A faux lemon forest crops up in Midtown
Jen Notaro takes a whiff of a lemon.
BY DEAN MOSES
When life gives you lemons, make
an interactive fruit forest.
A whimsical, artifi cial forest
has now been erected in Midtown and it’s
open to the public free of charge.
Citrovia is a 30,000-square-foot space
within the Manhattan West, Brookfi eld
Properties that evokes “Willy Wonka and
the Chocolate Factory” vibes thanks to its
vibrant array of colors, meandering tree
branches, and gigantic faux lemons.
This “world of pure imagination” may
be one of the best-smelling spots in the
city, too. The manmade, inviting garden
not only strikes the senses with its splash
of striking color amidst the city’s more
muted and somewhat dreary backdrop,
it also perfumes the air with the scent of
lemons.
Offi cially marking its opening on Monday,
July 12, Citrovia was conceived as a
solution to the ongoing construction at
PHOTOS BY DEAN MOSES
the Manhattan West development. With
Brookfi eld Properties currently developing
a 58-story offi ce tower, the real estate
Citrovia is a 30,000-square-foot space within the Manhattan West.
operator opted to construct the lemon fi eld
in lieu of a standard-issue construction
scaffolding, and in the small number of
hours it has been open it is already making
a big impression.
Jen Notaro works in a building overlooking
Citrovia but has been away due
to the COVID-19 pandemic. Returning to
work in-person to see a forest took her by
surprise.
“This is so lovely and quite literally
refreshing, I love seeing people sitting outside.
It’s interactive art,” Notaro said, bending
to take a whiff of a lemon.
According to developers, the lemon
garden was inspired by the terraced citrus
groves of Capri but in order to bring their
vision to life, Brookfi eld partnered with
Adirondack Studios, the organization that
created Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge at Walt
Disney World.
“The world of Citrovia at Manhattan
West is unlike anything else, and we are
so excited to welcome visitors into this fully
immersive, magical experience. In reimagining
an otherwise utilitarian construction
shed, Brookfi eld Properties has created a
sprawling, fantastical installation that is
completely free and open to everyone,”
said Sara Fay, senior vice president of
marketing, Brookfi eld Properties. “We’re
so grateful to the hundreds of talented New
Yorkers who have hand-painted and crafted
each of thousands of lemons, leaves and
trees in our larger-than-life and strangerthan
fi ction lemon garden in the heart of
the Big Apple.”
Attendees took selfi es with the mammoth
fruit and expressionistic tress, telling
amNewYork Metro that they felt dazzled by
the layout. The Rios family described the
area as an oasis, with their only concern
being how popular the as of now New York
secret may become.
“Once people fi nd out that this place exists—
this is a very Instgramable place—it
will get so crowded,” Felix Rios said with
his wife Angelisa stating that as a photographer
she intends to use the location for
photoshoots.
Visitors seem to agree with the company’s
slogan, “Life is better with lemons.”
A visitor videos the lemon trees.
4 July 15, 2021 Schneps Media