Let me take you down cause I'm going to...Strawberry Fields. A figurative place (or some could argue state-of-mind) within the famous Beatles' song, but a real and enchanting place on Central Park West and 72nd here in New York City. A tribute to John Lennon (across from The Dakota where he lived and in the park where he was shot), Strawberry Fields contains simply an "Imagine" mosaic and "Quiet Zone" sign. Yet, there truly is something magical about it.
Immediately upon walking in the atmosphere of not only Central Park but all of New York City itself shifts. Gone is the chaos and hustle, gone is the traffic and people screaming on their cell phones. Gone is everything except that moment of purely being there. Around you is a man with his guitar softly playing Beatles' songs, maybe asking for suggestions or maybe playing whatever tune he feels like. Some people sway as they sing along to "Hey Jude" and others simply sit there just soaking it in.
Every so often people get up to walk and gently take their picture next to the iconic "Imagine" mosaic. In the summer flowers crowd the outer rims of the circle. In the winter, the plain tiles gleam bright even with no sun reflecting off of them.
There isn't a rush, there is no one pushing at your back to get their picture in. It is an environment of calm, secluded from the stereotypical rush and unforgivingness of the city that houses it. In a city with a million or more things to do, there truly is no place or experience like Strawberry Fields.
At Strawberry Fields nothing is real, there is nothing to get hung about. So, the next time you're in the city and don't have anything else to do or just need a breath, go down to Strawberry Fields.