For anyone heading to NYC spring is beginning in here. In Central park a few trees are starting to show buds as is the forsythia. And the leaves of a few flowers - I guess crocus - are starting to show in the still pretty brown grass. Give it another week and the Park will start to look a little pleasant. Probably 3 weeks or so before it's really worthwhile.

Sounds delicious. I'm planning a 2-3 day trip there ~Palm Sunday!!

I like the Park year-round.

Well we use the Park year round since we are less than a block away - and it's gorgeous in the snow. But this time of year until the trees leaf and we have some flowers I find kind of depressing.

If you are interested in birds and/or bird photography, Central Park is wonderful at this (or almost any) time of year - a surprisingly diverse range of birds visit the Park. The Wild Bird Fund (where I volunteer) is starting its spring season of walks in Central Park. About once a month (Saturdays), Charles Chessler holds an inexpensive photography workshop. Likewise, Alan Messer (artist) holds walks in Central Park about once a month. Proceeds from the walks go to support the Wild Bird Fund's work as a wildlife rehabilitation center. The New York City Audobon Society also has frequent events at this time of year. To check out the WBF's events, go to wildbirdfund.org. I'm not sure of the NYC Audbon website but googling birds and Central Park should turn something up.

Yes, Central Park is right in the middle of the east coast flyway for migratory birds and you can see an amazing number of species. I noticed this am that all of the robins were out (not sure where they spend the winter - when we seen to see just sparrows) and I saw a blue jay and something large and dark (crow? raven?).

I first visited Central Park at the beginning of April 2007 and was very disappointed as it was not the nice green park I imagined it would be. In NZ even when it is winter, there is a lot of green grass, flowers, leaves on the trees etc. I totally didn't realise how winter in an area that gets snow, affects the parks. When I visited again in November 2012 it was more like the park I was expecting.

nytraveler, thanks for the update on the beginnings of spring in NYC! We're looking forward to our trip to Manhattan from May 1-4 followed by 5 days in the Hudson River Valley. We hope for some warmish days by then. You're fortunate to live in NYC where so many exciting things are always happening.

Yes, by May both the Park and the Hudson Valley should be gorgeous -all trees newly leafed.

Sounds like DH and I will be hitting it just right. We'll be there April 29th - May 3rd.

When we were there last week, I kept thinking how much different things would look in a couple of weeks. There is a special beauty to winter and the bare trees. But the color of spring is so energizing.