It is not uncommon for a park to contain a river. It is rather less common for a river to contain a park.

On the banks of Manhattan Island, a stone’s throw from Greenwich Village, lies what will soon be New York’s newest, and perhaps most unusual piece of green space, a man-made marine meadow known as Little Island.

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Hudson River Park Little Island
(Little Island/PA)

New York is not renowned for its abundance of space, so developers turned their eyes offshore to build this oasis in the urban jungle. The result will be the latest addition to the Hudson River Park, stretching 4.5 miles down the river bank and second only to Central Park in size.

Little Island will sit suspended 15 feet above the currents of the Hudson on 132 tulip-shaped support structures, each cast from concrete and anchored to the river bed. The area above will cover 2.4 acres and host roughly 100 species of tree and shrub, including oak, pine, and at least one cherry tree.

New York Hudson River Park Little Island
(Little Island/PA)

The island is the work of British architecture firm Heatherwick Studio – the company behind Manhattan’s famous ‘Vessel’ structure further up the bank, the spectacular cauldron in the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, and the city’s ill-fated Garden Bridge – with landscaping by Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects.

Roughly 50 metres from shore, the park will be accessed by two elevated walkways, and will host an array of arts and educational programming.

New York Hudson River Park Little Island
(Little Island/PA)

The park was in the works as far back as 2014, but the park encountered several early-stage issues including lawsuits and permit problems, which led to its temporary scrapping in 2017. Construction work is now well underway, and the park is due to open to the public in the Spring of 2021.

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