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Battery Park City, Manhattan: A Neighborhood Built From Landfill

Battery Park City, New York

Pictures from Battery Park City

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Battery Park City Esplanade Brookfield Place Winter Garden Irish Hunger Memorial Rockefeller Park

Battery Park City takes its name from The Battery, the historic waterfront park directly to its south — but the neighborhood itself is entirely man-made. Built in the 1970s on Hudson River landfill, it was formed from more than 3 million cubic yards of soil and rock excavated during construction of the original World Trade Center, plus sand dredged from New York Harbor and stone from Water Tunnel #3; the landfill was complete by 1976. New York State created the Battery Park City Authority in 1968 to redevelop the area's deteriorated piers, but the neighborhood didn't take its current shape until a 1979 master plan by Alexander Cooper and Stanton Eckstut set the street grid, esplanade, and mixed-use form still in place today — a plan widely studied as a model of waterfront urban design. The Authority, now named for Hugh L. Carey, still governs the neighborhood.

  1. A small museum devoted entirely to high-rise architecture, with admission that's been free to all visitors.

  2. The six-sided Kevin Roche building's pyramid roof symbolizes the six million lost in the Holocaust; its core exhibition was redesigned with interactive survivor interviews in 2022.

  3. A genuine County Mayo cottage sits at the center of this memorial to the Great Hunger and the emigrants it sent to New York.

  4. Hudson River lawns, gardens, and public art at the neighborhood's north end — a good stroll to close out a waterfront walk.

  5. Shops, restaurants, and free public art around the Winter Garden atrium and the North Cove marina.

  6. A French marketplace inside Brookfield Place — bistro, creperie, boulangerie, and salad bar under one roof.

  7. Birria tacos and a serious tequila and mezcal list on the Battery Park City waterfront.

  8. The waterfront outpost of the 1884 Third Avenue saloon original, for a classic burger with a harbor view.

  9. The neighborhood's flagship hotel, with all-suite rooms and a rooftop bar looking toward the Statue of Liberty.

Memory on the Waterfront

Two of the neighborhood's landmarks turn its planned streets into places of memory. The Irish Hunger Memorial, dedicated July 16, 2002, incorporates an authentic 19th-century stone cottage transported from County Mayo along with stones and soil from Ireland's western coast, commemorating the Great Hunger of 1845-1852 and the more than 900,000 Irish emigrants who arrived at the port of New York in the following decade. The Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living Memorial to the Holocaust opened September 15, 1997 in a six-sided Kevin Roche-designed building whose pyramid roof symbolizes both the Star of David's six points and the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust; its redesigned core exhibition, with interactive survivor interviews, reopened in June 2022.

Getting there by subway

There is no subway station inside Battery Park City itself. Riders cross West Street via pedestrian bridges, crosswalks, or the West Concourse tunnel from Brookfield Place to reach the World Trade Center-area stations: the Chambers Street-World Trade Center/Park Place complex (A/C/E, 1/2/3), Cortlandt Street (R/W), WTC Cortlandt (1), the Fulton Street complex, and the World Trade Center PATH station.

Where to stay

The Conrad New York Downtown, at 102 North End Avenue, is the neighborhood's flagship hotel — a contemporary all-suite property with a rooftop bar looking out over the Statue of Liberty and the harbor.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Battery Park City by subway?
Battery Park City has no subway station of its own. Walk across West Street (via pedestrian bridges, crosswalks, or the West Concourse tunnel from Brookfield Place) to the World Trade Center-area stations: A/C/E and 1/2/3 at Chambers Street-World Trade Center/Park Place, R/W at Cortlandt Street, 1 at WTC Cortlandt, or the Fulton Street complex.
Is there a subway station in Battery Park City itself?
No — the neighborhood has no subway access of its own. The nearest stations are all across West Street in the adjoining Financial District/World Trade Center area.
What is the Irish Hunger Memorial?
Dedicated July 16, 2002, it's a memorial landscape built around an authentic 19th-century stone cottage brought from County Mayo, with stones and soil from Ireland's west coast, commemorating the Great Hunger of 1845-1852 and the wave of Irish emigrants who arrived in New York in its aftermath.
Is the Skyscraper Museum free to visit?
Yes — the museum has offered free admission to all visitors, though that offer is tied to a sponsorship window, so it's worth confirming current pricing before you go. It's open Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 6pm.
Where can I stay in Battery Park City?
The Conrad New York Downtown at 102 North End Avenue is the neighborhood's verified flagship hotel, with an all-suite layout and a rooftop bar overlooking the harbor.

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