New York feels cleaner, and safer, than I remember. It used to be that I felt I had to be on my guard at all times, and that’s not true anymore. I walked into the park from the east side at 64th street, which goes into the zoo, and headed uptown. People were wearing masks and others were sitting on benches with masks in their hands or dangling under their chins. It was Monday afternoon, and most small children were white accompanied by nannies of color. That’s probably an upper east side thing. The park has a feeling of nature that is often hard to find in more rural areas. The trees are grand and the plantings are perfectly placed. There is also a wonderful flow of the land into perfect hills and valleys.