A Garden State-proud Facebook follower reminded me of the splendid cherry blossoms along Chapel Avenue, Kings Highway, and Haddonfield Road in Cherry Hill and Haddonfield, both in Camden County, near Philadelphia. Adding a few beautiful cherry blossom photos from this spring from O’Donnell Park, Atlantic City as an encore to “A Cherry Blossom Spring: Branch Brook Park”. Pictured with the blossoms are the Greek Temple Monument War I Memorial near the historic Flemish-style Knife & Fork Inn of that era. Neighboring Margate has begun its own Cherry Blossom Festival which means a must-see visit to the newly refurbished Miss Lucy, who celebrates her birthday July 22nd.
Greek Temple Monument WWI Memorial, one of several war memorials in “All Wars Memorial Park” as noted by the Atlantic City Free Public LibraryO’Donnell ParkStockton University, AC campusBeautiful double blossomsAtlantic Cape Community College, AC campusFlemish-style historic Knife & Fork Inn, 1912Margate Community Church, location of the inaugural Margate Cherry Blossom Festival, with Ventnor Avenue blocked offMoorestown, Burlington County, near Philadelphia (2022)
“Cherry Blossom Encore: Atlantic City, Margate, and Moorestown” @ 2023 Kathleen Helen Levey. All rights reserved.
“Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light.” Theodore Roethke
Wandering under sunlit cherry blossoms is the hallmark of spring’s “Cherry Blossomland” in Branch Brook Park and one of life’s great pleasures. The dance of spring in the blossoms, tremulous and dainty in the breeze, signals the end of winter as much as the arrival of the blooms. So delicate, the white blossoms look like snowflakes on branches, spring having pranked winter with miraculous perseverance. On Easter Sunday, in a harmonious convergence with Purim and Ramadan, and the festive afterglow of Holi, families, couples, photographers, and worldwide visitors strolled throughout the nearly four-mile park. All were smiling, most grinning, blissed out by the breathtaking beauty and the great gift of enjoying life fully again.
Dancing snowflakes Exquisite blossoms
Wonderful year-round, the park’s atmosphere is especially so in the spring. The park is a blossom-lover’s dream with all types of cherry trees: single blossom, double blossom, and weeping. Though selfies are the fashion, part of the fun in cherry blossom season is trading iPhones and cameras to capture happy moments. Young auteurs giving directions while photographing their parents were charming, even holding up hands for “framing” on this and an earlier visit. One, about 5 or 6, was reluctant to return the phone to parental amateurs in a hilarious and affectionate back and forth. Stay long enough, or better yet, visit often, and experience the second flowering of Branch Brook Park: blushing brides before blooms, proud young adults in caps and gowns, adorable children dressed for First Communion, lovely girls in Quince dresses, graceful women in saris and salwar kameez, and smartly dressed families in their holiday best, all posing in blossom-laden photos as everyone passes through the park with a rhythm that mirrors the flow of the Branch Brook after which it takes its name. Those dedicated to the park like the Branch Brook Park Alliance know how a shared love of beauty can bring people together.
Weeping cherry blossom tree
Branch Brook Park in spring reflects the worldwide celebration of the blooms. Japanese cherry blossom festivals honor each stage of the blossom, which is reflective of life’s rites of passage with a reverence for nature that is intertwined with both Shintoism and Bhuddism. “Sakura” means not only “cherry blossom,” but symbolizes renewal. The blossoms’ brief bloom is bittersweet, reminding admirers to appreciate the fleeting flowering beauty and nature’s imperfection. How this philosophy of “wabi-sabi” (greatly condensed), which is from Zen Buddhism, manifests itself in everyday life in Japan is that family, friends, students, and co-workers gather in the tradition of “hanami,” which means flower-viewing, or what Americans might call picnicking, to appreciate the blossoms. In Japan, school begins in April and collective childhood back-to-school memories are replete with falling petals much like many Americans associate crunching leaves with the start of school. Hanami in Branch Brook Park translates into the annual “Bloomfest” and a new Cherry Blossom Welcome Center that is scheduled to open this fall.
Pink and white blossom confection
Olmsted and Branch Brook Park history
A map of the L-shaped park of 360 acres shows its three main sections, the North, Middle, and the South with a picturesque extension in Belleville, which makes the park nearly four miles long. Branch Brook is a tributary of the Passaic River and the park includes a reservoir, a lake, ponds, streams, and the Second River in the Belleville extension. With the liveliness of the present-day park, it seems hard to believe that it is the oldest county park in the country.
Branch Brook Park reflects a history of generosity. Civil War volunteers trained in what was Camp Frelinghuysen on the former land of the Newark Aqueduct Board. The Ballantine Family gifted 32 acres, Z.M. Keene, William A. Righter, and Messrs. Heller, collectively, 50 acres, and the Newark Common Council, 60 acres. In 1924, Harmon Washington Hendricks, an industrialist from a prominent philanthropic Jewish family which dates back to the late 1700’s, bequeathed his family home and the 23 acres along the Second River, the former site of the Hendricks Copper Mill. The adjacent Hendricks Field Golf Course, upgraded in 2018, also has cherry trees.
Regarding the park design, requested by the Newark Park Commission, Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. and Calvert Vaux, well-known for Central Park (1858), envisioned a bucolic Branch Brook Park (1867) with their trademark naturalism that includes extensive rolling hills, stately tree clusters, waterways, and inviting paths. Landscape architects John Bogart and Nathan F. Barrett designed a plan with an ornamental or “romantic” style (1895), but it was the Olmsted Brothers, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., and his half-brother, John Charles Olmsted, who created the park keeping the garden-like style of Bogart and Barrett around the reservoir.
The cherry blossoms adorn the design. Branch Brook Park boasts the largest collection of cherry blossoms in the country, though the picturesque spring wonder of Washington, DC’s Tidal Basin, a gift of cherry trees from Japan in 1912, receives an applause-worthy note as do the cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. In 1927, Caroline Bamberger Fuld, who was the daughter of Jewish immigrants from Germany, brought 2,000-2,050 cherry trees of many varieties from Japan. A lovely detail of this story is that she nurtured the cherry blossom trees on her own nearby Orange, New Jersey estate to ensure their survival before having them planted in the park.
Caroline Bamberger Fuld (Photo: Jewish Women’s Archive) A magnificent gift 🌸
Caroline was the sister of Bamberger and Co. department store founder Louis Bamberger and the wife of Felix Fuld, another founder. After Felix passed away in January 1929, Louis sold the business to R.H. Macy & Co. a few months before the stock market crash. (Louis Bamberger gave the company’s 236 long-term employees, or “co-workers” as he called them, $1 million after the sale. Ideal bosses, he and Felix Fuld provided on-site health care, a cafeteria, a music club, a library, and classes offered through Rutgers University.) After her husband’s death, Ms. Fuld, along with Louis, carried on her husband’s generosity. Both Caroline and Louis are known today for co-founding the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, which created a place for independent thought and research and gave new lives to many Jewish mathematicians in the 1930’s who needed to leave Europe.
Visual poetry
The original 2,000+ gift of Ms. Fuld has increased to approximately 5,200 (some sources note more) with 18 varieties with the help of the Alliance and Essex County Parks and Recreation, both of which have added more trees, preserved trees, and restored historical and architectural treasures. Various sources note that not only does the park have the most blossoming cherry trees in the country, but the greatest variety. Regarding the undertaking of planting the initial trees from Ms. Fuld, the National Park Service credits the Olmsted Brothers with returning and giving the trees a tiered-slope placement so park-goers could appreciate the blooms more completely. For those who prefer an immersive cherry blossom experience, the Belleville extension has the most densely planted blooms, which is also a wondrous experience for enjoying the light fragrance. A note here to underscore the park signs which have increasingly larger letters each year; please do not touch the trees so others may enjoy their beauty.
Architectural details
As Branch Brook Park Alliance notes, most of the “centennial” structures, those over 100 years old, are the work of the distinguished Carrere and Hastings, the most notable being the Beaux-arts Ballantine Gate, 1898. (The gates lead to the also noteworthy architecture of the Forest Hills section of Newark, where Newark Porchfest brings fun and music each fall.) There are also some Art Deco gems and the distinctive lion sculptures by Karl Bitter at the reservoir. The lions, donated by the Prudential Insurance Company from their former office building, are nicknamed “Art” and “Pat” after former Prudential CEO Art Ryan and his wife Pat, also park supporters. Prudential arranged for the planting of twenty-four cherry trees as a memorial to Kiyofumi Sakaguchi. Other elegant tributes include the Patricia A. Chambers Cherry Grove, the Althea Gibson Tennis Center and statue by Thomas Jay Warren, the Roberto Clemente Fields and statue, a Felix Mendelssohn bust, a prize won by the United Singers of Newark in 1903, and a bust of Frederick Law Olmsted, also by Thomas Jay Warren, to note a few. While setting out to write about cherry blossoms, this has turned to a reflection on generosity, which are essentially one and the same in Branch Brook Park.
Beaux-arts Ballantine Gates by Carrere, 1898, and Hastings, restored by Essex County Restoration and Open Space Fund (2020) Art Deco Bridge, Belleville extension (2016) Blooms and Art Deco BridgeOne of the two 7-foot-tall limestone Prudential lions, 1901, by sculptor Karl Bitter at the reservoir with the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in the background (2018) Althea Gibson by Thomas Jay Warren (2018)Althea Gibson Tennis Center, which looks like a Tiffany window (2016). Louis Comfort Tiffany, a name appearing at the Newark Museum of Art, went to school and trained early on as a painter in NJ, another case for the maxim “all roads lead to New Jersey”. Roberto Clemente statue by Roberto Clemente Field, Lake Street and Bloomfield Avenue, 2012, by Susan Wagner, a slightly smaller scale version (8 feet) of her Clemente statue at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Made possible through private donors, Verizon, and PSE&G. Erie Bridge (2014)Frederick Law Olmsted bust at the reservoir (2022)
Peak blooms are usually between the second and third weeks of April which means a welcome return trip for fans of the wonderful Newark St. Patrick’s Day Parade. For blossom viewing, driving is an option to see these sights and the blossoms, though there are wheelchair-friendly trails. Light rail lines and buses also travel to the park. For the definitive history of Branch Brook Park, please visit the Alliance. Other park features include the Prudential Concert Grove near the lions and reservoir, a roller skating rink and basketball courts near the cathedral basilica, baseball fields, bocce courts, which will return when the new center opens, a playground in the Belleville extension (“excellent” as rated by peals of laughter) and the Alliance’s cherry blossom live cam for anyone who cannot make the trip (yet) along with their Bloomwatch, which is also informative about the variety of cherry blossom blooms, on social media. Though the Rutgers Master Gardeners and many other organizations volunteer to help keep the park beautiful, the Alliance always welcomes more volunteers.
Pathway in Southern Division by the cathedral (2022 in this section) Lake in Southern Division by Roller Rink Beautiful rainbow
Cathedral Basilica of the
Sacred Heart
Standing majestically on the park’s horizon is the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, graceful with its French Gothic Revival style (1898-1954). Both a National and a New Jersey Historic Site, the fifth largest cathedral in the nation is approximately 45,000 square feet, about the size of Westminster Abbey in London, and draws tourists as well as parishioners for its beautiful architecture. In 1995, Pope John Paul II conferred the title of “minor basilica” upon the cathedral, the highest recognition given to a cathedral with special significance.
Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart (2022)(2022)
Viewing the cathedral and the cherry blossoms was one of our early family traditions as Vailsburg, Newark residents, which brings to mind one special person among many, our grandmother, remembered in “Arriving Home to Sweetness”. Another early memory was seeing the first spring light shining through a window while hearing the voice of Newark’s Sarah Vaughan* from the records of “The Divine One” played often by our father fan. Newarker Whitney Houston was the great vocal artist of my generation, recalled in a visit to the former Grammy Museum at the Prudential Center, which is still home to the New Jersey Devils and the Seton Hall Pirates. The Newark Museum of Art, with its incredible collection, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), which now hosts the annual Sarah Vaughan Vocal Competition, and the Newark Library, which is a beautiful building and an excellent research resource, are also nearby.
New Jersey Center for the Performing Arts “The Cuppah” by Gianni Toso, Newark Museum of Art Beaux-art, Tiffany & Co. , 1900, Newark. Belonged to the [Thomas and Mina] Edison, West Orange. An appreciative Martin Brodeur in “The Salute” to fans, 2015, by Jon Krawczyk outside Prudential Center (2019). The statue’s stand contains a fans’ time capsule of Brodeur memorabilia. Partial view of the magnificent “The Mural,” 2007, by ambidextrous sports artist Tom Mosser. Commissioned by the NJ Devils, at 200’ x 30′ it is one of the largest indoor sports mural in the country. Pictured here are Martin Brodeur, Ritchie Regan, and boxers among many celebrated state athletes and icons. Left to right: Ken Daneyko, Tony Meola, Terry Dehere, Althea Gibson
Note: News 12 New Jersey recently reported that Newark artists Rorshachbrand, Robert Ramone and Andre Leon, have created a new, beautiful mural honoring Newark and New Jersey musical artists that will inspire performers as they take the stage at the Prudential Center.
The 22-foot stainless steel “Stanley” aka “The Iron Man” by NJ Devils fan Jon Krawczyk stands in Championship Plaza behind the Pru Center. Children enjoy sitting and playing on his foot and hockey stick in what has become a popular selfie station/photo stop. The artist drove this and “The Salute” across the country from his California studio.Newark Library (2015) which has beautiful murals
Nature’s poetry
Central Park has a plaque with the Theodore Roethke quote note above, “Deep within their roots, all flowers keep the light,” which came up when researching it. (This calls for a visit to another Olmsted gem: “Central Park: A Template of Beauty”.) The renowned poet, who inspired generations of poets, felt a deep connection with nature from the time spent with his father in the elder’s greenhouse workplace where young Theodore observed the nurturing of beauty. After experiencing family tragedies at 14, Theodore struggled, as many young people have following the pandemic, but later found his way by writing poetry. Thematic in his work is the belief that nature has a soul, perhaps being interconnected with his own. Poet Roethke’s view of nature as holding spiritual truth complements the essence of a traditional blossom festival.
A walk in the park with nature’s beauty, fresh air, and a stretch can often make cares drift away like petals on the stream. Nature is a gift, no more so than in spring, when flowers bring joy. In the absence of the poet, deferring here to blossom eloquence.
Looking up in Branch Brook Park (2022)
* (No YouTube ad, hopefully; if so, worth the wait for “I’ve Got the World on a String”.)
View of the new tower, Turtle Pond, Delacorte Theater, Great Lawn, and Manhattan’s East Side
“Friendship is the golden thread that ties the heart of all the world.”
Adapted from John Evelyn
Belvedere Castle
A breathtaking view changes perspective. “Belvedere,” Italian for a “beautiful view” captures not just the sweeping panorama of Central Park and the New York City skyline, but the sight of the magnificent Belvedere Castle itself. Faithfully restored to its original 1869 plan by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the landmark now includes a spectacular new wooden tower. The castle is magical for children and adults alike.
A young woman gazes serenely from the top terrace
On a wonderful preview day for Central Park members, dedicated staff and volunteers gave visitors a warm welcome. A friendly Walt Whitman, who has roots in the area, was in town for the Pride Celebrations. Now a visitor center as well as a destination, Belvedere Castle was initially a folly as NY1’s Roger Clark noted in his coverage. Decorative follies are buildings that were especially popular in England and France in the 1700 and 1800’s when Romanticism in art influenced landscape architecture.
Looking up from the main terrace at this beautiful restoration funded by The Thompson Family Foundation. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux invented selfie stations, who knew?
From the castle, visitors will experience not only a welcome
breeze and singing birds but the creative sounds of construction for new sets
at the nearby Delacorte Theater.
The new wooden tower behind the pavilion and the Delacorte Theater
The Delacorte Theater
and Shakespeare in the Park
Summer is the season of theater in Central Park. There is the amphitheater at Summit Rock, its endowment fund dedicated to a beloved friend of the park, Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, landscape designer, preservationist, and founding president of the Central Park Conservancy. Better known is the Delacorte Theater, the home of Shakespeare in the Park, next featuring“Corolianus,” July 16th-August 11th. The open-air theater, a gift of George Delacorte, gave a summer residence to Joseph Papp’s Shakespeare workshop, founded in 1954. Originally, the performances were on the nearby lawn and went on to include “The Pirates of Penzance” by Gilbert & Sullivan whose work Mr. Papp also admired. The troupe’s year-round home, The Public Theater, opened in 1967 in Greenwich Village and both theaters have sent productions ranging from “Hair” to “Hamilton” to Broadway.
Summit Rock amphitheater
The idea that Central Park is not just a park, but a place of art and exploration is extraordinary in the middle of a city. The latter prompts the wondrous Discovery Walks for Families and Park tours, ideal for enjoying in the summer. On the wish list for next June is the annual New York Philharmonic Concert in the Parks – Central Park complete with fireworks. Coming up are SummerStage performances and the Central Park Conservancy Film Festival. The summer Saturday Central Park Tango at the Shakespeare statue offers charm and fun, but could be a stretch for my friend who survived school dances in the 70’s and still shudders at the first notes of “Smoke on the Water”.
Friendship takes every form in Central Park. On summer picnics or dining outdoors, the meal tastes better with friends. At the ball fields throughout the Park, friends gather in team spirit and sporting rivalries. Children leap through playground fountains with squeals of delight. Owners take their dogs for walks, or charmingly, vice versa. Some pass the pinnacle of “man’s best friend,” Balto, indeed ever friendly and vigilant as he stands a few yards from Tisch Children’s Zoo. Named after the Norwegian-Sami explorer Samuel J. Balto, the Siberian husky’s statue, created by Frederick George Richard Roth, honors the hero who saved the children of Nome, Alaska in 1925. During a diphtheria epidemic, Balto led a team in minus 40 degrees on the last 53-mile leg of the “Serum Run” from Anchorage. Friend to all, people now enjoy posing for photos and selfies with one of their Park pals.
“Endurance, Fidelity, Intelligence”
The Garden of Friendship
Would that we all had “forever and a day” to spend in the Shakespeare Garden, lovely year-round with thanks to the staff and volunteers who paint in flowers. Through a shared love of the arts, friendship can flourish without ever speaking in personal ways.
Lily in the gardenThe joyous Shakespeare Garden
As we near the International Day of Friendship, July 30th, and Friendship Day in the US, August 4th, it seems that things do come full circle. Having more pen pals than Beatles albums around the world by the age of twelve, (our mail carrier retired early), is not unlike the rapport I experience with others on social media. Post at #CentralPark and one joins a community, follow @CentralParkNYC, and one relives a trip with beautiful daily photos long after returning home. For those who call Central Park their backyard, instant notice of a concert or the unveiling of new artwork like the “Tilted Head” of Mark Manders makes the city feel like a neighborhood. For both Central Park and the broader community, there is #NYCParks and @NYCParks, part of New York City Parks with Fourth of July events.
“The Tilted Head”
On the note of artists, Joseph Papp was a genuine friend to Czech playwright Vaclav Havel before he ever knew him. Mr. Papp produced the US premiere of “The Memorandum” in 1968 during the first season of The Public Theatre. Both men immediately connected when meeting in New York City for the play’s opening. Vaclav had a rare dual privilege after the Prague Spring: seeing one of his plays produced and traveling outside of then Czechoslovakia. “The Memorandum” received the Obie Award for Best Foreign Play after the author left. Years later, Mr. Papp and his wife Gail Merrifield bravely traveled to Vaclav’s Czech country home, where the playwright lived under house arrest with his wife Olga, to deliver the award. Joseph Papp had offered help to Vaclav when he was in prison by finding him an artistic or academic residency in the US. Mr. Havel declined out of respect for his peers, also knowing that he would not be allowed to return to his homeland.
Though Vaclav Havel later became the first president of the Czech Republic, he remained an artist and friend of the founder of Shakespeare in the Park, who was also the man who helped save the Broadway Theater District. In the same generous spirit as Joseph Papp, President Havel encouraged artists in his country. Reading Vaclav Havel’s “Summer Meditations” and his thoughts on a civil society took me to Prague, and it was an inspirational experience to live there while he led the country.
A beautiful aspect of Central Park is that it brings people of disparate views together through a shared love. Even if one avoids the news, it is clear on a summertime stroll almost anywhere that a divisive time has begun again. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed the park inspired by a democratic ideal. Central Park is the place to go for snapdragons in lieu of snap judgments, and common ground is the definition of civility. Looking out from Belvedere Castle, all things are possible.
Summer sky reflected in Turtle PondLilies in the Shakespeare GardenRome and Juliet, sculpted by Milton Hebald, outside the Delacorte TheaterFountain in the Conservatory GardenA timely rainbow for World PrideToy sailboats at Conservatory WaterDoors are open in welcome at the Chess & Checkers House Visitor Center. Enjoy improving your chess skills over the summer. A beautiful horse of Central ParkBlue skies at Harlem MeerCalvert Vaux’s Balcony BridgeTurtles galore at Turtle Pond! Staying cool at The LakeShakespeare on Literary Walk, created by John Quincy Adams Ward. Shakespearean actors Edwin Booth, founder of The Players, and James Morrison Steele MacKay, supported by fellow actors, initiated the honor.Sunny dahlia at the Conservatory GardenDay’s end at The Pond
Blue sky reflected on shimmering ice at the Conservatory Water
Coming Attractions
The
age-old wisdom when choosing a partner is to see how he treats his mother and
servers. One might add, travel with
him. If you both are excited by
things you experience, fantastic. If the
trains never run on time, which make you both laugh, even better – that
person’s a keeper. Maya Angelou included one more prong on the test: spend time
with that special someone when it rains.
Does he light up your day?
To these, one might add another test learned in youth, crucial
if you are a movie lover. Share a
favorite film with your partner and see what happens. When Robert Redford’s “A River Runs
Through It” from Norman Maclean’s novella came out on the now nostalgic
videotape, I brought home the movie to watch again with two roommates as one
does with things too good not to share. “You’ve got to see this. It’s a beautiful film.”
While watching, one woman, feeling hoodwinked, stomped out halfway through and complained, “Nothing happens.” The other fell asleep. To the list, add the “A River Runs Through It” test. Perhaps this was a lesson in not imposing one’s taste on others, and such a reaction has happened rarely, in fact, but it’s good to be excited about great work.
Honoring musical artist John Lennon at Strawberry Fields
The Main Feature: Central Park
With love, like the view from Belvedere Castle, all things seem possible. Paraphrasing for St. Valentine’s Day, but the love of devotion is evident in the park as much as romance. A cheerful volunteer smiling and offering passers-by park maps from a windowless booth on a day of frozen park waters reminds us that the beauty of Central Park is not just cinematic. Those who remember “A River Runs Through It” would also recall the park at that time, and how the Conservancy and staff have transformed it.
The Angel of the Waters by Emma Stebbins
As Bow Bridge takes us across the Lake, Central Park’s beauty carries us serenely back into our day. The love in the details of Central Park’s design by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux delivers the romance of nature every day. Artists who paint the park, musicians who set it to music, and photographers and filmmakers who capture it, share their inspiration. Both New Yorkers who enjoy the park daily and visitors remind us of how special a place it is. As park-goers know, hearing first-time explorers’ exclamations of delight is lovely.
Bethesda Terrace
“Mandy”
One place that draws people now is the Pond where visitors have come for months to see the Mandarin duck. The bird-watching at the Pond is Central Park at its best. On a recent weekend visit, a crowd had gathered at the water’s edge. Around the Pond, there is the shared excitement of spotting Mandy, then following his movements, speculating where he will go next. Then there is the romance of experiencing something beautiful and unique with others. Two men charmed women with talk of the duck, which was both delightful and impressive. Couples came and went, some reaching for each other’s hands upon sighting Mandy. This sweetness may go back to our childhoods. Earlier at Harlem Meer, a young father had taken his elated son to see his friends, the ducks. For many, ducks were a memorable first contact with wildlife.
Winter at Harlem Meer with a view of the Charles A. Dana Recovery Center
A photographer proudly and warmly shared that he had first captured “Mandy” (a description which hopefully is not too revealing regarding the former), and a lovely woman mentioned that she had come from a distance to take the duck’s photos as well. Others climbed up on the rocks or dashed to Gapstow Bridge for a better view animatedly talking about the duck in several languages, all understood. Some in the group composed entirely of adults remarked on his stunning appearance with color block feathers of blue, russet, brown, purple, black, orange, white, and grey.
What is the draw of a bird? There is the intrigue of the Mandarin duck. Why has he come? Why has he stayed? Was he ever an ugly duckling? Like a gift twice over for photographers, his savvy in selecting one of the most picturesque spots in the park to hold court enhances a stylish panache that rivals Fashion Week. The gentleman charms wearing the Savile Row suit of plumage in the duck world.
The Mandarin duck stands out in a stand-out crowd and gets on well with them (2/19) A lovely revisit (3/19) Magical ✨
Photographers compared notes about the best lenses to capture Mandy’s detail. People politely took turns to take pictures, civility much like that at fellow park New York Botanical Garden events. The inexplicable appearance of the duck is one of the special park experiences like Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s “The Gates,” which thrilled when I lived in the city. Coincidentally, wonderful photos of this were tweeted today @CentralParkNYC, a reminder to anyone who writes that tweets make the new deadlines.
Looking back while leaving, were it not too revealing with faces, the photo that I would have taken for “It’s the People” for the warm #CentralParkLove hashtag this Valentine’s Day week would be the small, warm circle gathered around the tiny bank of the Pond that Mandy was favoring that day. If you live in New York City or plan a trip to the park and want to feel good, have a visit with the Mandarin duck.
Thank you to Manhattan Bird Alert @BirdCentralPark on Twitter for keeping us posted on the whereabouts of this celebrated resident.
Hans Christian Anderson and the title character of “The Ugly Duckling”A friendly mallard at the Lake
Sequel
In Central Park, there is the romance of childhood revisited with one’s children. Those who grew up going to the park can return to take their children to play in the same playgrounds, go ice skating, ride the Carousel, climb the big rocks, visit the zoo, and see a play at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater with “Yeti, Set, Snow!” presently on the marquee.
In terms of a plot at Central Park, there is not much to tell – people go there for walks, recreation, nature — and sometimes to see a duck. Aside from being a cinematographer’s dream, regarding feeling in the park, there is everything. Nothing, but everything, happens.
Thank you to Central Park for creative inspiration. Enjoy the park’s Instagram @centralparknyc and Central Park on Facebook with beautiful photos of the Mandarin duck and the park.
SnowdropsThe Loeb Boathouse at the half-frozen LakeThe music of the park, Duke Ellington by Robert Graham, Duke Ellington Circle, northeast corner of the park, Harlem Vanderbilt Gate entrance to the Conservatory GardenBow Bridge and ice on the LakeTito Puente Way, northeast corner of the park, Harlem
Harlem Meer, sunset view from the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center
“Every moment of light and dark is a miracle.” Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman, with New York and New Jersey ties, shares wisdom that lights the way in autumn. At this time of year, the earlier darkness may not be welcome, but the fall offers a different kind of beauty with autumn leaves, a sometime #Snowvember, and a greater appreciation of the day. At night, the stars shine more clearly in the sky.
Nature’s palette in Central Park
Fall splendor and autumn blooms in a celebration of nature’s palette mark autumn in Central Park. And then there are the greens, vibrant after this year’s rain. On a splendid day of second summer in the park, a walk in Central Park North brings the cheers of children playing soccer, strollers on their lunch breaks, friendly chats with fellow park admirers, and the fragrance of the flowers on the last of the warm breezes.
Untermeyer Fountain, Three Dancing Maidens by Walter Schott
Chrysanthemums, daisies, and asters in the Conservatory Garden
A young mother lay on one of the giant boulders with her newborn sleeping on her chest, looking at the sky while her infant slept in a perfect moment of contentment and connection. This sight brought to mind a wondrous thing about Central Park that the Conservancy has revitalized from the park’s original vision: park-goers know that there is no judgment in the park, which is one of the keys to its serenity. On a wonderful early fall tour of the North Woods, park staff mentioned the Bible as a source for Frederick Law Olmsted in creating a pastoral setting, his touchstone for a shared utopia. By looking to Heaven, he connected people with Earth.
Visual poetry
We all have our favorite parts of the park, and the Park Conservancy encourages us to explore and enjoy all of it. The park is, impressively, 843 acres (341 hectares) and a six-mile (9.6 km) around its perimeter, its inception detailed on a springtime visit in “Central Park: A Template of Beauty”. On another visit, while circling somewhere on a wooded path in the North End, when asked which way was a central landmark, a hiker responded with a smile and a shrug that in the nicest way possible expressed, “Why would anyone head where visitors flock when there are these great woods?” She knew the paths of the northern park expertly and shared that knowledge with enthusiasm. Everything is about perspective.
Springbanks Arch
North in the park
The North End includes the North Meadow, Harlem Meer, the North Woods, the Great Hill, in season, playgrounds, baseball fields, and the seasonal pool/ice hockey Lasker Rink. The Conservatory Garden is a few blocks lower than the start of the North End at 100th Street. Designed by Gilmore Clarke, who created the Unisphere at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, it boasts three gardens in English, French, and Italian style. Distinguishing the garden is the Vanderbilt Gate by George Browne Post, who designed buildings for the nearby City College of New York, the Brooklyn Historical Society, and the New York Stock Exchange, and who later lived in Bernardsville, New Jersey. The Conservatory Garden is its own paradise thanks to dedicated gardeners.
A highlight on a recent trip was chatting with people fishing at Harlem Meer. Fishing of bass, perch, and carp is catch and release with respect to NYC fishing regulations, but the sport is no less fun. Our grandfather, an avid fisherman, would have delighted in the fishing and have known the questions to ask. A kidder, however, whenever anyone asked him what was new, he always answered, “New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and New Mexico” often accompanied by a friendly swat on the arm. Straightforward was not his way, but fun was, and through a love of fishing, he made friends easily as his fellow sportsmen at the Meer seem to do, too.
The Ravine
A tour of the North Woods offers a thoughtful combination of art, history, ecology, geology, good company, and a poetry reading, a sublime mix for those who love nature and art. The North Woods, designed to evoke an Adirondacks experience, features rushing cascades, leafy paths, and stone and rustic bridges with inspiration by Maplewood, New Jersey artist Asher Durand whose work embodied the counterpoise of “naturalism and idealization,” seen in “Kindred Spirits”. The tour starts at the northeast corner of the park by Duke Ellington Circle, sometimes referred to as “the Gateway to Harlem” at East 100th Street at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center. From the center, situated on Harlem Meer, the group traverses the woodland to The Loch, “lake” from Scottish Gaelic like the Dutch “Meer,” the Ravine, and The Pool on the West Side. The water experiences were part of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux’s original “Greensward Plan” for the park. In an impressive feat of engineering, the two created the Pool, The Loch, Harlem Meer, and three cascades from Montayne’s Rivulet, once a passageway for Revolutionary War troops. The Meer surrounds a promontory with the remnants of a lookout from the War of 1812. The Conservancy commissioned the center and restored the area to its original beauty in 1988-1993.
With this fall’s sensation of the sighting of the Mandarin duck, and now the saw-whet owl, it may reassure us at the holiday season to know that people will rush past cynicism to experience simple wonder, which is why the park is so important. The North Woods is also a bird habitat, noted with appreciation to others on the walk who had brought binoculars and shared some of their delightful sightings.All park tours, now also available in Spanish and French, are a way to learn about new parts of the park, to have a deeper appreciation for favorite places or an opportunity for children to discover. Thank you to our knowledgeable guides.
Dedicated park staff members
Finding the way
If you live in New York City, you will experience friendly neighbors waving and calling out your name from across the street, which no one to this day believes in any of my out-of-state retellings. “New York, New York City?” they ask, but the divine wordsmith Nora Ephron always recounted stories in both interviews and her work of how New York is a city of neighborhoods. The apparent effortless serenity of the park, devotedly designed and developed, increases that warmth exponentially in New Yorkers’ splendid front yard where visitors are cordially welcomed.
For those fellow Central Park explorers whose sense of direction needs a little navigational nudge now and then, though the paths are clear, the fallback GPS works in the North Woods. Better to enjoy walks with friends that offer visits on log benches or hikes with a tempo that pick up with camaraderie.
On such visits, we enter the woodland with the known behind us and explore the paths. In the heart of the woods, we look back in thanks and forward in anticipation, a Thanksgiving with a view to a new year.
Hildene Mansion entrance with brick outline of the log cabin of Abraham Lincoln’s birth
“Hill” and “Dene (Valley)” Old English Thesaurus
Tucked away in beautiful Manchester, Vermont is Hildene, the family home of Robert Todd Lincoln, 1843-1926. The only child of Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln to live to adulthood, Robert distinguished himself as the Secretary of War for two presidents, a Minister to Great Britain, and the general counsel, president, and chairman of Pullman Railroad which made the fortune that created Hildene. Robert also served in the Civil War on the staff of General Ulysses S. Grant and was present at General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. Happily married to Mary Harlan, daughter of a US Senator, he had three children, and the atmosphere of the house reflects their harmony.
The quote most commonly attributed to the reserved Robert about his famous father is a regretful one, “During my childhood and early youth he was almost constantly away from home, attending courts or making political speeches. In 1859, when I was 16 … I went to New Hampshire to school and afterward to Harvard College, and he became president. Henceforth any great intimacy between us became impossible….” Visitors can see, however, the love for his father, even before they enter what Robert called “the family’s ancestral home” that harkens back to their English roots. A 12 by 17 feet (3.6 x 5.1 meter) outline of the Kentucky cabin where his father was born is directly in front of the entrance of the impressive 1905 Georgian Revival mansion, which along with the United States and Vermont flags signals to visitors that they are crossing a threshold of both history and the American Dream.
Full view of Hildene Mansion
The Lincoln family’s Manchester connection predates Hildene. Mary Todd, Robert, and brother Tad had spent part of the summers of 1863 and 1864 at the nearby historic Equinox Hotel to escape the heat of Washington, DC and the Civil War, where reportedly a special suite was created for a presidential stay the for the next summer. Robert later frequented the hotel’s golf course, playing on occasion with President Taft, also a guest at Hildene.
The Gilded Age mansion’s stunning floral arrangements created by volunteers and the personal touches: photos, letters, personal items, books, and teddy bears give Hildene the warmth of a lived-in home. Of the 24 rooms, 17 are open so there is a great deal to see. Some furnishings are former possessions of Mary Todd Lincoln’s family and almost everything is original to the house. A happy family lived here, and the dedicated staff and volunteers have conveyed that with thoughtful detail. The soundtrack to the visit is a rare and wonderful one with the music of a “1,000 pipe Aeolian organ”.
Family dining room
Child’s bedroom
Robert, his wife Mary, and his parents
President Lincoln’s stovepipe hat
A compelling and unexpected aspect of the visit to Hildene is an archival room dedicated to President Lincoln’s presidency “The American Ideal: Abraham Lincoln and the Second Inaugural”. President Lincoln addressed accountability and healing at the end of the Civil War so that the country might go forward. Some items on display are his stovepipe hat, Ford Theatre photos, a draft of the Emancipation Proclamation and a related diary entry of Lincoln secretary John Hay. The experience is like looking into the soul of a man and a nation. After viewing the exhibits, without exchanging words my friend and I both sat down on the room’s bench in silent reflection. Other archival material is available at the Charles Woodberry McLellan Collection of Lincolniana at Brown University, preserved in memory of graduate John Hay, for those who are interested.
The mansion with its history and charm are only part of the Hildene visit. Beyond the splendid French parterre garden is a jaw-dropping view of the Battenkill Valley. Frederick Todd, an apprentice of Frederick Law Olmsted of Central Park renown, planned the Hoyt Formal Garden “to resemble a stained-glass Romanesque cathedral window” according to the design of daughter Jessie Lincoln as a surprise for her mother. Peonies are a garden highlight with more than 1,000 blooming in mid-June. In the front of the house, the observatory, though not large, has a remarkable and restored refracting telescope, state-of-the-art in Robert’s day, which enabled the stargazer and fellow astronomy enthusiasts to take advantage of fine hilltop views in a clear night sky.
Hoyt Formal Garden with peonies in full bloom and the dramatic Battenkill Valley backdrop
Partial view of Battenkill Valley
Hildene peonies
The welcome Vermont respite of Hildene was a true getaway for the Lincoln family who left their Chicago home base and sometimes stayed for as long as eight months, and it was here that Robert passed away on July 26, 1926. Of Robert, his loving wife Mary wrote that he “was a personage, made his own history, independently (underlined 5 times) of his great father, and should have his own place ‘in the sun.'” This quote is from a request for his burial in Arlington National Cemetery where both she and their son Jack, Abraham Lincoln II, who died at 16, were laid to rest. Robert’s last public appearance was on his father’s behalf in 1926 at the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial where both the Second Inaugural Address and the Gettysburg Address are inscribed.
The last Lincoln family member to reside at Hildene was Robert’s granddaughter Peggy Beckwith who made the estate more self-sufficient, which one can see today with the goat and cheese-making farm. The 412-acre estate, which still retains its original cutting and kitchen garden, is ideally situated between the Green Mountains and Taconic Mountains. In addition to the farm, Hildene offers wonderful hiking trails for those who wish to enjoy nature along with history. The house reflects the different periods of residence, Peggy’s, upstairs, and Robert’s, downstairs. After Peggy’s death in 1975 and a pending sale to developers, The Friends of Hildene fought to save the estate.
“Sunbeam” Pullman Palace Car
Part of the “Many Voices” Timeline of the experiences of the Pullman Porters
A 1903 Pullman Palace railroad car, the Sunbeam, came to Hildene after a national search and a meticulous restoration process. The luxurious sleeper car, used by President McKinley, reporters for Theodore Roosevelt’s 1912 campaign, and a part of FDR’s funeral train is 75 feet long vs. today’s 60. A timeline “Many Voices” begins with the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, which links directly to the hiring of the first Pullman porters who were freed slaves after the Civil War through the Civil Rights Movement in 1963. The long view of history is that the job of porter offered opportunity, social exposure, and income, which led to the creation of an African-American middle class and respect for the porters within their communities. Access to newspapers through travel provided information for family and friends on jobs and conditions in the North. The day-to-day reality was that it was a difficult job with sometimes discouraging anonymity and little room to advance. The informative staff offer in-depth information about the period and Friends of Hildene notes the website of the Vermont African American Heritage Trail for those who are interested in learning more about similar historical sights.
One aspect of New Jersey history for regular readers connects Robert to Jersey City where Edwin Booth, the most famous and distinguished stage actor in the country and founder of The Players in New York City, saved his life. Changing trains in the early 1860’s, the 17 year old Robert, pushed in the crowd, fell between the platform and a departing train. Edwin pulled him up, not knowing who he was. Robert gratefully recounted the incident to Colonel Adam Badeau on General Grant’s staff who sent a letter of thanks to the famous actor. Edwin, ironically, was traveling with John T. Ford, owner of Ford’s Theatre. After President Lincoln’s assassination in 1865 by Edwin’s younger brother John, when Robert was by his father’s bedside when he passed, the letter reportedly gave Edwin comfort.
Replica of casts of Abraham Lincoln’s hands shortly after receiving the presidential nomination in 1860. Cast by sculptor Leonard Wells Volk, these are the models for President Lincoln’s hands in almost all well-known statues of him. His right hand is slightly swollen from shaking hands of well-wishers.
Walking around the estate is a pleasure, but there are also trams for visitors. For an accessibility guide, tour arrangements for the visually impaired, group tour reservations, archive tour, lectures and events, and ways to support, visit Hildene. The lovely grounds with an event tent make it a popular place for weddings and other celebrations. As of early 2022: The estate, which includes the home, garden, Pullman Car, Hildene Farm & Goat Dairy, Dene Farm (a high school sustainability program), and twelve miles of walking trails, is open daily from Thursday-Monday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 except Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, the 24th-26th. Admission is $23 for adults, $6 for children (6-16). Children under 6 and members are free. Daily 45-minute guided home tours are at 11 a.m. with an additional $7.50 fee. Please register ahead by writing tours@hildene.org or calling (802) 362-1788. A fun note: enjoy cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on the trails from mid-December to mid-March, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. with a preview of the grounds.
Thank you to the staff, volunteers, and Friends of Hildene for a wonderful visit.
