This garden is much smaller than the New York Botanic Garden, and a far more enjoyable experience. This garden was first established in 1910 and has a tremendous selection of roses, bonsais, native flora, and cherry trees.

There is something to see all year-round, but especially in the spring, when the cherry trees are in full bloom, and in June, when the roses are in full spring.

The Japanese Hill and Pond Garden is a beautiful, serene space first built in 1915 and features spaces to sit and enjoy the brilliant goldfish and numerous turtles that swim in the pond.

On hotter and colder days, duck into the Steinhardt Conservatory, where 100-year-old bonsai trees are given a special, weather-controlled room and a series of greenhouses offer plants from the tropics to the deserts.

NOTES: Admission is free on Tuesdays. It can get pretty crowded on the nicer days.

There are multiple entrances to the park, but the most hassle-free are at the north end of the park, along Eastern Parkway and beside the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

Visit http://www.bbg.org for special events and hours.

For almost a century the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has provided a natural respite from the city, housing over 12,000 varieties of indoor and outdoor plants. The 52 acre park is perfect for strolling, offering a nice combination of manicured rows and stretches of wild foliage. The large multilevel atriums showcase a number of habitats and their respective plant life. An interesting attraction is the Garden for the Blind, which features plants that have unique textures and are highly aromatic.