The Battery
The Battery is one of New York City’s oldest public open spaces. Dutch settlers landed here in 1623 and established New Amsterdam. Now the Battery is truly the cradle of New York history, the front lawn of the Downtown district, and a hub of harbor access and cultural tourism. Over four million people, including residents, office workers, school groups, and tourists from around the world annually visit the park and its major landmark, Castle Clinton National Monument.
Encompassing 25 acres of waterfront parkland, the Battery is the largest public open space Downtown. Over 280,000 people work within walking distance of the Battery, and over 36,000 residents live in the surrounding area. The Battery has the potential to serve as a major neighborhood amenity, with expansive lawns, overarching shade trees, vast perennial gardens, waterfront promenades, and cultural programs including summertime open–air concerts.
Many cultural institutions are within walking distance of the Battery. Attractions include the South Street Seaport, the New York Stock Exchange, the Smithsonian’s Museum of the American Indian, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the Staten Island Ferry, and the soon–to–be–opened Pier A visitor center. They all radiate from the Battery, which has historically been called the "emerald doorstep of the metropolis".
The Battery will become a hub of waterborne transportation for New York Harbor. Castle Clinton presently serves as a busy ticketing center for three million passengers who annually board ferries to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Connections between New York State Heritage Area sites, the National Parks of New York Harbor, and New Jersey’s Liberty State Park, are also in the planning stages. Do come visit!