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The great 19th-century parks and squares owe much to Napoleon III’s long exile in London before he came to power. The unregimented planting and rolling lawns of Hyde Park and the leafy squares of Mayfair inspired him to bring trees, fresh air and park benches to what was then Europe’s most congested and dirty capital. Under his direction, landscape gardener Adolphe Alphand turned two woods at opposite ends of the city, the Bois de Boulogne (known as the “Bois”) and the Bois de Vincennes, into English-style parks with duck ponds, lakes and flower gardens. Its most attractive feature is the Bagatelle rose garden. Far more pleasant are the two smaller Alphand parks, Parc Montsouris in the south and the Parc des Buttes- Chaumont in the northeast.

The “Buttes” (hills), a favorite with the Surrealists, was a quarry transformed into two craggy mini-mountains with overhanging vegetation, suspended bridge, temple of love and a lake below. Part of the town-planning programs for the old city included squares and avenues with fountains, sculptures, benches and greenery. One of the best is the Square du Vert-Galant on the Ile de la Cité. The shady Jardins du Trocadéro sloping down to the river from the Palais de Chaillot were planted after the 1937 Universal Exhibition.

More recent Paris gardens eschew formality in favor of wilder planting, multiple levels, mazelike paths, children’s gardens and modern sculpture. Typical are the gardens in front of the Forum des Halles, the Parc André-Citroën, the Parc de la Villette and the Jardins Atlantique above the Gare Montparnasse. Pleasant strolls may be taken in Paris’s waterside gardens: in the modern sculpture park behind Notre-Dame, at the Bassin de l’Arsenal at the Bastille, and along the quays of the Seine between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde, or on the elegantly residential Ile St-Louis. The planted walkway above the Viaduc des Arts is a peaceful way to observe eastern Paris.

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A city within a city and a National Historic Landmark, this is the largest privately owned complex in the world. Begun in the 1930s, it was the first commercial project to integrate gardens, dining, and shopping with office space. Rockefeller Center is the hub of midtown New York, alive with activity day and night. The number of buildings has grown to 19, though the newer buildings do not match the Art Deco elegance of the original 14 structures. Over 100 works of art lie within the complex, including a major mural in each building. Still growing, this is one of the most outstanding public art collections in America.

The legendary philanthropist and multimillionnaire, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (1874–1960) was son and heir to Ohio oil magnate John Davison Rockefeller’s fortunes and took over the family oil business in 1911. Rockefeller, or John D., as he was known, strongly believed his inheritance should be used for the public good. Among his philanthropic donations were contributions to the building funds of the United Nations Headquarters, the Cloisters, and the Riverside Church.

The tour on Rockefeller center starts on Fifth Avenue, walk through the Channel Gardens to the Sunken Garden. Pick up a selfguided tour leaflet from the lobby of the G.E. Building while looking at the Sert Murals. Rockefeller Center extends from Fifth to Sixth avenues, between 48th and 51st streets. Tours: open 8:30am–5:30pm Mon–Sat, 9:30am–4:30pm Sun, admission charge, reservations advised. Today Show: Rockefeller Plaza at 49^th Street, open 7–9am on Monday–Friday.

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