a boathouse for canoes and Kayaks gives a different more relaxing view of the park.

The entrance to Sherman Creek Park.

Sherman Creek Park

(from the park website)

Sherman Creek Park, a former illegal dumping site, began as a shore cleanup and now encompasses 15 beautifully reclaimed acres along the Harlem River including Swindler Cove, Riley-Levin Children’s Garden, and a living shoreline installation. The neighboring Harlem River Greenway includes a sprawling esplanade, bike path, and a cherry tree planting framing the Harlem River Drive.

The pathways in Sherman Creek Park.

The park serves to demonstrate sustainable management of public lands in an underserved neighborhood, from hosting a major community green space in Northern Manhattan, to implementing organic gardening techniques and best horticultural practices on a daily basis.

The waterfall in Sherman Creek Park

NYRP’s work in Sherman Creek and the surrounding landscape recognizes the remarkable value of natural resources found in Northern Manhattan and works to improve and support public access to Manhattan’s largest remaining wetland complex.

The pathways through Swindler Cove Park.

SWINDLER COVE

(from the park website)

NYRP is responsible for conceiving, developing, executing and maintaining the vibrant and versatile Swindler Cove at Sherman Creek Park, a former illegal dumping site transformed by NYRP into a gorgeous green space. The 5-acre space is home to the Riley-Levin Children’s Garden.

Swindler Cove represents the crown jewel of New York Restoration Project’s public park projects. Opened to the public in August 2003, Swindler Cove represents the full spectrum of NYRP’s mission to restore open space as a catalyst for community revitalization and environmental conservation.

The restoration of the Manhattan coastline.

In 1999, in partnership with the State of New York Department of Transportation and acclaimed landscape designer Billie Cohen, NYRP transformed the land into an oasis of native natural habitats with a lush array of restored woodlands, wetlands, native plantings and a freshwater pond, accented by a gracious pathway.

LIVING SHORELINE

(from the park website)

Sherman Creek Park is threatened by climate change-induced erosion and sea level rise and in 2020 we introduced an ecosystem-based solution called a living shoreline.

Replanting and renovating the coastline.

Integrating native plantings and an artificial oyster reef, our living shoreline design aims to not only attenuate waves that wash away sediment but also enhance the native wetland habitat—one of the last of its kind in all of Manhattan. By stacking specialized concrete blocks called Oyster Castles, its design helps build new habitat for marine species that, over time, could transform the dynamics of a park that we might otherwise lose.

We continue to monitor the shoreline’s evolution to better understand and quantify the ecosystem services that urban wetland restoration projects like ours might offer. “We know that, acre per acre, wetlands are better than forests at fighting climate change,” says Director of Northern Manhattan Parks Jason Smith. “It just requires shifting our relationship with the landscape and realizing it’s not about building a big project and walking away; it’s about staying engaged, stewarding it, and learning from it.”

Video on the New York Restoration Project: Rebuilding parks and gardens.

Revisiting the park in 2026 for The Great Saunter (unofficially):

When I was walking The Great Saunter on my own in 2026, I took my lunch and walked over to Sherman Creek Park and relaxed under one of the trees on a bench where it was nice and cool in the shade. There was no one there that afternoon and I had this section of the park all to myself. Classes had just let out for the Summer so there were no school groups in the park at this time.

Sherman Creek Park at 3725 Tenth Avenue

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/sherman-creek-park

https://www.nyrp.org/en/gardens-and-parks/sherman-creek-park

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d28168553-r1062346026-Sherman_Creek_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Walking through the lawn By the start o go the East River

Sherman Creek was a former garbage dump that has been turned into parkland that has become a place of relaxation where birds, butterflies and aquatic life that is changing this area into a natural habitat for wildlife.

The pond in Sherman Creek Park

The Riley-Levin Children’s Garden

The Vegetable Garden

The front of the Riley-Levin Children’s Garden

The marsh area by the East River is all reclaimed land that was once a dumping ground for garbage. The views are beautiful and the breezes are amazing.

The pathways through the marsh area which serves as an aquifer for the East River

Looking south down on the marsh land

The water must be getting cleaner because a white Heron was looking for food in the marshland water.

The white Heron

The park was so beautiful and relaxing that afternoon.

Fort Tryon Park Riverside Drive to Broadway New York, NY 10040

Fort Tyron Park

Riverside Drive to Broadway

New York, NY 10040

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park/history

Open: Sunday-Saturday 6:00am-1:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d2305249-Reviews-Fort_Tryon_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The Front of Fort Tyron Park

The entrance of the park

I love Fort Tryon Park in Upper Manhattan. It is one of the most beautiful parks in New York City. It is a park of rolling hills, stone paths that hug the hills, interesting garden that are ablaze when in season, shady tree sitting areas and is home to many playgrounds and the Cloisters Museum which is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It has so much to offer a visitor coming into Manhattan from exploring the woods that line the path to looking at interesting art at the museum. This 67 acre park is one of the interesting and complex in New York City.

A city view of the beauty of the park by the Hudson River

The view from The Cloisters by the Hudson River

When you enter the park from Inwood by Broadway, you enter through Ann Loftus Park which is named after a local community leader and is one of the popular parks with kids and families in the area. In the summer months, the fountains and water fixtures are going strong and the kids run around them while the parents lie under shade trees talking to one another.

Ann Loftus Playground

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park/highlights/11234

When taking the path from Ann Loftus Park and winding up the hills of woods and rock formations is the Hudson River looming in the distance with spectacular views of the Palisades and the large cliffs of Fort Lee, NJ on the other side.

The bathrooms in Ann Loftus Playground

Anne Susan Cahill Loftus biography:

At the top of hill like a crown jewel is the Medieval Galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Cloisters Museum. Filled with all the Met’s collections of Religious and Medieval art set into themes of old churches, stained glass windows, flowered courtyards and vistas of the river, it is the perfect place to wonder around.

The Met-Cloisters Museum

Don’t miss the “Hunt of the Unicorn” tapestries.

The Hunt of the Unicorn Tapestry

The Cloisters:

https://www.metmuseum.org/visit/plan-your-visit/met-cloisters

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d106609-Reviews-The_Met_Cloisters-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

As you pass the Cloisters and walk further in to the park, there is still so much more to see and do. The Linden Terrace overlooks the Hudson River with its large shade trees over head and its stone benches to sit and just look in the distance or read a book. This was the site of the original Fort Tryon and is the highest location in the park.

Linden Terrace is a nice place to relax and read a book

The flowers by the Linden Terrace

Further down in the other entrance of the park is Heather Garden, a large path of flowers , bushes and trees with benches lining it. The garden was the Olmstead Brothers when the park was taking shape and is a beautiful place to walk in the Spring and Summer months when the park is in full bloom.

The stairs leading to the Linden Terrace

The plaque for Fort Tryon

The anniversary plaque

The Stan Michels Promenade

The Heather Garden in the front

The Heather Garden was recently remodeled to follow the original design by the Olmstead Brothers.

The Heather Gardens

The Heather Gardens in full bloom

The Gardens facing the George Washington Bridge

The Gardens in full view

There is even a terrace restaurant in the middle of the park, the New Leaf Cafe (See review on TripAdvisor-Closed in 2018) which sits off to the side of the Corbin Circle on the other side of the park. The food is over-rated and very expensive. The last time I ate there the menu was pretty standard. It is a great to take out of towners who want a view of something. It is not worth the trip. The views are nice and in the summer months it is pretty but the food and service are standard. Inside the park in 2026, a new restaurant has replaced the former New Leaf Cafe, Le Bonnefont, a Modern French restaurant.

The Bonnefont Restaurant replaced the New Leaf Cafe

https://thebonnefont.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/432657521042383/posts/1318136805827779

My review on TripAdvisor:

The New Leaf Cafe in Fort Tyron Park (Closed in 2018)

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d478282-Reviews-New_Leaf_Restaurant_Bar-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

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.

The park has so much to offer in all months of the year especially in the Spring and Summer.

The entrance to Fort Tryon Park

Cabrini Woods Nature Sanctuary in the front of the park

The Cabrini Sanctuary in the Spring 2024

History of Fort Tryon Park:

The area was known by the local Lenape Indians as Chquaesgeck and by the Dutch settlers as Lange Bergh (Long Hill). During the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Fort Washington was fought on this site. The park is built on a high formation of Manhattan schist with igneous intrusions and glacial striations from the last Ice Age (Wiki).

The gardens in the Fort Tryon Park

John D. Rockefeller Jr. bought up most the land in 1917, which by that point had been old estates, to create Fort Tryon Park. He hired the Olmstead Brothers firm, under the direction of Fredrick Law Olmstead Jr., the son of the designer of Central Park, to design the park and James W. Dawson to create a planting plan. Mr. Rockefeller also bought the collection of Medieval art from sculptor George Gray Barnard and it was the cornerstone of The Cloisters Museum which was built in 1939 (Wiki).

The Fort Tryon gardens in full bloom

The stairs in the park

Through the years the park has seen its ups and downs especially in the 1970’s and 80’s with the decline of finances in New York City. There were extensive renovations when finances got better in the late 90’s and parts of the park were fully renovated. The Fort Tyron Park Trust, a non-profit organization was founded in 1998 to help maintain the park (Wiki).

The Scandinavian Orchestra played in June 2024

Video on the show:

IMG_5869 Download

Today it is just an amazing park!

The Jacob Javits Playground is really popular

The Javits Playground was very popular

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park/highlights/8724

On the recent Great Saunter walk in 2025:

When I walked through the park on the recent Great Saunter walk in 2025, they rerouted us through the park when the Riverwalk was closed for renovation. The park was in full bloom and it was the most spectacular day for a visit.

The entrance of the park on that sunny afternoon

The beautiful colorful tulips at the entrance of the park

The colorful gardens were in full bloom

Everyone was routed through the park on the way to Inwood Park for our rest stop. What I found strange was that the park was so beautiful in full bloom and people were not stopping to relax and just enjoy the views. The gardens were amazing and so colorful.