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10 Best Things to Do in Battery Park City

Azmin Taraporewala
A calm, clean sliver of green stretch, pinned at the southwest tip of Manhattan, the Battery Park City neighborhood has an incredible character, eager to be explored!

Battery Park City Esplanade and Parks

For a memorable walk, visit the Esplanade at Battery Park City. Its beauty is splendid, what with the trimness with which the esplanade and parks are maintained. Incredible views and lush topography add to the crispness of the parks.

SeaGlass Carousel

Hop on for a ride at the SeaGlass Carousel. This fish-themed carousel ferries a stretch from the Ellis Island, expanding its horizon to the Statue of Liberty, with some breathtaking monuments peppered between them.
Funfact:
These iridescent fish seats at the SeaGlass Carousal are a mixed bag - some are stationary, while the others go around in a reciprocating motion. It's your choice if you want to stay put or rock about; choose wisely!

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Brookfield Place

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Head to Brookfield Place - a hedonistic melange of premium stores and an upscale food court; it is a dream come true for shopaholics!
Tour the Winter Garden - a beautiful atrium laced with lush palms situated in the Brookfield Place. Stroll along the patio, and admire the opulent fleet of yachts of the who's who in the North Cove Marina.

Rockefeller Park

At the northern end of Battery Park City sits a bustling park with sprawling lawns, playgrounds, plantings, public artwork and a Park house that operates from May to October providing games and equipment on lease.
To relax your senses, pay the Lily Pool a visit! This is where migratory birds splash with ecstasy! Take a look at the Children's Gardening Club, too, where little hands grow plants and vegetables! Go watch those little dimpled fingers turn into green fingers!

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Pier A Harbor House

A destination that seduces your taste buds infinitely is Pier A, with one of the finest sunsets and water views of Manhattan.
For a congenial get-together, head to the Oyster House. It has an outdoor seating arrangement surrounded by the promenade. Savor delicious smoked fish, scrumptious east coast oysters, chorizos, caldosa, and classic cocktails.
At the Blacktail, you are spoiled for choice. They serve five categories of drinks - the Highball, Sour, Old-Fashioned, Punches, and Cocktails! Take to the Cuba-born classic drink Daquiri - an absolute stellar. It's snappy and short; just the way a Sour punch is supposed to be!

Irish Hunger Memorial

Paying tribute to more than 1.5 million people who lost their lives in the Great Irish Famine between 1845 to 1852, the Irish Hunger Memorial stands tall on half acre of land. The structure is landscaped with stones from all of the 32 counties of Ireland, reflecting reverence and fortitude.
Quotes and statistics with regard to the devastation are inscribed on the walls. The outdoor garden with more than 60 types of flora proves to be a pleasing divergence from the spell of heaviness the inscriptions cast.

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Museum of Jewish Heritage

The museum commemorates those who lost their lives in the Holocaust. 
With over 800 artifacts and 2,000 photos on display, the memorial elaborates on how the Jews metamorphosed their lives and recreated their identity as a community post World War II. The Garden of Stones, a permanent installation in the memorial, signifies growth and the continuation of life even when faced with catastrophic events.

The American Merchant Mariners' Memorial

An apposite tribute to the Mariners who lost their lives at Sea, the memorial depicts three sailors on board; one is on his knees, the other calling out for help, and the third, sprawled on the deck, arms outstretched to save one other mariner from the jaws of galloping waters.
Depending on the tidal cycle, the struggling mariner sinks and rises from the waters twice daily. Marisol Escobar, the genius sculptor, recreated this heart-wrenching memorial, when he found a photograph taken from the Nazi U boat, depicting this scene.

Skyscraper Museum

Architecture monomaniacs, here's a lot of fodder for thought! The Skyscraper museum tells the tale of how the New York skyline has progressed over the years. There's a plethora of interactive display where you manually manipulate the skyline to get a good look at how the skyscrapers were added.
Take a look at how these skyscrapers have contributed to the city's pragmatically constructed vertical landscape. Watch the documentary on how the original WTC twin towers were built, too. In total, this museum, truly is worth a visit!

Teardrop Park

Lapped in a two-acre land is the magnificent Teardrop park. A beautiful artwork - the Ice Wall by Ann Hamilton, looks heavenly. Slides for children, water splash hubs, lush greenery, a retire-and-read zone are attractions that paint the perfect picture.
Children look forward to the Teardrop program that runs from May to October. Here, they enjoy playing organised lawn games and engage in art projects. Do enroll them here, to keep them from becoming screeanagers!