Botany in the Bronx

Posted on July 17th, 2017

The sheer number of attractions in and around New York City is, naturally, staggering.  Even between decades of New York visits and a year of living here, there are still so many I haven’t visited.  I have loved the gardens I’ve visited around the world (personal favorite: Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia), but had never trekked up to the Bronx to see the New York Botanical Garden.  It is absolutely accessible via public transportation (Metro North or Subway), but it takes a while.  Since we have a car in the city, it seemed like a good time to drive up.  My best friend from Penn, Kimberly, was in town this weekend, and joined for the journey.

I was particularly drawn to visiting this summer to see their Chihuly exhibition.  The Chihuly Museum was one of my two favorite Seattle attractions, and I had loved seeing the Chihuly installations at the Missouri Botanical Garden, as well.  The juxtaposition of the natural elements with the colorful glass pieces allowed both to shine without competing.

Who needs to go to Nantucket?  We have heaps of hydrangeas right here!  Since it was a summer Saturday afternoon it was fairly crowded, but there is tons of room to spread out so it really did not impact our experience.  NYBG does a great job bringing food trucks in and offering several outdoor dining options throughout, so you could really plan a nice leisurely day.  My only regret on our visit is that we were not able to spend more time exploring the gardens– but a good excuse for our next adventure.