Battery Park City in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
A Floating Metropolis / Sailings, Sightings and Special Events
Photographed By Larry Gertner, April 12, 2019
1. A Floating Metropolis/Sailings, Sightings and Special Events Marker
Left: A Floating Metropolis
A plan to create a new residential and commercial neighborhood on the site of the decaying Hudson River piers was first proposed in the early 1960s. Battery Park City is a remarkable technological achievement. To build it, 92 acres of Hudson River waterfront were filled with sand dredged from the bottom of Long Island Sound and dirt and rock excavated during construction of the World Trade Center. Apartment towers and office buildings, parks and playgrounds are all built on landfill, and the Esplanade stands on as enormous “sandwich,” supported by pilings driven into the Hudson River bottom. The top of the “sandwich,” either planting beds or pavement, is separated from the structural concrete platform below by three feet of soil and three feet of sand.
Right: Sailings, Sightings and Special Events
A blank area, presumably to be filled in with appropriate commentary.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Parks & Recreational Areas.
Location. Marker has been permanently removed. It was located near 40° 42.315′ N, 74° 1.108′ W. Marker was in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It was in Battery Park City.
this page online
We have been informed that this sign or monument is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. History of New Pier 1 (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); History of Pier A (about 400 feet away); American Merchant Mariners' Memorial (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named American Merchant Mariners' Memorial (about 500 feet away); Mother Cabrini (1850-1917) (about 500 feet away); Battery Park City Employees Memorial (about 600 feet away); New York Korean War Veterans Memorial (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named New York Korean War Veterans Memorial (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.
Regarding A Floating Metropolis / Sailings, Sightings and Special Events. The title "A Floating Metropolis" was wildly inaccurate, as there was no "floating" involved - even the marker text detailed the amount of
Photographed By Larry Gertner, March 27, 2016
2. A Floating Metropolis/Sailings, Sightings and Special Events Marker site
Robert J. Wagner Jr. Park pavilion
The markers are visible along the viewing platform.
The markers are visible along the viewing platform.
The entire park, including the pavilion, has been demolished as part of a global warming resiliency project.
Also see . . . A Plan to Save a Beloved Park From Flooding Has Angered Its Biggest Fans. New York Times, October 21, 2022 (Submitted on September 11, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
3. Inset
Staking out the landfill boundaries.
4. Inset
The completed landfill.
5. Inset
The Twin Towers and Battery Park City.
Photographed By Larry Gertner, September 3, 2023
6. Site of the former Robert J. Walker Jr. Park
Credits. This page was last revised on September 11, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 20, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 309 times since then and 54 times this year. Last updated on February 29, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on May 20, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 6. submitted on September 11, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.
