Little Island makes big impressions on New Yorkers
Little Island opened to the public last weekend.
BY DEAN MOSES
New Yorkers are reacting with pride
over their newest little sanctuary
in the sun.
Little Island is a 2.4-acre patch of paradise
and can be found bobbing above the
Hudson River on West 14th Street. Created
about seven years ago with the help of a
hefty $260 million donation from media
mogul Barry Diller, this newest attraction
opened to the public on Friday for free entry,
but how exactly do residents feel about
this new, multimillion-dollar park?
Thomas Melendez, Elizabeth Carrasco,
and Gabriella and Di’Angelo Paredes expressed
their thorough satisfaction with the
new green space as a much-needed relief
from the worries of the pandemic.
“It’s beautiful. With the pandemic we
wanted to come outside and have nice
ventilation and feel safe. The city needed
something like this,” Melendez said, sharing
that their youngest family members,
Gabriella and Di’Angelo, were able to roll
around the grass and enjoy the fresh open
air.
The faint murmur of individuals socializing
accompanies the soft waves and rustle
of the breeze against the trees and plants,
making Little Island a meditative spot for
some locals like Suncerae Fredericks and
Timicka Davis.
For two days in a row Fredericks and
PHOTOS BY DEAN MOSES
Davis drove from Washington Heights in
the early hours of the morning to enjoy a
Thomas Melendez, Elizabeth Carrasco, and Gabriella and Di’Angelo Paredes
visited Little Island for the first time on May 23.
few hours of serenity.
“It is relaxing, it’s very beautiful from the
trees, the plants, down to the wood and the
planks and how they used different tones,”
Fredericks said, patting a wooden bench
within the 687-seat amphitheater.
Looking out into the Hudson River,
Fredericks smiled, adding “I love sitting
and just looking out into the water. We’ve
sat here for 30 mins.”
The only downside she has faced this
weekend is the infl ux of joggers rushing
up the steps and around the winding paths,
panting heavily. She believes that Little
Island is a place of respite from the hustle
and bustle of the city, and joggers trample
over that calming atmosphere.
Joggers, however, feel differently. Gian
Galang says that Little Island is the ideal
destination point for his weekend jog with
his wife as they venture from the Upper
East Side.
“I love it here. I think projects like this
and the High Line and Central Park are
what makes New York great. That contrast
between the dense city and just a little open
air. The little pockets of contrast and open
air provide a great juxtaposition to the
city,” Galang said.
Galang’s father-in-law, Kenny Fribd,
wholeheartedly agrees, sharing that he rode
his bike from New Jersey to join the couple
as they explored Little Island.
“I think it’s inspiring. Not only for what
it shows and what is, but what it will mean
for the future of the city. I think that the
reality that COVID and everybody leaving
the city during the pandemic, wondering
will New York return, this is the kind of
thing that will bring people back because
the garden will be here along with the
metropolis,” Fribd said.
Open from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. each day,
this fl oating location has its foot traffi c
regulated past noon, so visitors between
the afternoon and evening must book a
timed entry reservation throughout that
period of the day.
The Freedom Tower is one of the many landmark sites to behold.
4 May 27, 2021 Schneps Media