If you’d like to take advantage of the nice weather, walk through beautiful gardens, and maybe even slip the kids a bit of history, consider making Battery Park your destination the next time you go out!
The History
Battery Park dates back to 1623, when the first “battery” of cannons was emplaced to guard the Dutch city of New Amsterdam. The site saw many battles through the War of 1812, and by 1855 it had become America’s first immigrant receiving center, a pre-cursor to the more well-known Ellis Island.
A museum in the castle tells a bit about these pieces of history. Lure the kids in with the fortresses’ imposing walls, and then hit them with acculturation before they can escape.
The Gardens
Or, if you prefer to stretch your legs outside, visit Battery Park’s beautiful gardens; you have two to choose from!
The Bosque, created in 2005, is a beautiful setting, interspersing trees, flowers, shrubs, and other gorgeous plants with pleasant, cool, walkways, and fresh, idyllic fountains.
The designer of the Bosque, Piet Oudolf, also designed the Gardens of Remembrance. Built in 2001, after the attacks on the WTC, the Gardens of Remembrance have as their central piece the Upper Promenade, which traces the outline of Manhattan for 1,500 feet.
The remaining 10,000 square feet of these gardens are filled with a variety of plants that weave their individual beauty together into a sublime harmony of the natural and the man-made. The diversity of plants makes this garden worth a visit in any season.
The Food
While simple to describe, Table Green and The Table Green Café both serve up delicious organic food, as well as wine and fresh lemonade: a refreshing pause in the middle of your explorations, or a pleasant way of ending a wonderful day.
Battery Park is located all along Battery Pl, just a short distance from the FDR Drive. For more information, including directions, visit www.thebattery.org.
If you want to make your day really perfect, and both arrive and leave in relaxed comfort, cruise to the city with Seastreak.
Sea you Soon!
The Seastreak family
Filed Under: New York City, Visiting Battery Park