Politics
A Miniature New York Made of Bark and Acorns
At the New York Botanical Garden’s model train show, the city’s famous buildings cluster around the tracks.
Good morning. It’s Monday. We’ll tour a city within the city, built with acorns and tree bark and other plants. We’ll also get details on the State Department of Labor’s inquiry into Shen Yun Performing Arts.
Credit…James Estrin/The New York Times
This is about a New York City that is different than the one you know and love. Or know and find infuriating. Or some combination of the two.
In this one, the Woolworth Building is right in front of the Empire State Building, which is next to the Chrysler Building. And you can see the George Washington Bridge from the Hell Gate Bridge.
But these structures weren’t built with steel, stone and glass. They are part of a botanical metropolis, a miniature New York created with acorns and tree bark. It’s the backdrop for the holiday train show that opened over the weekend at the New York Botanical Garden. There are freight trains with hulking engines and mundane boxcars. There are passenger trains, even trolleys. But even for train lovers, the buildings command the attention.
“It’s the buildings we know and love and see in a different way,” said Jennifer Bernstein, the garden’s president and chief executive. “It’s a misnomer to call it a holiday train show. There are trains, to be sure, but the star is the landmark buildings.”
