Finding New Things in Old Places
On a recent trip to my hometown, Yonkers, my sister offered me the opportunity to "check out Untemeyer Park," a spot we had never explored before.The day was bright and the hour was early, so it sounded like a wonderful idea. We were blessed by the last of Fall's glorious colors - we even saw a few roses. But my thrill was the cool architecture. A brochure at the site called this place "America's Greatest Forgotten Garden." Owned by prominent lawyer, Samuel Untemeyer, these gardens were acclaimed to be the finest in the Hudson Valley in the 1920's and 30's. The brochure claims that 30,000 folks visited in a single day in September 1939. the gardens became overgrown and lost in time. Designed after the Persian Gardens with an influence of Spain, India and Italy, the Untemeyer Gardens have a universal appeal. I was taken by the lines and shadows on this crisp Fall morning. The views of the Palisades and the Hudso...