Where NYC meets the sea: the most spectacular urban park
Written: Sep 03 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: River vistas, lots of river traffic, gorgeous landscaping, lots of places to sit and enjoy
Cons: Not even one
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| Profilewriter's Full Review: New York City |
Anyone nervous about visiting New York City might want to head straight downtown to the World Financial Center. Walk straight west to the Hudson River, just half a block away, and prepare to be seduced.
Ocean liners and roses
The network of walkways, terraces, wide green lawns, rose thickets and trellises draped with orange flowers will take your breath away. These pretty landscape features run all along your left, and on the right is the river. Always full of tugs, barges, ferries, sailboats and sometimes a grand highway for ocean liners, the river is magic in all weather.
A month ago, on an unseasonably cold, grey August day, the spouse and I spent an afternoon sipping coffee under trees along the river; sheltered from the rain and captivated by the wave-filled Hudson. Its steely water was whipped up by the wind, yet it was busy with both commercial and recreational traffic. And in the plaza in front of the World Financial Center, bride after bride stood under an umbrella to be photographed with her wedding party.
A place to really relax
The mood was light. No matter how grim the weather, the mood along the Hudson in front of Battery Park City is light. It is a favorite recreation spot for New Yorkers. They come with newspapers and Rollerblades, razor scooters, recumbent bikes and backpacks that convert into lawn chairs.
A walk from the World Financial Center around the corner to the Battery is one of the very best ways to spend a New York day.
Families with children might want to turn right outside the World Financial Center and head for the playgrounds uptown along the river. An unusual set-up, it is really a series of playgrounds, each made just for just one age group, toddlers through big kids.
Marina
Everyone else might do well to turn left. First, there is a marina. It hosts a sailing school and almost always is serving as a short term berth for a number of yachts of the sort that sport helicopters on their top decks.
Everyone stops to gawk at the yachts. The marina also is a popular spot for Rollerblading.
Continuing on, there is a long, long walk. The area nearest the railing is full of bikes and wagons and tourists taking one another's pictures against the background of water and ships. There is a parallel path under two rows of trees. It too affords a fine view, and also shade and benches.
At intervals, there are mini-parks to the left, some with tables and all with impressive plantings.
Country within the city
As the riverside path nears the bottom of the island, there is a circular plaza. Under a round wooden trellis covered with flowering vines, there are benches that look out onto the Statue of Liberty. As lovely as this spot is, the walk only gets better. Around the corner, there is a man-made cove strewn with rocks and planted with seagrass. Pause there, and the city disappears. It is just you and the wide river, busy with traffic just in from the sea.
A little farther on is a steel sculpture in the shape of Lady Liberty's crown. Beyond that, there are bushes thick with what looks like beach plums, although I am not sure that is what they are. Keep going past these bushes, and around yet another corner and you will come upon a wide lawn. On sunny days, it is full of sunbathers. The Parks Department puts out a large variety of toys for small children on the northwest corner, and that is a fine spot for families.
Sun bathing with Lady Liberty
This lawn goes right down to the river, affording an amazing vantage point from which to watch the river traffic. This is a gorgeous river, blue on clear days. The Statue of Liberty is clearly in view as is Ellis Island. There is a restaurant at the back end of the park, and over to the left there are arbors and gardens. Weeping willows provide shade.
This walk will be enough for many visitors. But an easy extension for anyone who has gotten New York walking legs is a stroll over the the South Street Seaport. It is about four blocks away, toward the north and east.
Seaport action
The mood is different at the Seaport. It is a bustling tourist area. There is a mall that sticks out into the East River, ship museums, frequent concerts and lots of street theater. In the winter, there is ice skating, and in any season it is great fun for children.
One of the best features of the Seaport is an open air deck on the third floor of the nautical-themed mall. On it there are a couple dozen deck chairs of the sort found on ocean liners. It is a fine place to sit and watch the boats go by.
Getting there
Two miles south of Penn Station, the Hudson River promenade is within easy reach of midtown. You can take a cab, and ask to be dropped off at the World Financial Center or Battery Park City or even the World Trade Center. From any of those spots, it is a short walk to the west.
Subways and the PATH train go to the World Trade Center too.
The last two times the spouse and I went to this area, we walked from Penn Station. It is a fine walk through Chelsea, Greenwich Village, Soho and Tribeca.
Recommended:
Yes
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