The best places to see cherry blossoms in NYC

While discovering winding trails, rocks and streams, you'll spot cherry blossoms around the bridal path at 90th Street, East Drive at 66th Street, the east side of the Boathouse at 74th Street, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir and Cherry Hill mid-park at 72nd Street. Be sure to look for them across from Belvedere Castle because the only thing that makes a castle more magical is princess-pink blossoms.

Walk around this popular Brooklyn attraction and you'll discover trees with gorgeous pink flowers creating enchanting views. On a stroll along Battle Avenue, you’ll find both pink and white blossoms framing the mausoleums. Amid this tranquil scene, you can admire 172 cherry blossom trees dotting the landscape.

A newer cherry blossom spot on the list, experience spring flowers at Little Island. On the island, Akebono Yoshino cherry trees will bloom alongside daffodils, tulips, lilies, pasqueflowers and many other flowers that burst forth from the park's 66,000+ bulbs.

The flowering cherry collection at Brooklyn Botanic Garden contains 26 of the species and cultivars, from the "Kanzan" to the "Pendula Rosea." You can wander beneath these pink petals during the course of the bloom, which generally runs from late March through mid-May. Follow along with their blossom tracker here.

Because Brooklyn Botanic Garden has so many different types of trees, you're likely to see a nice bloom no matter when you visit this spring. "No one tree remains in flower for more than a week, and there is no moment when all are blooming at once," the garden explains on its website. "Instead, different species and cultivars blossom in succession, allowing many opportunities to savor the season."

Hanami Nights—popular evening events celebrating the cherry blossom's splendor with music and activities—are back from April 22–25. 

This narrow piece of land in the middle of the East River is crawling with beautiful cherry blossoms, giving you a perfect frame for your photos of the Manhattan skyline. And thanks to the boxy red tram that glides above the water, the island may be one of the only locations in New York that is a joy to get to on public transportation.

Stroll along the Harlem River Greenway (exact location here) to view a stunning cherry tree esplanade in Inwood, Manhattan. 

Admire more than 80 flowering cherry trees, most of which are of the Kwanzan, Okame, and Yoshino variety. They bloom starting mid-March through early May, with peak bloom often in early April. Best of all: You can view these trees along the water without the crowds of some more popular cherry blossom spots. 

New York Restoration Project planted these trees as part of the MillionTreesNYC Initiative with NYC Parks in 2007. 

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Back in 1912, 2,000 cherry trees arrived in New York City from Japan. The Committee of Japanese Residents of New York offered the trees as a gift, NYC Parks explained. The trees were planted in Riverside Park and a small nearby park that became known as Sakura Park, a reference to the Japanese word for "cherry blossom." Find it between Riverside Church and International House in Morningside Heights around West 122nd Street.  

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Did you know this park has its own Cherry Walk? The trees on the four-mile path along the Hudson River were gifted from the Committee of Japanese Residents of New York decades ago, and you can spot them between 100th and 125th streets.

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Flushing Meadows-Corona Park offers a gorgeous spray of blooms that encircle the former World's Fair site, including the Astro View Towers and the Unisphere as well as the Queens Museum and Queens Theatre.

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Located on the East River between East Harlem, the South Bronx and Astoria, Queens, this park offers waterfront views of the East River along its western shoreline. The area also features cherry blossoms that you can admire while cycling or walking the pedestrian trails. 

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This 50-acre forest features some of the oldest trees in the city, which just so happens to include quite a few cherry blossoms for your photo-snapping pleasure.

More than 200 flowering cherry trees dot the garden's historic landscape with pink and white blossoms. Also don't miss a large and diverse planting of cherries along the curving path in the garden's Cherry Collection.

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Directly next to this park’s grand Brooklyn War Memorial monument grows a lovely, fully-sprouted cherry blossom tree. Walk over to the statue of the woman with a child to find the blossoms—and pay your respects to the Brooklyn residents who served in World War II.

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Spread across 83 acres, the area boasts an enormous botanical garden and cultural center surrounded by cobblestone streets and tiny paths of Victorian and Tudor homes. One of the most popular attractions here is the Chinese Scholar’s Garden, fitted with magnificent rocks meant to resemble mountains inspired by the poetry and paintings of Confucian, Buddhist and Taoist monks, as well as a bamboo forest path and Koi-filled pond. This garden in particular is where to find the best blooms.

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This 39-acre serene space in the middle of Queens evolved from a five-acre “Gardens on Parade” exhibit from the 1939-1940 World's Fair. Today, visitors can check out a variety of horticultural sights, including a Fragrance Walk, Cleansing Biotope and Wetland and Woodland Garden. 

Admiring the pink petals of cherry blossom trees is a treat in itself, but now you can take that spring splendor to the next level with pink macarons and cherry blossom lattes at Ladurée in Soho. The patio of the French bakery and cafe on West Broadway is packed with cherry blossom trees, which are currently in full bloom. 

To get in on the pretty pink experience, book a table in the cafe's outdoor garden. Fair warning that reservations tend to go quickly, though there are still a few available in the coming days. If you miss it this year, set a calendar alert for next April now.