Question: What is the Strawberry Fields memorial?
Answer: In 1981, a 2.5-acre section of New York City's Central Park that John and Yoko visited often was renamed "Strawberry Fields" in honor of the 1967 Beatles song that had special meaning for John. Councilmember Henry J. Stern introduced the bill creating the memorial and it was designed by Central Park landscape architect Bruce Kelly. Designed as a "garden of peace," it doesn't mention Lennon or the tragedy, but it has become the central meeting point for mourners and Beatles fans each December 8. Bordered by stately elms, it contains wildflower meadows, verdant lawns, woodlands, and a rose-covered hill. Shaped like a teardrop, the park has only one reference to John: a Italian mosaic in the center which bears the single word "IMAGINE." It almost always contains a fresh offering from a fan. For a good report on what visiting the memorial on December 8th is like, visit Sam Choukri's Bagism.
