logo
Central Park's gorgeous Conservatory Garden has reopened after years of construction

Central Park's gorgeous Conservatory Garden has reopened after years of construction

Time Out20-06-2025
For the past three years, tall fences closed off one of the most beautiful parts of Central Park. Now, after three long years of extensive restoration, the spectacular Conservatory Garden is open once again and is in full bloom.
The Conservatory Garden is a six-acre formal garden located in the northeastern quadrant of the park known for its peaceful design and historic charm. The garden underwent at $25 million glow-up, the most significant investment in the space since it was built in 1937, the Central Park Conservancy announced this week. Go see it along Fifth Avenue between 104th and 106th Streets in Central Park.
The garden's three distinct styles—French, Italian, and English—have attracted many weddings and photoshoots over the years. It's also a beloved spot for New Yorkers looking for a moment of tranquility in the city. Visiting feels like a taking stroll through a European garden without having to buy a plane ticket.
In the springtime, peonies and lilacs surge into bloom at the Conservatory Garden. In the fall, look for a bevy of mums among the garden's neatly trimmed hedges.
While many of the garden's horticultural elements were addressed in 1983, this restoration focused on the comprehensive renewal of its historic hardscape, such as restoring bluestone pavers, updating stormwater draining, modernizing fountains, installing ramps and realigning paths. This type of restoration work hadn't been done at the garden in nearly 90 years. In addition, staff also replanted the Italian Garden's iconic crabapple allées with disease-resistant trees and repaired the steel pergola.
This is a big year for upgrades to Central Park. The long-awaited Davis Center at Harlem Meer is now open. And the historic Delacorte Theater (where Shakespeare in the Park is staged every summer) will soon reopen after reconstruction.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Coleg Menai students celebrate A-level results
Coleg Menai students celebrate A-level results

North Wales Chronicle

time8 hours ago

  • North Wales Chronicle

Coleg Menai students celebrate A-level results

Just over 34% of students achieved the coveted A* and A grades in their A-levels, which is well above the national average, and 77% of students were awarded A* to C grades. In Level 3 vocational courses, 20% were awarded Distinctions (up 7% from the previous academic year) and an impressive 56% achieved Distinctions and Merits (up 12%). Learners have secured places at universities across the UK, including Bangor University, Cardiff University, Liverpool John Moores University, and Edinburgh University. They are going on to study a variety of subjects including Nursing, Law, Physiotherapy, Engineering, Psychology, English Literature, and more. Courtney Hoey (Image: Coleg Menai) Among them is Courtney Hoey, who has secured her place to study Adult Nursing at Liverpool John Moores University. Courtney, who successfully completed her Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care at the Llangefni campus, said: 'I've really enjoyed my time at the college and the tutors have pushed me to be the best version of myself.' Lois Jones (Image: Coleg Menai) Lois Jones achieved A*AA in her English, Psychology and Sociology A-levels at Llangefni, and is going to Bangor University to study Psychology. 'I had an unforgettable experience at Coleg Menai,' said Lois. 'The supportive environment created by my tutors has helped improve my confidence, and allowed me to develop skills that will be essential for my future.' MORE NEWS: St Gerard's School celebrates A-level success as students take next steps Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor's class of 2025 celebrates A-level results Ysgol Tryfan students shine after excellent A-level performances Robat Williams has secured his place at Cardiff University to study Physics, after achieving straight As in Chemistry, Maths and Physics. Robat Williams (Image: Coleg Menai)He said: 'College has been great, there are such great facilities and a good standard of teaching. I've made some really good friends, and I'm so thankful to the teachers.' Chloe Kelly achieved AAA in her Level 3 Children's Care, Learning and Development diploma, and an A at A-level in Health & Social Care and Childcare. Chloe Kelly (Image: Coleg Menai) She said: 'I'm looking forward to coming back in September to study a BA in Childhood and Education Studies.' Chris Jones is heading to Bangor University to study a Media degree after completing Level 3 Creative Media (TV & Film) at the Bangor campus. He said: 'My experience was exceptional. I got to meet some great people and learn the ins and outs of the media industry, and was able to get hands on and be more creative.' Dr Siôn Peters-Flynn, Principal of Coleg Menai, said: 'We're delighted to see our learners so happy with their achievements today. It's particularly pleasing to see the strong proportion of high grades for A level and vocational qualifications here at Coleg Menai. 'Over a third of our A-level results are at A* or A grade which is significantly above the Wales and UK averages. These results are testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff members, and of course, our learners. 'We wish our learners all the very best as they confidently take the next steps in their career journeys, be it in higher education, apprenticeship or full-time employment. At the same time we look forward to welcoming the next cohort of eager learners in the coming days.'oleg Menai is part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, the largest provider of Further Education across North Wales. Across the Grŵp, 76.4% of students gained grades A* to C, with 23.6% attaining A* and A grades. In Level 3 vocational courses, 21% were awarded Distinctions (up 4% from last year) with 62% achieving Distinctions and Merits (up 12%).

Quiz: Can you solve these GCSE-level maths questions?
Quiz: Can you solve these GCSE-level maths questions?

Wales Online

timea day ago

  • Wales Online

Quiz: Can you solve these GCSE-level maths questions?

Quiz: Can you solve these GCSE-level maths questions? Thousands of students across Wales are nervously awaiting their GCSEs results this week. How would you have fared in their shoes? Would you do as well as these students at Prestatyn High last year (Image: Prestatyn High ) It is a nervous time of year for students who took their exams earlier this summer. A level results were dispatched last week and now it is the turn of GCSE students. Students in Wales, England, and Northern Ireland will receive their results on Thursday, August 21 Last year, grades dipped slightly as exams returned to pre-pandemic arrangements with pupils given no extra support. See the full breakdown of results here. The overall GCSE pass rate last year at grades A*-G is 96.6% compared to 96.9% in 2023 and 97.2% in 2019, the last pre-Covid year of sat exams with no extra support, results released this morning by the Joint Council for Qualifications show. All important English and maths are among individual subjects with grades slightly down. Pupils have to take at least nine subjects at GCSE level, but many people in Wales have argued that it's better to teach kids real life skills than more algebra and Pythagoras theorem. Article continues below We all do maths in our everyday lives, from working through a new mortgage to simply splitting the bill at a restaurant, but just how much do you need to know? And do the more complicated bits even stick with you as an adult? We're about to find out. We've put together a handful of questions that you typically could find in a GCSE maths exam. You'll only have 60 seconds to answer each question, so the pressure is on. Good luck! You'll also find the quiz here. Article continues below Follow WalesOnline on Thursday as we bring you all the latest reaction to the GCSE results from schools across Wales.

‘Chronic' under-performance of boys at GCSE should be treated as major issue
‘Chronic' under-performance of boys at GCSE should be treated as major issue

South Wales Guardian

time3 days ago

  • South Wales Guardian

‘Chronic' under-performance of boys at GCSE should be treated as major issue

Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham, said the talents of boys are not being developed as 'fully' as they could be, which could lead to a 'decline in the nation's economic competitiveness'. The education expert predicted 'girls will continue to be ahead' of boys at GCSE level. His comments come before pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland receive their GCSE results on Thursday. Prof Smithers said: 'The apparent under-performance of boys at this stage of education should be a matter of national concern. 'But because boys are habitually seen as privileged, it does not receive the attention it deserves.' Last year, more than a fifth (21.8%) of UK GCSE entries were awarded the top grades – at least a 7 or an A grade, down from 22.0% in 2023. But it remained higher than in 2019 – the year before the pandemic – when 20.8% of GCSE entries scored the top grades. The proportion of total female entries awarded grade 7/A or above was 24.7% last year – 5.7 percentage points higher than total male entries (19.0%). Prof Smithers said: 'The chronic under-performance of boys in education should be treated as a major issue. 'It appears that we are not developing the talents of half the population as fully as we could. 'This can only lead to a decline in the nation's economic competitiveness and ultimately loss of its standing in the world.' Ofqual brought A-level grading standards back in line with pre-Covid levels in England in 2023, and exam regulators in Wales and Northern Ireland returned to pre-pandemic grading last summer. The move came after Covid-19 led to an increase in top GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams. Last week, the proportion of A-level entries awarded top grades rose again on last year and remained above pre-pandemic highs Speaking before GCSE results day, Prof Smithers suggested the proportion of GCSE entries scoring the top grades this year was likely to 'remain high' compared to 2019 – the year before the pandemic. He said: 'It could be we are seeing the emergence of a new normal in which case 2025 will resemble 2024, or the regulators could make a further push to get back to pre-pandemic levels.' While traditional A*-G grades are used for GCSE in Northern Ireland and Wales, these have been replaced in England with a 9-1 system, where 9 is the highest. A 4 is broadly equivalent to a C grade, and a 7 is broadly equivalent to an A. In England, many students who do not secure at least a grade 4 – which is considered a 'standard pass' – in English and/or maths GCSE are required to retake the subjects during post-16 education. In his report, Prof Smithers reiterated calls for a 'policy rethink' on compulsory resits as he suggested they were 'soul-destroying' and 'utterly demoralising'. He said: 'There should be an urgent review of the resit requirement, with a view to replacing it with a programme and qualification which would enable those failing the GCSEs to achieve fluency in the use of words and numbers.' Prof Smithers also reiterated calls for the English Baccalaureate – a Government measure which aims to ensure pupils take English, maths, science, a humanities subject and a language at GCSE – to be 'scrapped' as he suggested the policy had 'failed' due to low take-up of foreign languages. Reflecting on provisional exam entries data for England, Prof Smithers highlighted that GCSE entries for French and German have fallen again. Spanish has overtaken French as the most popular foreign language at GCSE, provisional figures from Ofqual in June suggest. In his report, Prof Smithers said: 'Quite why there has been this surge in popularity is unclear, but it may have something to do with the increasing popularity of Spanish-speaking countries as holiday destinations.' He added: 'A more prosaic explanation is that Spanish is seen as easier than French or German.' A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'We want every young person, whatever their gender, background or wherever they live to have the opportunity to succeed. 'The curriculum and assessment review is currently considering where improvements should be made to the education system, with its final report and recommendations due in the autumn. 'Later this year we will also bring about the further reforms needed as part of our plan for change through our Schools White Paper to create an education system where every child and young person can achieve and thrive.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store