⁴ᴷ⁶⁰ Walking NYC : Sakura Park, Morningside Heights, Manhattan

A quick walk through Sakura Park in Morningside Heights, Manhattan. It is located between Riverside Church and International House, not too far from Columbia University.

From Wikipedia:
"Sakura Park is a public park located toward the northern end of the Morningside Heights neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City, between Riverside Drive and Claremont Avenue, north of West 122nd Street. Sandwiched between Riverside Church on the south, the Manhattan School of Music on the east, Grant's Tomb on the west, and International House on its northern side, it is a small, but historic, piece of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation's park system.

The park was originally called Claremont Park after the avenue on its east side, but renamed in 1912 after the Committee of Japanese Residents of New York donated 2,500 cherry blossom trees to the city. The land, originally owned by John D. Rockefeller and purchased by the City of New York for use as an extension of Riverside Park, was landscaped with financial support from Rockefeller, over a two-year period starting in 1932. Directly to the east is Claremont Avenue, which is dramatically lower in elevation, and resulted in a buttressed retaining wall being built during the period that extends the length of the park.

In 1960, another gift was given to the park, this time by the City of Tokyo in the form of a tōrō, when New York became her sister city. Former Crown Prince and current Emperor of Japan, Akihito, was in attendance during the official dedication on October 10 of that year. Crown Prince Akihito would later rededicate the tōrō with his princess in 1987.

The park boasts a bronze statue of General Daniel Adams Butterfield by Gutzon Borglum, who is said to have been so annoyed by the many changes to the sculpture demanded by the committee that commissioned it that he signed it on the top of the general's head, claiming that this was the only aspect that the committee had not required him to change. The statue is oriented such that it faces Grant's Tomb across Riverside Drive and thus it appears Butterfield is looking at the tomb of his fellow Civil War general and the president in whose cabinet he served as the Assistant Treasurer of the United States.

The landscaping is dominated by two walks lined with mature linden trees, the branches meet overhead forming a leafy arcade. Between the two walks is a lawn, headed by a gazebo and planted with cherry trees. When the cherry trees bloom, people of Japanese ancestry come to celebrate Hanami and spread picnic blankets under the trees. The cherry bloom is preceded in spring by bulbs, beginning with snowdrops and continuing through tulips."

Filmed April 14, 2019

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Filmed Using

Camera Equipment I used or have used

[ashiabarnessoprano]

Manhattan school of Music, and Riverside church. So blessed to call these places my home❤️

[cindydo]

I was born and raised just 10 blocks away from Grants Tomb. I loved going there and riverside park when was I little.

[amaniselmi]

The blossoming pinkish-white trees are utter beauty so is the dancing little girl with the yellow dress.. she looks like a joyful butterfly..♡♥

[worldtravelrafhat]

So many things to see in NYC. Thanks for sharing.

[rhondaharrison]

That little girl needed a dance partner. Very peaceful and pretty.

[lilbank]

Ik this is a small touch, and may be insignificant to others but I like how you place the map of where the area you were at is, and timestamp😊☺️. Good video

[leighmackay]

Nice! Riverside Church is the tallest church in the U.S. The 74-bell carillon includes the largest tuned bell in the world weighing 20 tons. Cheers, AK.

[hank]

Beautiful job and great info in the description! Thank you!

[juliobandaiglesias]

Through your walks I can visit many places in NYC virtually. In July I hope to travel to that city. Greetings from Santiago, Chile 🇨🇱🇨🇱🇨🇱😜

[rentintin]

Beautiful. I see NYC through your videos. I love them

[joelweiner]

Great place to hang out near Columbia University.. Riverside Church and Grant's Tomb just a few steps away.. Nice and peaceful...Nice video... Kudos!!

[山田太郎-snx]

The view with which a building in New York and a cherry tree are same is nice.

[MathinD]

Amazing collection you are building there, kid!

[ztcanadacareersite]

oh wow Cherry blossoms already alive in New York. We are so excited here in Toronto for the blossoms which will arrive probably in May. you made a big one on filming this beautiful Sakura!

[stevpush]

very nice another really nice video thank you

[Guppieboi]

Beautiful peaceful pocket in NYC. You captured the blossoms in full bloom! Hope you take us on walk up to the Cloisters nearby some time soon,

[joelweiner]

Actionkid... You might consider a night video at Gantry Plaza State Park in LIC.. was there last evening and it was awesome.. Great vista of Manhattan skyline with all the lights aglow...

[charlesbeyer]

When it was Claremont Park it had an inner oval walkway with shoulder high bushes surrounding it and two east-west connector walkways (one on north end, the other on south end) bringing people to the outer wider walkway lined with the bigger trees; no gazebo then either. This would be mid-late 1970s when I frequented it with my friends from the neighborhood.

[dream.machine]

Beautiful Video! How did you make that awesome outro to your newer videos! That is awesome.

[hank]

Suggested walk. Enter Riverside Park and go to bike/pedestrian path near river at 97th Street. Walk north to 125th Street and West Harlem Piers.