中央公园，纽约 Central Park, New York City (© Tony Shi Photography/Getty Images)
中央公园，纽约 Central Park, New York City (© Tony Shi Photography/Getty Images)
Central Park early spring day
As the saying March goes in like a lion and out like a lamb. The Central Park in New York welcomes its picturesque spring as many areas in the US start to warm up.It is the fifth-largest park in New York City by area, covering 843 acres (3.41 km2). Main attractions of the park include landscapes such as the Ramble and Lake, Hallett Nature Sanctuary, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, and Sheep Meadow. As much a part of the city’s image as the Statue of Liberty and Times Square, leafy Central Park is the green heart of the Big Apple. A template for hundreds of urban parks around the world, the huge green space stretches 51 blocks through the middle of helter-skelter Manhattan.
莱奇沃思州立公园，纽约 Letchworth State Park, New York (© Jay O'Brien/Danita Delimont)
莱奇沃思州立公园，纽约 Letchworth State Park, New York (© Jay O'Brien/Danita Delimont)
'Grand Canyon of the East'
It's easy to see why Letchworth State Park in New York has earned this 'Grand' title. About 60 miles southeast of Buffalo, the 17-mile long park protects a stunning section of the Genesee River that cuts through a deep gorge. The cliffs, close to 600-feet high in some places, offer knockout views of several waterfalls and the thick deciduous forest. The historic Glen Iris Inn, once the home and refuge of industrialist William Pryor Letchworth, overlooks Middle Falls. In 1906, Letchworth bequeathed his 1,000-acre estate to the state of New York. The parcel would become the heart of this 14,427-acre park that bears his name.
2018年曼哈顿悬日期间的克莱斯勒大厦与42号街，纽约市 42nd Street with the Chrysler Building during Manhattanhenge in 2018, New York City (© Dennis Fischer Photography/Getty Images)
2018年曼哈顿悬日期间的克莱斯勒大厦与42号街，纽约市 42nd Street with the Chrysler Building during Manhattanhenge in 2018, New York City (© Dennis Fischer Photography/Getty Images)
A day to celebrate the sun
A few times each year, the rising and setting suns align with the east-west streets of Manhattan--commonly referred to as 'Manhattanhenge.' While the exact timing varies slightly from one year to the next, it usually occurs a few weeks before and after the summer and winter solstices. Tonight's sunset will find the full sun's golden rays streaming directly through Manhattan's major cross streets.
The name Manhattanhenge was created and popularized by NYC native and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson as an homage to Stonehenge. But Manhattan isn't the only place you can experience a 'henge' day--cities like Chicago and Toronto are also drawing crowds trying to capture a moment where the cosmos perfectly aligns with the modern.
