The Spring Equinox officially happened on March 20th, but New Yorkers know it's not really spring until the cherry blossom trees around the city start blooming. And now it's all happening, so cue up Air's "Cherry Blossom Girl" and gaze longingly at these photos of flamingo-flecked nature on the electronic device of your choosing.
Some of the first sightings of peak pink petals were spotted this weekend in Central Park; below you'll see the action in the west 90s, close to the Central Park Reservoir. I happened to walk across that area last Friday and didn't see anything then, so they must have popped Saturday or Sunday. Nature works fast.
They're also starting to bloom in Tompkins Square Park, around the area of 8th and 9th streets. Helio Monteiro, a food courier, told Gothamist he’d taken a break this afternoon to photograph one of the blooming cherry blossoms on the north side of the park. “I love the color,” Monteiro said. “They’re very special.”
Cherry blossoms in Tompkins Square Park in March 2021
Cherry blossoms in Tompkins Square Park in March 2021
In other parts of this city, things aren't quite there yet — there doesn't seem to be anything blooming in Riverside Park, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden say that their cherry blossom trees haven't started yet either. If you spot the pastel petals in the wild, send us a photo and location (at tips@gothamist.com). For now, you can take a soothing tour of the BBG cherry blossoms from last year:
Meanwhile, the cherry blossoms in D.C. have already reached peak bloom, and the National Park Service said that above-average temperatures recently are the cause of this early bloom on the east coast. You can watch the National Mall’s BloomCam broadcast live footage to see peaceful video of the wind idly passing through the cherry blossoms down there.
And if you are really looking for some ultra-majestic splendor, check out the cherry blossom scene in Nara, Japan right now.
