Nothing says springtime like when the cherry blossoms speckle the city with beautiful shades of pink and white. And according to the Observer, New York City is one of the world’s top destinations for viewing cherry blossoms when they’re in season!
This year, cherry blossoms were first spotted flowering around Queens by early March. Typically, NYC experiences a bloom period halfway through April, so the flowers were quite early indeed. Since we’re now currently in mid-April, tons of areas across the city are in full bloom, including Central Park!
Besides Central Park, the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens is another notorious location to see these beautiful blooms in the city. Whether you stroll along Cherry Esplanade or visit the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, the vibrant views will surely mesmerize. And though the Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival will not be returning this year, the garden will host a new event series titled “Weekends in Bloom.”
To no surprise, most of the other locations on the Observer‘s list were in Japan (the country most commonly associated with the spectacular trees) including: Maruyama Park in Kyoto, Ueno Park in Tokyo, Matsumae Park in Hokkaido, Nara Park in Nara, Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival in Aomori and Himeji Castle in Hyogo.
Washington D.C. was another U.S. destination to make it on the list, in addition to Amsterdam and Vancouver.
Insider tip: for some of the best views in NYC, be sure to head to Ladurée’s outdoor garden in SoHo right now because the cherry blossoms are finally in full bloom. It’ll only be a week or two until they begin to fall so head over asap!
For more magical views of the cherry blossoms around NYC, you’ll want to check out our guide on the best spots around town to catch the gorgeous blooms.