Autumn in New York

You can feel it coming into its own.

And there is no better time to ride in - or drive! - a carriage.

Yes, yes - there are those who will disagree. While 'tis true devotees will sing the praises of a horse-drawn carriage ride through Central Park in the Spring (enchanting, no doubt), Summer (lazy and languid, for certain), and Winter (bracing and cozy, to be sure), it is the magnificent Autumn that I enjoy most each year.

Firstly, Central Park is unlike any other landscape anywhere in America. The trees to be found here are an amazing mix of specimens, both native and foreign. Trees indigenous to Europe and Asia can be found everywhere among the native American species. One can see a stately and rare stand of American Elms within sight of the fuzzy and cute Japanese Red Pine; a European Beech with it's cookie-cutter cartoon leaves just a stone's throw from the tear-drop outline of the a Bald Cypress.

As one can easily imagine, this international, hodgepodge canopy of Central Park in Autumn becomes a delicious swirl of surprises for the casual observer - an unintentional botanical representation of NYC itself!

Then of course, there's the carriage horse in Autumn.

The carriage horse in Autumn resembles somewhat the carriage horse in Spring. That light, cool wind playing under his belly gives a little extra frisk, a little lightness in the feet. But, instead of the shedding out of Spring, the coat is getting it's first bloom of that fuzziness that precedes the winter growth. Perhaps the horse will have a little extra appetite; the doldrums of hot, heavy-aired days isn't conducive to big eating. The horse will stick his nose in his feed with a little more gusto this time of year, to help him along to his 'winter weight'.

Autumn in NYC is short and sweet. People who experience it with a carriage ride make the most out of this fleeting time, and see it in a way unlike any other.