 | Imagine Strawberry Fields Strawberry Fields is a living memorial to the world-famous singer, songwriter, and social activist John Lennon (1940--1980). This 2.5 acre area of Central Park, which the Lennons adopted as their favorite oasis in the park, was named in 1981, and the re-landscaped Strawberry Fields was dedicated in 1985, and named after his famous song Strawberry Fields Forever. In the 1970s Lennon and Ono settled in New York, and in 1973 moved into the landmark Dakota Mansion (designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh and built in 1881-1884), on 72nd Street and Central Park West. They occupied a series of apartments on the sixth floor; Yoko purchased offices on the first floor for their company, Lenono. On December 8, 1980, obsessed fan Mark David Chapman fatally shot Lennon in front of his home, an event that shocked the city and was felt around the world. At Strawberry Fields, landscape architect Bruce Kelly designed a meditative Garden of Peace, rich in trees, shrubs and flowers, which was integrated with the historic landscape of Frederick Law Olmsted (1822--1903) and Calvert Vaux (1824--1895). There are over 120 different species of plants and trees contained in Strawberry Fields. The path that runs through it is shaped like a tear drop. The slope behind the memorial is called Rose Hill, for the rambling roses amidst the bedrock. At the western apex of the garden, Neopolitan artisans crafted a circular black and white mosaic emblem into the pavement, containing a starburst pattern and the solitary word, "Imagine," the title of one of Lennon's most famous songs. Shaded by a grove of stately American elms, the mosaic is a replica of a famous mosaic in Pompeii and was a gift from Naples, Italy. The only change from the original is the inclusion of "Imagine" in the center of the mosaic. The mosaic is a popular place for visitors to place flowers, pictures and tokens in memory of John Lennon. On weekends, people gather around the memorial, some armed with musical instruments, to sing/play Beatles songs in nostalgia. |
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