The Battery Conservancy and NYC Parks Return Battery Park to Historic Name: The Battery
New York, NY (PRWEB) May 27, 2015 -- The Battery Conservancy and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation announce the official name change of Battery Park, returning the 25-acre public park at the southern tip of Manhattan to its historic name: The Battery. Visited by 6 million people each year, The Battery is New York's birthplace park and its longest continuously used open space – from the time Native Americans first fished from its banks thousands of years ago.
With its neighbor to the north, Battery Park City, now a flourishing development commonly referred to as Battery Park, it is time for the original Battery to establish its own unique identity as a sought after destination, and thus increase public awareness, appreciation and support for the park’s continued improvements.
The Battery name is prominent on all early maps of New York and can claim literary credentials—Herman Melville wrote, in describing Manhattan in the opening passages of Moby Dick: “Its extreme downtown is the Battery… washed by waves and cooled by breezes...Look at the crowds of water-gazers there.”
“New York City’s public waterfront is one of our city’s greatest assets,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FACIP. “The Battery, the City’s first waterfront oasis, has created a new standard in horticulture, agriculture and now its relationship to water and climate. It is time to reinstate its historic name: The Battery.”
“For the past 20 years, The Battery Conservancy has worked hand-in-hand with the Parks Department to design and rebuild these irreplaceable, storied acres of parkland, and we are thrilled to officially recognize its historic significance as The Battery,” said Warrie Price, president of The Battery Conservancy. “The Battery is coming into its own, and we look forward to engaging even more New York City residents and visitors who will enjoy all The Battery has to offer–vast perennial gardens, a water play fountain and a waterfront promenade, along with bike and pedestrian pathways.”
The Battery Master Plan, now 90% complete or in construction, has guided the replacement of asphalt paths with great swaths of green. The Plan calls for the restoration of The Battery’s many monuments, the installation of stunning perennial gardens, the creation of the landmark Battery Urban Farm and the unique, stunning SeaGlass Carousel. Earlier this spring, bike and pedestrian pathways around The Battery Oval, the park’s centerpiece, opened to the public, along with a completely renovated comfort station on the north side of the park. The restoration of the renowned Giovanni da Verrazzano Monument is expected later this spring. SeaGlass will open to the public this summer, and an enlarged and new playground is being designed for opening in 2017.
About The Battery Conservancy
The Battery Conservancy was created in 1994 as a not–for–profit educational corporation to rebuild and revitalize The Battery and its major landmark, Castle Clinton National Monument. The Conservancy spearheads this dramatic transformation in partnership with City, State and Federal governments and with individuals, corporations and foundations in the private sector. Visited by 6 million people each year, The Battery remains one of the oldest public open spaces in continuous use in New York City. The Conservancy honors and preserves its heritage by rebuilding the park with sustainable design and ecological practices while respecting and interpreting its rich history. The landscape design protects the natural environment while meeting the needs of a growing residential population, crowds of bustling commuters, and the millions of visitors who come to see the Statue of Liberty and experience New York Harbor. For more information, visit http://www.thebattery.org.
Brittnie Mabry, Phil & Co., http://philandcompany.com, +1 (646) 490-6446, [email protected]
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