Beauty Lives in Breuckelen

A Brooklyn native, I love being a New Yorker. The City is bursting at the seams with history, culture and liveliness. Brooklyn, named after the Dutch town Breukelen, is one of New York City's five boroughs. Broken up into many sections Brooklyn has beautiful architecture, plenty of landmarks and a myriad of cultural restaurants that will send your gustatory senses on a trip around the world.

And like most New Yorkers, the hustle and bustle of every day life gets you caught up in a zone and you forget to find time to enjoy the rich diversity and beauty of Brooklyn. It's easy to miss the gems NYC has to offer. There's the rush of New Yorkers whizzing down city blocks, people engrossed in their BlackBerrys and the subway's sporting event of pushing people for seats can definitely take it's toll. To prevent a complete meltdown, I schedule "me time".

After thinking about things I could do I only came up with the usual suspects - shopping, more shopping or taking an impromptu trip to Dubai (that was not happening). Instead, I resorted to doing something I hadn't done in a long time. I took a mini-escape from Brooklyn. And I didn't have to travel far. Actually, I never even left the borough.

So, I grabbed my camera and made my way. The best part of my outing was that it cost me absolutely nothing. Where did I end up? The beautiful, Brooklyn Botanic Garden. From the Osborne and the Discovery Gardens to the gorgeous Japanese Hill and Pond Garden, this natural space is a nook that contributes to the culture and magnificence of Brooklyn. Close to 100 years old, the Botanic Garden is a 52-acre experience that is sure to capture your attention and infuse your entire being leaving you feeling rejuvenated.

Whether you live here or are visiting Brooklyn escape from the busy world outside and get lost in nature for awhile. The Garden is free all day on Tuesdays and from 10 am to 12 pm on Saturdays. Once you enter the Brooklyn Botanic Garden you're senses will be awakened with the visually inspiring and colorful landscape, tranquil sounds of nature and fragrant smells from over 10,000 plants.

Experience the moment and check out the photos from my day of refuge in one of Brooklyn's oldest city escapes. This experience has inspired me to renew my relationship with an old friend, Breukelen and slow down long enough to take at look at the beauty around me.