Looking for the Special Spaces to Quiet the Soul

When I moved to the NYC metro area in July of 2000, I was overwhelmed by the sheer busy-ness of the entire area.  “The city that never sleeps”, the mantra that NYC lives by, cannot be maintained without needing a spiritual or quiet weekend to restock the soul.

I stumbled across a book around the time of my move, called, “New York City:  The Guide to Sacred Spaces and Peaceful Places” by Edward L Bergman (2001).  The tour book is a treasure with sites from sculpture gardens to walks along the Hudson, to churches and synagogues to a midtown Manhattan butterfly garden.  Places I would have never known about.

What kinds of places and spaces exist where you can go to renew, be quiet, and find peace? 

SAMSUNG CSC
Cathedral in Prague, Czech  Republic

  • Churches
  • Public Gardens
  • Museums (sculpture garden, atrium, zen garden and pathways are often found on the grounds of a museum)
  • Atriums
  • Synagogues
  • Parks
  • Bike Paths
  • Retreat Center
  • Memorial Garden
  • Labyrinth (Worldwide Labyrinth Locator)
  • Nature Path
  • Waterfall
  • Library
  • Cathedral
  • Temple
  • Lake
  • Lighthouse
  • Tea House
  • River Walk
  • Boardwalk
  • Farm
  • National Park
  • Forest
  • Wildlife Refuge
  • Beach or Coast
  • Pier
  • Cliff Walk

The following quote really focuses in on why finding peaceful places to just “BE” is so very important.

“Ego says, “Once everything falls into place, I'll feel peace.” Spirit says, “Find your peace, and then everything will fall into place.”