0:02 (2 seconds)
When I walk the garden, I feel a sense awe, like walking a magnificent cathedral.
0:12 (12 seconds)
So, this has been a city park since 1946. When I started the Conservancy 14 years ago,
0:21 (21 seconds)
the landscape was devastated and overgrown and strewn garbage. And we started
0:28 (28 seconds)
one gardener and we think we had maybe 5,000 visitors the first year and last year
0:35 (35 seconds)
we're up to 10 gardeners and 300,000 visitors.
0:40 (40 seconds)
Well, I think that this garden which was called the most spectacular garden America the 1920s has been a huge boon and
0:51 (51 seconds)
a jewel the crown the city Yonkers. And because the history the garden,
0:57 (57 seconds)
Samuel Untermyer was a very important person the Jewish community. His wife actually was
1:02 (1 minute, 2 seconds)
Christian. They built a walled garden which is really Persian or Indo-Persian. A lot people
1:09 (1 minute, 9 seconds)
found different angles the garden that really appealed them. But we've made a huge amount progress and I would say we're probably about 2/3 the way through the restoration.
1:23 (1 minute, 23 seconds)
It really is a wonder and a marvel to see how a garden, which is free the public the way,
1:29 (1 minute, 29 seconds)
which is extremely unusual, can reach out so many people such a compelling way. [Music]
Summary: This text explores the transformation of a historic city park in Yonkers, originally restored by a dedicated Conservancy 14 years ago. It highlights the garden's architectural significance, its growth from a single gardener to a massive public attraction, and its unique cultural roots, notably the work of Samuel Untermyer. The restoration process is approximately two-thirds complete, preserving the site as a free, compelling, and historically significant wonder for the public.
