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June 27, 2006
Battery Park City
This is the walk we took on Sunday.
I had never been to Battery Park, so we started walking in that general direction after meeting friends for brunch in Tribeca. The path we followed falls into the category of places-in-New-York-I-should-know-about-but-don't. It's part of Battery Park City and is called, loftily, the Esplanade (map).
It's really well kept up and is embellished with benches, elaborate landscaping, observation points, a Water Taxi station, two mini-meadows, a high-end volleyball court, and a little harbor filled with boats. I'm pretty familiar with the path and piers along the West Side Highway, but I had no idea the walkway kept going--all the way to Battery Park. I also had no idea it was so tony. It feels a little like the people running past you with iPods might possibly be stockbrokers, and some of the boats in the harbor were larger than our apartment building.
It's a nice walk, though. It's right along the water, and all the extra money being spent on keeping things beautiful doesn't hurt. The Statue of Liberty, Jersey City, Ellis Island, and various sailboats and ferries are on view.
Derek said it reminded him of Disney--specifically, Epcot, where one might visit "New York" and see the Statue of Liberty in forced perspective. The railings and decks are newish and very clean, and there were a few Disney-appropriate tourists mulling about.
It doesn't quite have the old-school charm of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade or the Red Hook piers, but it's long on ammenities and is definitely the most polished of the three. And since I love being anywhere near the water, especially when it doesn't smell like sewage, I'll be back.
Posted by csageday at June 27, 2006 12:05 AM