Tag: NYC parks

Little Island Park

Published on by juliebrannan3 Comments

During New York City’s lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, I took up bike riding, primarily along the Hudson River Greenway (see more detail about my perspective on biking in NYC here). Although I had previously noticed the odd constellation of what looked like concrete mushrooms blooming in the Hudson River just south of Chelsea Piers at Pier 55, on my nearly-daily rides past the construction area I watched with interest the development of the city’s newest park. I was thrilled to visit Little Island Park on its first day open to the public, May 21, have been back recently, and have another visit booked (more on the need to book timed tickets later).

Enter where 13th Street meets the Hudson River, walking over a bridge to get to this park built over the water. One of the first things you see is a series of food trucks with an area to eat in the shade. There are a variety of wines, beers, and cocktails available in addition to food, coffee, pastries, and non-alcoholic beverages.

Flowers and other lush landscaping bloom atop the concrete petals. Once in the park, you barely notice the structure that is so striking from a distance – unless you happen to be walking under a few of them, as the park has many different elevations.

There are numerous whimsical touches – music you can create by jumping on tiles or pulling levers, and a few spinning devices for fun (or perhaps to hypnotize yourself or others).

The views are spectacular as you wind your way around the park, and there are multiple places to sit – some intimate, and others grand (like the amphitheatre that will soon begin hosting performances).

On opening day, they were giving out packets of seeds and colored pencils. Little Island also has large and very clean bathrooms, which is greatly appreciated.

When I went on opening day, I was there in the morning. At that point, they had a policy of requiring free timed tickets from 12-8 (reserve them here), but since then the park has been so popular that they require the tickets from noon until closing. Little Island is open every day from 6AM to 1AM, and if you can’t get a timed reservation, you could try going in the morning. I was just there on a timed ticket on a weekend afternoon, and the need for a reservation kept the park from feeling crowded. The next time I have planned, it will be to meet someone for lunch there (and we have reservations already). I think the park is still working out when they release reservations and for how long in advance, so keep checking if you are looking for a reservation and at first they are all sold out.

I will never forget my first time on the High Line Park (see an old blog post here and another when they expanded the park here). I was charmed, and also exhilarated with the feeling of experiencing something completely new. In our concrete jungle here in NYC, it is all the more important that we find these places to experience nature and feel a sense of integration between artificial and natural worlds that we strive to bridge. Going to Little Island Park has given me that same sense of wonder and appreciation. New York City is constantly evolving, and after a year or more of pandemic hardship and isolation, gathering together in this innovative new space feels like a wonderful way in which change can also heal.

Pier 26 Park on the Hudson River

Published on by juliebrannan3 Comments

One of the things I have done during this strange year of pandemic and lockdown has been to really get to know Hudson River Park (and I do plan a blog post on it soon). Although I have always explored Central Park – and it’s magnificent, no one can deny – during lockdown I began riding a bike (yet another planned post) and soon discovered my favorite thing was to use the dedicated bike lanes along the Hudson River, then explore the park on foot. On September 30, 2020, a new section of the park at Pier 26 opened, dedicated to the exploration of our waterfront’s ecology. Having visited it, I can say that it is a unique and very worthwhile addition to New York City’s incomparable parks.

Pier 26 juts out from West Street on the far side of Tribeca, roughly between Hubert and N. Moore Streets. It is just north of Pier 25 and behind City Vineyard restaurant and wine bar (more about that later!). Also in the old section of Pier 26 is the location for free kayaking (temporarily halted during pandemic, but keep it in mind for the future) and two dog runs.

The park is organized so that you experience different native ecological environments – woodland forests, coastal grasslands, maritime scrub, rocky tidal zone and the Hudson River itself. However, you could not even know that this was the purpose of the park and just enjoy the multiple places to relax, and the spectacular views.

This part has a really unique variety of places to sit and relax – loungers, workspaces with a bar to place your laptop or food on while sitting at barstools, and even BENCH SWINGS.

As the pier reaches out to its westernmost point, you can see the lower section leading to the tide deck and the Hudson River. This section isn’t open at all times, but in the future there will be periodic tours for the public. This tidal marsh was created with native grasses and shrubs, and is submerged at high tide and visible at low tide. The hope is that over time the pier will become home to native species. The rocky tidal marsh is visible at all times from the elevated platform above.

In addition to places to relax, and places to learn, there is a sports play area, a sunning lawn, and my favorite – lovely walking paths. At. the end of the pier, you have the choice of looking south to the Statue of Liberty, or east toward the NYC skyline. You might see boats pass by, or jet skis.

With City Vineyard at the entry to the pier available for food and drink in the open air, it would be easy to spend a day at Pier 26. The wine garden and rooftop deck are both outside, and the deck has incredible views of New York Harbor. City Vineyard’s menu is locally sourced and inspired, and its wines are actually made in the city with grapes from some of the finest vineyards in the world.

While 2020 has been a very difficult year to be sure, one silver lining has been that we have learned to explore and appreciate what we can do outdoors. When walking the Hudson River Park, I have seen toddler movement and music classes, yoga classes, and personal training in progress outside. The bike paths are crowded with scooters, skateboards, and skaters as well as bicyclists. Parks host joggers, walkers, and babies being pushed in strollers. This turns out to be the perfect time for this new park to be unveiled, its importance now – not only as a refuge for New Yorkers escaping a pandemic but also for a reminder of what we need to do to heal our broken planet – unimaginable when planned in the early 2000s.