Friday, August 6, 2010

Rockefeller Park & The Real World


This is the conclusion of the walk I took along the Battery Park City Park Esplanade that runs along a portion of lower Manhattan west side along the Hudson River from Chambers Street to historical Battery Park...part one can be read here, and part two here. This beautiful walkway is filled with wonderful walkways, parks, meadows and flower beds. I am now in the section known as the Nelson A. Rockefeller Park, located in the north end of Battery Park City, west of River Terrace. The fountain in the photo above emptied into a man made pond.  You can see the stone top of the Irish Hunger Memorial in the background, and beyond that is the construction of the Freedom Tower on the former World Trade Center site. (all photos will enlarge when clicked on once and then click on once again when they open on a new page.)


This happy looking duck in the pond was enjoying his view of the Hudson River


Rockefeller Park contains most of Battery Park Conservancy Parks’ wide lawns, as well as a large playground, plantings and gardens, several public art pieces, and a sheltered pavilion. This playground contains a peddle-propelled carousel, climbing, running and jumping equipment for all different ages, plus sprinklers, swings and sand boxes.


The Rockefeller Park House loans board games and ping pong paddles, balls and jump ropes and has a first aid kit if needed.  A basketball and a handball court are nearby. 


The park is overseen by the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy, which provides amazing array of children's programs from May 1 to October 31.


Many of the flower beds in the park were filled with bushes filled with delightful large hibiscus flowers!


I also spotted lots of pink lilies, echinacea, and wild roses.


One of the large lawns in the park with a view of Jersey City, New Jersey, which is located across the Hudson River.


The most magical place in Rockefeller Park is Tom Otterness' "The Real World," which is a small sculpture garden at the northeast end of the park, bordering River Terrace.


Small bronze footprints wind a path toward the circular wading pool, where water rushes in at one end and sweeps out the other.




Tiny whimsical creatures lurk everywhere; on top of tables, and underfoot, even on top of lamp-posts.


The Park House will loan chess or checkers pieces if you'd like to play.

This bird better watch out as the cat has his eye on him!


A close up at all the detail in the fountain. A penny for your thoughts?


Is this frog a prince in disguise?  The Battery Park City building that houses the Poet's House can be seen in the background


This was my favorite sculpture. It is a working water fountain that has a friendly brass bulldog chained to it!


A photo collage of some more of the fanciful figures in the sculpture garden!


The Battery Park City Park Esplanade ends in the vicinity of Stuyvesant High School, which is located at 345 Chambers Street. Stuyvesant is a specialized high school for mathematics, science and technology, and is one of the premier high schools in the United States. It is noted for its strong academic programs, and has produced many notable alumni, including four Nobel laureates. Run by the New York City Department of Education, it is open to New York City residents and charges no tuition. Admission is by competitive examination.   I'm proud to say that my son is an alumnus, and was one of the first classes to attend the high school when this new building opened in Battery Park City in 1992, when the school was moved from the former east side location that was built in 1904.  We have witnessed quite a bit of the development of Battery Park City through the years, and even through the events of 9-11 severely effected the quality of life in that area for some time, the neighborhood has rebounded and is thriving and is definitely better than ever. 

The Battery Park City Park Esplanade is a wonderful place to visit and I hope you enjoyed walking along with me to see all it's interesting sights!


I'm linking to "Pink Saturday" on Beverly's blog "How Sweet The Sound."  One of my favorite blogs to visit on Pink Saturday is Susan's blog Black Eyed Susan's Kitchen.  Please visit Beverly to see the list of participating Pink Saturday blogs to visit and drop by Susan's and say hello!







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39 comments:

Unknown said...

Pat,
This is so wonderful. I love all of the whimsical garden statues, and how they loan paddles and game tables. I would hardly know that I was in NYC. So much creativity and a view of the harbor to boot.

Thank you so much for sharing these gorgeous photos.
Karen

black eyed susans kitchen said...

Those sculptures are absolutely fantastic!! The hibiscus are loving the weather this year. You take the best pictures and I am especially appreciating them today because I have been inside so much. Thank you for the mention in this post...have a wonderful weekend.

A Bit of the Blarney said...

What a beautiful and remarkable place to share. Thank you! The sculptures are wonderful. I especially like the picture of the duck. What fun you must have had! Cathy

Cindy said...

Hi Pat,
I so enjoyed seeing the sights of this park and the wonderful high school. It almost makes me want to see NYC, but I don't care for humongous cities. My city boasts 700,000 that's enough. But I do love to see the sights through your eyes, especially all of the whimsical little figures, how cute are they! Thanks!
Hugs, Cindy S

Tales From My Empty Nest said...

As usual, I loved my tour. You always show such beautiful parts of NYC. Love the sculptures. Enjoyed seeing your son's high school. Love & blessings from NC!

Proud Italian Cook said...

I love all those sculptures Pat! especially the one with the dog tied to the fountain, so cute.
You know everytime I look at one of your blog posts I think, you must be so healthy with all that walking you do, you are all over the place, how do you do it? A full day in the city of Chicago, walking all over has me totally beat when I get home!

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

I was always a small town girl and grew up watching police TV shows about NY. I never thought it would be a place I would like to visit. That is until I found your blog.

It is obvious, that NY is a beautiful city filled with wonderful, beautiful, safe place to go and visit. Thank you for changing my mind!
Hugs,
Penny

diane b said...

What a terrific place to visit. Thank you for showing me around. The sculptures were fascinating. A great place for kids in the middle of a big city. It is good to see the area is getting back on its feet after the disaster.

steviewren said...

How fun for children to have those whimsical statues for playmates! I also like the idea of board games and ping pong paddles and balls on loan. That is a park to be proud of.

My name is Riet said...

That certainly was a wonderful walk Pat. There is so much to do and see for growns and children and so much green in a city as New York. Wonderful to hear about the Peter Stuyvesantschool and that your son was an alumnist. You certtainly can be proud of him-Beautiful pictures again Pat.
have a nice weekend.

Sue said...

Another great tour, Pat! Love the whimsy in the statuary. The pouncing cat and the bulldog were my favs. Who knew that aside from the hustle and bustle of the city there is this calm and peaceful place?
;-) Sue

eileeninmd said...

Wonderful series of photos, thanks for the tour of the park. I love all the sculptures. Especially the cute bulldog. Happy Pink Saturday!

RoeH said...

I just love the sculptures. Especially the feet and the head.

Frances said...

Good Morning, Pat ... Oh, how I love the tours you give us, and the beautiful photos of these outstanding places. These sculptures are all so fun. Your favorite is my favorite, too ... the bulldog chained to the working water fountain. Love your collage of flowers, too. It's wonderful that you can visit the same place over and over during the various seasons, and there will always be something different to see, partly because of the varying types of flowers that will be blooming. How wonderful about the high school, too. What an honor for your son to have been able to attend such a place. You have so much knowledge stored up in your head and in your heart. Thank you for the time you spend in going out and taking these pictures and then putting them together for the rest of us to enjoy. I feel like I have taken a tiny little trip to NYC this morning, as I sit here in my kitchen five hours away.

Old Kitty said...

I absolutely love Tom Otterness's The Real World!! How amazing is that?!?! Thanks for the link to his site - the pics of kids interacting with his sculptures are amazing. It really is truly public art and art specially for the children! I'm hoping they'll grow up with an artistic sense of originality and quirkiness after experiencing these fun and tactile sculptures. Well done BPC for having the foresight to commission this! Brilliant!

I'm such a fan of the BPC now! Long may they continue to bring beauty and art and nature and fun to NYC'ers!

Take care
x

Pondside said...

What a wonderful playground/garden/magical resting place. You've shown, again, just how civilized NYC is. I can just imagine how much fun it would be to walk with a grandchild among those fanciful creatures.

Ciao Chow Linda said...

Pat - I didn't know about those whimsical sculptures. They're so fun. Your flower and duck photos are so beautiful too.

Rebecca said...

Thanks for the tour-don't get out much! Interesting sculptures!

Laura Quaglia (Fun With This and That) said...

It must be nice to live in NY. I hope this fall to go visit . If I was young would love it My grandaughter want to work there when she is done with her school. Come visitLaura

Claudia said...

The loveliest summer walk. I must visit that when I make it back. My father went to Stuyvesant so it was fun to see the new building and know that the nieghborhood rebounded. That fact is near and dear to my heart.

Sara said...

How awesome that park is...I loved all the cute statues! It's on my list for when I go back to NYC...

EG CameraGirl said...

Rockefeller Park is wonderful! Thank you so much for posting such lovely photos of it.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I love the sculpture garden...and that bulldog! Everything looks beautiful...very pretty and green for August! Thanks for the tour! ♥

Jenny said...

Ping pong in the park! I would be so all over that! What a great trip you took us on today Miss Pat! Thanks for the tour.

Do you have time to have a nice glass of lemonade before we all go home?

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the tour!
Beautiful...Thank you for sharing..Happy Pink Saturday!

Sheila said...

Pat - I loved the picture of the duck - perhaps there were hundreds of photographers for the 600th home run BUT you were the only one who saw the duck with the grasses reflected below him and I think this photo would certainly win a photo contest. the sculpture garden was so interesting - thanks for taking us along once again. Sunshine Always!

Maggie said...

I love all of your pictures. I wish I was there.

Happy PS!
Maggie @
"Do these shoes match this purse?"

Just a little something from Judy said...

You can't imagine how much I enjoyed this stroll through Rockeller Park and The Real World." Thank you for taking the time to take such amazing pictures and to explain each one and where you were. It is all new to me and all so very interesting. I feel like I am gaining a whole new NYC education. I was especially intriqued by the whimsical gardens.
Another fascinating post.

Anonymous said...

thanks for the tour. The place is beautiful. Love that pond,

The sculptures are amazing too. Laughed at the dog tied on a post. :-)

Belated Happy Pink Saturday!

Mizpah,
Li

Vee said...

That looks like such a wonderful place to enjoy with your grandson one day soon. I thought of you yesterday as I was talking with my sister and brother-in-law and they mentioned how easy it would be for them to drop into NYC. My eyes kind of brightened there for a bit.

Judy said...

Neat park! I spotted many 'whimsical statues' that would look quite lovely in my garden...though of course, the are perfect right where they are. And playing outdoor ping pong in a park...sounds like a great idea.

Beautiful flowers, fountains, ponds and paths...it's lovely!

nycstylelittlecannoli said...

just a gorgeous post! I think people would be surprised all the greenery in NYC ! hope you are having a great weekend!!

nanny said...

It is all so wonderful....statues, flowers, fountains and Your Pictures!!!

Carol said...

Great post, Pat! I love the sculptures, fantastic! What a fun and whimsical place!

You should be very proud, Stuyvesant is very impressive indeed :)

Tracy said...

What an AMAZING park! Love all the sculptures, creatures and figures--brilliant! That looks like a very fun place to spend a Saturday afternoon. Loving your summery outdoors posts, Pat. :o) Happy Days ((HUGS))

Gracie said...

This place looks like it just came out of a fairytale! Thanks for posting such nice photos and interesting details about it. And congratulations to your son!

Beverly said...

Happy Pink Saturday, dear Pat. It seems that life is keeping me so busy, and I miss being able to get around and visit often.

You know I always love your posts. You have the gift of making us feel like we are right there with you.

I am fascinated by the sculpture garden. The whimsy pulls you into the fun.

Anonymous said...

Pat, I am so glad you came for a visit so I could do the same. I loved this post. It's where my son lives so I was just enthralled with all the photos. I have gotten to visit him once since he moved there and it was just fabulous. His "view" is amazing across the river to Jersey. Teeny tiny apartment though! Happy belated Pink Saturday.
p.s. I think people think NYC is all big buildings and concrete but it is so much more as shown in your post. And congratulations on your son's accomplishments!

Anonymous said...

I've only been to New York twice and the only time I was able to see Rockefeller Park was from the dock of my New York boat cruise. But I couldn't see any of the sculptures! Next time I make a trip there, I'll be sure to prioritize seeing that handsome bulldog.