Tuesday, August 3, 2010

A Walk Along The Esplanade of Battery Park City


In my last post, I showed a portion of New York's Battery Park City's Esplanade which runs the entire length of Battery Park City, along the Hudson River from Stuyvesant High School on the north end all the way south to Historic Battery Park. The Esplanade is a pedestrian paradise, with views of the Hudson River and New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the New Jersey shoreline.  Parks and gardens line the entire route, along with numerous sculptures and public art installations.


Battery Parks City Conservatory (BPC Parks) is a non-profit organization that operates the nearly 36 acres of open space in Battery Park City and maintains all the parks that were built upon this area of landfill on the southwestern portion of Manhattan, replacing piers that had fallen into disrepair in the 1960s.


The South Cove on the Esplanade, between First Place and Third Place, is one of Battery Park City's most popular destinations.  In this section, we walk on a bridge over a water feature.


South Cove's winding walkways, quays, bridge and island, distinctive seaside plantings, and views of the Harbor provide a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.


On a warm day, the esplanade is filled with people walking, running, rollerblading, and biking. The day I visited it was another one of July's unusually hot and humid days and therefore the esplanade was relatively quiet.


As I walked along the Esplanade I enjoyed the views of Jersey City, New Jersey on the opposite shore....


....... while I also admired the beautiful flowers along the path and...


...all the views of the busy water traffic on the Hudson River.


The Esplanade led to the North Cove, located on the river between Liberty Street and Vesey Street


The North Cove is a busy public yacht marina and is the home to the Manhattan Yacht Club and the North Cove Sailing School.  Charters and water taxis also arrive and depart from this location.



Directly behind the North Cove is the World Financial Center. This stunning marble and glass office complex was designed by Cesar Pelli.  It is home to the world headquarters of American Express, Merrill Lynch, Dow Jones, and Deloitte and Touche.  Next door is the New York Mercantile Exchange and Goldman Sachs just built their new world headquarters next to the Financial Center.


The centerpiece of the World Financial Center is the famous Winter Garden.  This glass atrium is home to a grove of royal palm trees and there are also stores, restaurants, coffee, and pastry shops inside.  All the public spaces within the World Financial Center are made of luxurious marble imported from Italy.  Located just outside the Winter Garden is the World Financial Center Plaza.  It has plenty of seating and provides a wonderful place to pause for a bite to eat while looking out over the North Cove and the Hudson River.


I'll continue my walk along the Battery Park City Esplanade in my next post where I'll show you more of the fabulous parks along its route and also one of the most fanciful children's parks I've ever seen. It reminded me of a scene that could have been taken right out of Alice in Wonderland!


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28 comments:

Vintagesouthernlife said...

Gorgeous photos. Makes me want to go sailing.

Willow said...

What a great place to walk or bikeride! If I lived nearby, that's where I'd be!

ellen b. said...

These shots are really great. Makes me want to take a walk there!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

How beautiful, Pat, and how CLEAN everything looks... I'm so impressed with NYC....Compared to other cities, this one is marvelous...

Thanks for sharing... I'd love to see that winter garden... What a fabulous building..

Hugs,
Betsy

Sarah said...

Pat, thanks for sharing more of this beautiful park. I can feel the breeze coming off the water. :-)
Happy Outdoor Wednesday! ~ Sarah

Debbiedoos said...

Gorgeous...I just had a moment that I wished I was strolling through the park with my hubby...not with the kids...just hubby...I would have to chase Jack and tell him NOT to do something wrong:)

dianasfaria.com said...

I love how clean and green everything looks with spectacular water views as well. what a beautiful oasis for people in NYC!

Pondside said...

I love the word 'esplanade'- such a wonderfully old-fashioned word.
Once again I'm amazed at the diverse scenery/activity and especially all the greenery in your views of NYC.

Splenderosa said...

This is beautiful & so serene, saved mostly for the many visitors to the area who must love this spot in NYC. Read your post on Yvonne's blog tonight, do not understand what you meant about "Americans probably overstay their visas in other countries."

Light and Voices said...

Marvelous cyber tour. Looks like you enjoyed the walk.
Joyce M

Anonymous said...

Thank you for visiting and leaving comment. Removed the post and published again. The command function appeared and is working now. Have no explanation.
Beautiful walk and great photos.
New York - a lovely walk!
Thank you!!
Gisela.
________________

The virtue of the camera is not
the power it has to transform
the photographer into an artist,
but the impulse it gives him to
keep on looking.
~Brooks Anderson

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

First I was in love with the bridge over water feature shot....then the other shoreline shots...THEN the architecture of that one building.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......

Tracy said...

aaahhh... I enjoyed every moment of this walk, Pat... LOVE that water feature! Who can beat all that green and skyline views... *swoon*... Happy Day, my friend :o) ((HUGS))

Old Kitty said...

I can only imagine how this Esplanade could be so popular with NYC-ers!! It's a really well designed and stunning walkway! I mean the river views are worth that but I love that there are parks and water features and how it's not just one long route - it curves and has bridges and it lots of stops to rest and just enjoy. Well done BPC Parks people!

The Winter Garden is stunning! I love that the palm trees (tall in themselves) are dwarfed by the architecture!! Amazing. Such a nice place to go to while away an afternoon!

I thoroughly enjoyed our walk Pat - thank you!! I look forward to more!

Take care
x

Claudia said...

I enjoyed walking with you. I have photos of the kids along this path. We were all younger...well- they were. You almost make me want to move back to NYC.

black eyed susans kitchen said...

Million dollar views! It is just beautiful.

Ann said...

You certainly have made the city come alive to me with these pictures. You have an awesome place to live. Beautiful shots.

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Pat, I felt like I was with you along the way with your lovely photos. Thanks for taking us along.
Sam

My name is Riet said...

What a beautiful walk on the esplanade. The sights are wonderful and so are your pictures.
Sorry I am late commenting but I have been so busy lately with birthdays and being out of town.

EG CameraGirl said...

It's wonderful to see all this green space in the middle of the city! Somehow I never think of NYC as having grass, trees, boats.... You are changing my perception.

Annalisa said...

Wonderful photos, would love to visit that place!
Great post, as always!
Love,
Annalisa

Vee said...

I enjoyed taking this stroll along The Esplanade with you. I also enjoyed my postcard! Yup, it came today. What a sweet surprise! :D

Ciao Chow Linda said...

I love to walk along that esplanade, but even better would be to sit at one of those places near the winter garden, having a drink and looking at the boats.

Cindy said...

That was amazing! I have never been to NYC, so it was so wonderful to see
the sights! Thank you!

Linda said...

Your views of NYC are just amazing. I love reading your blogs and learning all about your city.

Sara said...

What great photos...Loved seeing this area!!!

Blooming Rose Musings said...

Ok, now I am seriously homesick! Your pictures are fantastic and I am so enjoying the tour of NY! Thank you for sharing your fabulous photos.

Blooming Rose Musings said...

I am now a follower. I love your blog and look forward to following along!