You’ve likely heard of Central Park (hasn’t everyone?), but have you heard of Little Island yet? New York has a new park in town, where locals can enjoy almost three acres of fresh, green, open space.
Say hello to Little Island, NYC’s newest park, with dreamy big city views.
The public park on the Hudson River opened on 21 May, after almost seven years of vision, planning and hard work.
The park was brought to life thanks to billionaire media mogul Barry Diller, whose $US260 million ($A335 million) donation transformed the once-derelict West Side of Manhattan.
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Built on the pillars of the former Pier 54, connected to Manhattan by a walkway that will take visitors from the trendy Meatpacking District, the island provides serene spaces to explore, new venues for live performances and cultural events, and unique vantage points to view the surrounding area.
Opening just in time for the Northern Hemisphere summer season, and after more than a year of restrictions and closures, the park adds a sweeping space to the popular Hudson River Park, which spans four miles along Manhattan’s west side.
With its own independent arts programming set to begin in June, Little Island will host hundreds of local artists and performers, and offer free programming for visitors of all ages.
Components of the park, nestled among more than 350 species of flowers, trees and shrubs, include a 687-seat amphitheater (“The Amph”), a central plaza with seating and serving food and beverages (“The Play Ground”), an intimate stage and lawn space (“The Glade”), and Insta-worthy views of the park, New York City, and the Hudson River.
“I hope Little Island will serve as a whimsical oasis for everyone who visits, a place to wander around and be happily surprised at every turn, to lounge and graze the landscape, and to be entertained, educated and stimulated by our programming” said Barry Diller.
The park will be open daily from 6:00 am to 1:00 am, with timed reservations required from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm. All admission is free.
We look forward to visiting next time we can jet off to New York, New York.
Click here for more information.