Battery Park, Manhattan

During my visit to New York, my husband and I had a dinner date with friends in another of our favorite restaurants that was located in Battery Park in lower Manhattan. We often spent time in this southern shoreline park when we lived in New York, and I've blogged about it in the past, click here and here if you would to read those posts.

This area has been known as "The Battery" since the 17th century when the area was the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam. At the time an artillery battery was locate there to protect the seaward approach to the town.   The park was created by landfill beginning in 1855, as a landscaped open space in a heavily developed downtown. Skyscrapers now rim the original land surrounding the park.

(All photos in this post will enlarge for easier viewing if clicked on)

Much of the park consists of an esplanade along the shoreline with views in the distance of the Statue of Liberty. This bench area and garden was called "The Garden of Remembrance." Planted with native grasses and perennial flowers it is dedicated to "those who lost their lives on September eleventh, to the survivors, and to those who come seeking renewed optimism and hope."

 We noticed that The Sphere was in a new location from when we saw it last. It is a large metallic sculpture by Fritz Koenig, as a monument to world peace. It once stood in the middle of the plaza that was between the original World Trade Towers and was salvaged after the disaster.  It is a temporary installation and may be moved to Liberty Park in the future.  We remember when it was surrounded by a fountain and flower boxes when it was in the World Trade Center Plaza and it still gives us chills to look upon it and think back to that fateful day.

Toward the northwestern end of the park stands Castle Clinton, the last remnant of the defensive fort that was built in 1811.  It was named in honor of New York City Mayor DeWitt Clinton in 1915.  It is perhaps best remembered as America's first immigration station, prior to Ellis Island, where more than 8 million people arrived in the US from 1855 to 1890, when it was called Castle Garden. Afterward it was re-purposed with many other functions, including being one of the first aquariums in the United States. Today is is administered by the National Park Service as a National Monument, and is a departure point for visitors to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Nearby is a stirring sculpture entitled "The Immigrants."  The inscription on the base of the sculpture reads: "Dedicated to the people of all nations who entered America through Castle Garden in Memory of Samuel Rudin 1896-1975 whose parents arrived in America in 1883."  According to the NYC Parks web site the sculpture's "figures expressive poses emphasize the struggle and toil inherent in the experience of the immigrant or dislocated person."  It's a very dramatic and poignant sculpture to see.

A happy new development we saw in Battery Park was a beautiful and very unique carousel called the Sea Glass Carousel.  

Built with a musical underwater theme the rider sits on an iridescent fish that glides through and aquatic adventure. You can watch a video of it on this New York Times web site. It was quite enchanting!

If you look closely at the bottom of the photo above you can see the East Coast Memorial eagle.This memorial commemorates those soldiers, sailors, marines, coast guardsmen, merchant marines and airmen who met their deaths in the service of the United States in the western waters of the Atlantic Ocean during World War II.

A total of 4,067 lives were lost, and their names, rank and home state are inscribed on nearby eight 19 foot high granite walls.

The New York Korean War Veterans Memorial was of interest to me as my father was a vet of both WWII and Korea.  The memorial, dedicated in 1991, was designed by Welsh born artist Mac Adams and it is notable as one of the first Korean War memorials erected in the United States

This sight of the juxtaposition of old and new in New York City made me smile.  The red brick building in front of the towering black skyscraper which is located at 7 State Street, between Pearl and Water Street is the James Watson House, built in 1793 and extended in 1806. James Watson was the first Speaker of the New York State Assembly and a Federalist member of the New York and United State Senates.  He later became a prosperous importer-exporter. The house was also the residence of Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first America Catholic Saint. The home is currently occupied by the rectory of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church and is part of the Seton Shine.

We had time before meeting our friends for dinner so we walked across to see the buildings close up...

...and we went inside the church.  The story behind this church is very interesting. It began through the inspiration of Charlotte Grace O'Brien, who was the daughter of the famous Irish patriot and rebel William Smith O'Brien.  Charlotte's concern for young female Irish  immigrants who were being victimized in America in 1881 led to her establishing of an Irish immigrant mission and then a church serving the people of lower Manhattan.  You can read more of this history on the church web site and the Irish Mission at Watson House on this link.

As we walked back towards the restaurant in Battery Park we saw the "Cool Globes" art exhibit designed to raise awareness about global warming and spark practical solutions.  It will be on display until September, 2016. Unfortunately, we did not have time to examine the twelves globes too closely but I though they made an interesting foreground for the new World Trade Center building.

We finally arrived at Giginos Trattoria at Wagner Park, located at 20 Battery Place.  In summer the restaurant places a large tent outside in the back, so that diners can enjoy dining al fresco and.....

...appreciate this view of the Statue of Liberty!

Since we were dining with friends, I did not take any photographs of our dinner, but if you look at Giginos menu you can see that they have wonderfully authentic Italian food. Everything was delicious!

After dinner we took a stroll along the esplanade as the sun set.

 We saw this pretty view of Jersey City, New Jersey across the river....

...and had a last look at the World Trade Center in the distance.  

We had a wonderful time in New York, and we saw and did many more things on our trip, but I'm going to save them for a future post and return to what I have been doing in Colorado this summer on my next post. When people ask me if I miss New York, I have to admit it will always hold a special place in my heart.  I am happy I lived in the city so many years and experienced much of its attractions, but I am happy to be spending this time of my life in the west and living a different lifestyle, and especially living close to our children and grandchildren. It has been a wonderful summer so far....hope you are also enjoying everything good about this season!

I'm linking this post to the following blog events:

Seasons, Weekend Travel Inspiration, Amaze Me Monday, Blue Monday, Monday of Many Blessings, Through My Lens Monday, Mosaic Monday, Life Through the Lens Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday, Inspiration Monday, Good Random Fun, Nature Notes, Grand Social, Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday, You're Gonna Love It Tuesday,Wanderful Wednesday,Wordless Wednesday, Oh My Heartsie Girl's Wonderful Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Share Your Cup Thursday,Little Things Thursday, Thoughts of Home on Thursday, Travel Photo Thursday, Friday Photo Journal, Skywatch Friday, Sweet Inspiration, Friday Features, Share It One More Time, Pink Saturday

Thank you to all the blog hosts!

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!

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!