New York City | alesiablogs

As part of a series of self-guided tours that I have presented in the past, today’s feature is New York City’s Bryant Park. In a trip taken to New York, I ventured out on a walk to acquaint myself with the parks throughout Manhattan. Bryant Park became one of my favorite stops. It is a pleasant urban refuge in the middle of a wildly hectic town. Located breathtakingly in the heart of some of New York City’s greatest architecture makes this park a must see. Nearby is the Beaux-Arts facade of the New York Public Library.
Bryant’s grounds are photogenic with three terraces with the west end’s Fountain Terrace perhaps being the most unique of the three. This part of the park houses a chess area, small library, food kiosks, and a fun french game called Petanque. Another area is the promenades which are reminiscent of Paris and the Jardin des Tuileries. The area has rows of shaded trees that give it a spectacular look.
The gardens in Bryant Park house over 200 plants, 100,000 daffodils, and 20,000 seasonal bulbs. This is a gardener’s paradise! For those interested in just resting on the grounds, there is the wonderful green lawn. This area is for those who coming for respite will sit, read, or just pull out a blanket and bask in the sun for hours on the lawn. What is so incredible is that every winter this lawn is taken up and turned into a skating rink. You could say there is a little something for everyone here!
In its infancy this park was a Potter’s Field for General George Washington during the Revolutionary War period that lasted until about 1823. It was soon turned into a Victorian green’s ward in 1847 and later was the site for the 1853 World’s Fair. The beginning of Bryant Park was when the park was named after a poet by the name of William Cullen Bryant. As time went on and no upkeep, the park became an eyesore, but then the citizens decided to restore it. From generous donations the park became the world’s busiest public space. This is an amazing attribute to say the least. Please enjoy my photos and by all means stop by Bryant Park next time you are in town. As a side note the park has free wireless for you bloggers out there!

When I was in New York with my dear friend Stacy, we chose to tour one of the top tourist attractions of the country which was the High Line. I had no idea what it was all about until we experienced it ourselves. The High Line is a one mile linear park built on old historic railroad tracks. It lies on Manhatten’s west side and was opened to the public in 2011. It is really one of the most unique experiences you can imagine walking along what was where a train ran for many years. The park was built there by a community based nonprofit supported organization’s effort at preserving history ( http://www.thehighline.org/ ).