Sunset from Little Island
Although it is hard to believe, until a little over a decade ago, New York, this city completely surrounded by water, lived with his back to the river . The process of deindustrialization suffered in the 70s and 80s, led to a almost total abandonment of warehouses and docks who had given jobs to thousands of newly arrived immigrants in the Big Apple to fulfill their American dream and in which the cruise ships of passengers hypnotized by the city of skyscrapers had disembarked.
But, at the beginning of this century, began a reconquest of its shores with new residential buildings and a long list of new parks like the Brooklyn Bridge Park , Domino Park, Marsha P. Johnson State Park and the Hudson River Pair.
Little Island, the new paradise of New York
We begin with this historical note because Little Island, the amazing new parkland moored on the Hudson River shoreline , represents the culmination of this process of reopening the water and is an example of what power and generosity are capable of doing. East small islet occupies the former piers 54 and 55, straddling the neighborhoods of Chelsea and the Meatpacking District , and they are already loaded with history. in the call Pier 54 was where the survivors of the Titanic tragedy disembarked, rescued by the RMS Carpathia . It was also the starting point of the RMS Lusitania, the English ship torpedoed by a German submarine three years later . Witness of that time, still survives one of the original gates from the old wharf converted, now, into the entrance to Little Island.
Behind this ambitious project is Thomas Heatherwick , the city's fashionable architect and author of another striking work not far from here, the Vessel at Hudson Yards. A lover of undulating structures, Heatherwick has arranged a series of tulip-shaped concrete pillars that appear to sail down the Hudson River . The genius of the park is that its extension, almost one hectare, is not flat but is populated with hills, ramps and steps. It's about a little maze that invites you to get lost along its trails to explore its many points of interest.
The perfect hillside for a picnic overlooking the river
The park can be accessed by one of its two bridges, but its main entrance is from the south, just in front of the historic gate of the Pier 54 . This first section takes us into the little paradise of Little Island passing under those enormous tulips that New Yorkers have not been slow to nickname champagne glasses or heels . The passage takes us, face down, to its main space called Main Lawn , a hill of green grass to colonize armed from our arsenal for picnics . If you have forgotten the equipment at home, no problem. Right in front of The Playground , there are several beach bars to buy small snacks and drinks . It even has tables and chairs for those who are too lazy to get up from the grass afterwards.
The Amph, a 600+ seat amphitheater hosting free performances
But let's not sit down yet because we have just arrived and we have come to admire nature . And there is plenty of that. Little Island boasts of having more than a hundred trees, of 35 different varieties, and endless bulbs, bushes and plants, most of them native . The best way to admire them is to get lost in their winding paths and steep stairs . If climbing steps is not your thing, the park is 100% accessible with its ramp-shaped paths . The walk will be short but there are many reasons to stop. One of them is the interactive art pieces that are a feast for the kids.
In addition to the vegetation, the small island offers some incredible views from its three viewpoints , strategically arranged in the respective corners of the park. The southeast viewpoint flies over the access bridge and offers us before our eyes the explosion of architecture, new and historic, of the Meatpacking District and Chelsea neighborhoods . In precious canvas presided over by the eternal Empire State Building , on the horizon. The southwest viewpoint allows us to see the mouth of the Hudson River and the skyscrapers of the World Trade Center and New Jersey on either side . Finally, the northwest observatory offers us another point of view of the coast of New Jersey and introduces us to Pier 57, which is soon going to live its own leisure revolution.
Little Island, the new paradise of New York
Little Island is a space to relax but also to be active . The park has two stages. Glade It is the smallest of all and is designed to involve school-age children with its educational program. Then this The Amph , to the west of the island, an amphitheater with more than 600 seats where performances are held free (or almost) for all audiences . The stage is completely bare so any activity has, in the background, the impressive views of the Hudson River. This is another tempting space to hang out and watch the sunset, even if there are no performances at the time.
We spoke at the beginning of the example of power and generosity that has led this green paradise to navigate the waters of the Hudson River. And we mean two New Yorkers, designer Diane von Fürstenberg and her husband Barry Diller, residents of the Meatpacking District , just a couple of blocks from Little Island. The marriage has given this park to New York paying a $265 million bill almost entirely out of pocket . Not only that. The couple has also promised to take on its costly upkeep for the next 20 years. . Although some consider it an extravagance of the capricious billionaires of New York, the truth is that Manhattan has once again conquered its waters with a natural paradise that must be seen to be believed.
The new paradise of New York