Page 239 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - New York City

BROOKL Y N  237

e Brooklyn labeled in Braille, giving
Botanic blind visitors an opportunity
Garden to identify them as well.
The conservatory houses
900 Washington Ave. Map 23 C4 one of America’s largest bonsai
Tel (718) 623-7200. q Prospect collections and some rare rain
Pk (B, Q), Eastern Pkwy (2, 3). forest trees, whose extracts
Grounds Open Mar–Oct: allow scientists to produce
8am–6pm Tue–Fri (10am life-saving drugs.
Sat, Sun, & public hols);
Nov–Feb: 8am–4:30pm
(10am Sat, Sun, & public hols).
Closed Jan 1, Labor Day,
Thanksgiving, Dec 25. & Mar–mid-
Nov: free Tue & 10am–noon Sat;
mid-Nov–late Feb: free for under-16s
Carousel horse in Prospect Park Mon–Fri. 7 8 0 = ∑ bbg.org
Central Park (see pp198– Though this 50-acre (20-ha) Lily pond at the beautiful Brooklyn
203). The Long Meadow, a garden is not vast, you will find Botanic Garden
sweep of broad lawns and that it holds many delights.
grand vistas, is the longest The area was designed by the
unbroken swath of green space Olmsted Brothers in 1910 and r Green-Wood
in New York. features an Elizabethan-style Cemetery
Olmsted’s belief was that “a “knot” herb garden and one
feeling of relief is experi enced of North America’s largest 500 25th St at Fifth Ave. Map 23 B5.
by entering them [the parks] collections of roses. Tel (718) 210-3080. q 25th St (R).
on escaping from the The central showpiece is a Open Mar–Apr & Sep–Oct: 7:45am–
cramped, confining and Japanese hill-and-pond 6pm daily; May–Aug: 7am–7pm daily;
controlling circumstances of garden, complete with a Nov–Feb: 8am–5pm daily. ∑ green-
the streets of the town.” That teahouse and Shinto shrine. wood.com
vision is still as true today as it In late April and early May the
was a century and a half ago. park prome nade is aglow This 478-acre (193-ha) cemetery
Among the many notable with delicate Japanese was founded in 1838 and today
features are Stanford White’s cherry blossoms, which have it is almost a city park, being
colonnaded Croquet Shelter, prompted an annual festi val both sprawling and beautiful.
and the pools and weeping featuring typical Japanese Several famous citizens are
willows of the Vale of culture, food, and music. interred here, including the
Cashmere. The Music Grove April is also the time for tourists street artist Jean-Michel
bandstand shows Japanese to appreciate Magnolia Plaza, Basquiat (1960–88), abolitionist
influences and hosts both jazz where some 80 trees display Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87),
and classical music concerts their beautiful, creamy composer Leonard Bernstein
throughout the summer. blossoms against a backdrop (1918–90), and glass artist
A favorite feature of the park of daffodils on Boulder Hill. Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–
is the Camperdown Elm, an The Fragrance Garden is 1933). The whole Steinway
ancient and twisted tree that planted in raised beds, where family (see p257) of the piano
was planted in 1872. The the heavily scented, textured dynasty also lie at rest in a
Friends of Prospect Park and flavored plants are all 119-room mausoleum.
continue to raise money to
keep it and all the other park
trees healthy. This old elm has
inspired many poems and
paintings. Prospect Park has a
wide variety of landscapes, from
classical gardens dotted with
statues to rocky glens with
running brooks. A guided tour
with a ranger is the best way
to see the park.

w Brooklyn
Museum
See pp238–41. The facade of the Brooklyn Public Library on Grand Army Plaza

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