A piece of Manhattan

An amazing thing happened to me this spring. Actually, something happened to me that, as the years passed, I believed less and less that it was possible, and that is - to see New York! A city where I "was" in my dreams, whose images are familiar to me through space and time, like, probably, to every inhabitant of the planet and which I recognize even in the details. And when I finally saw it for real, I experienced a surprise: everything is familiar, already seen, but the experience is authentic and unrepeatable. Something like when you see the sunset or the new moon in the starry sky live!

More than four decades since she left Belgrade, my friend lives in New York, in Manhattan, actually, in the north of this city municipality. Her building is made of bricks and in the middle of greenery, like all the others in the area.

On our first walk, he introduces me to the surroundings. We pass by the elementary school where her son went, Henry Kissinger and his parents lived in the building across the street. They remained there even when their son left for life and history, she says. There are other famous people who have contributed to the local community and who have become part of the history of this area.

But what makes this part of Manhattan the jewel, and which, according to my friend, is more beautiful than Central Park - the heart of the Big Apple - is Fort Tryan Park, the largest garden in New York City, where more than five hundred different types of plants grow.

It was created in the 30s thanks to the Rockefeller family, who wanted to turn the rocky area next to the Hudson River into a park and thus preserve all the wealth of flora and fauna that exists there.

The northern part of Manhattan, where the park is located, was the scene of the struggle of the American colonies against British rule in the War of Independence, and was named after William Trajan, the last British governor. He must have been a good man when they kept his name, says my friend.

Memories of the War of Independence are preserved in many places of the spacious park. Thus, one track was named after Margaret Corbin, who after the death of her husband entered the fight herself (her husband was a gunner, so she replaced him in that position) and became one of the first heroines of the American War of Independence.

It was opened in 1935, my guide says, and its 27-hectare area consists of promenades, terraces and eight miles of paths and paths for walkers. Below, through the trees, the Hudson is visible. But, a magnificent view of this river is offered from the highest point in the park, which is called the Linden Terrace of David Rockefeller, one of the descendants of the rich family who built the entire complex and gave it to the citizens to enjoy.

The southwestern part of Fort Trajan Park is the Cabrini Forest, a natural refuge for more than eighty species of birds, from hummingbirds, woodpeckers, red cardinals, mockingbirds, to falcons and hawks, as well as for numerous animals: raccoons, skunks, badgers, opossums, snakes... It is a place of learning in nature not only for schoolchildren but also for adults. All notices are available to visitors on boards placed along the trails.

Apart from squirrels and other inhabitants of this animal kingdom, residents of all ages are constantly there, on fields, benches, sports fields, and in restaurants.

The park is really a big garden... Within the park there is also a part of the Metropolitan Museum dedicated to the art, architecture and gardens of medieval Europe. While my friend is taking out a bag of nut crumbs intended for the sparrows from her bag, the squirrels jump up and steal their food. A picture worthy of Disney movies, and me in it! Only the background music is missing.

Full of flowers and trees, harmony and tranquility filled with birdsong, the park is - for someone who comes from Belgrade, where for the last six months there has been boiling noise and anger punctuated by 16-minute silences - like a long-forgotten world of normality. At every step, normal occurrences remind you how life in Serbia is the exact opposite. While the facades of the buildings are repaired, from which the damaged bricks are removed and replaced with new ones, every tree in front of them is carefully wrapped with netting to protect them. Every lawn is mowed - and green! - and there are many of them. Each entrance to the building has a small garden. People are kind, patient and accommodating. Local communities make sure that life in their area is as good as possible.

This piece of the world, I believe, lives in each of us. Just as gardens and parks live in our memory because we grew up in them. We just need to stop their deletion and return to the normal life that is right there, next to us. And which is possible, just like my arrival in New York.