Little Island NYC: The Floating Park on the Hudson

Little Island, the one and only floating park on the Hudson River, proves once again that only New York can outdo New York.

This public park, sitting between Chelsea and the Meatpacking District, opened in May 2021, giving the city a brand new space and a fantastic spot to unwind after the exhausting pandemic.

It's one of those new New York attractions you have to see. Keep reading and you'll understand why:

What to see at Little Island

Little Island is a park within a park, since it's part of the Hudson River Park complex, a park I'd recommend walking end to end, by the way.

Its design is full of paths, hills and lookout points, with the greenery and the panoramic views always taking center stage. The landscaping of this new park was planned down to the last inch.

From the lookouts at Little Island you can see the One World Trade Center to the south, crowning the skyline of Lower Manhattan, and to the north the Empire State and the outline of the new Hudson Yards neighborhood.

Inside the park there's an amphitheater, with a varied lineup of free shows promised all summer long.

Even with no event on, the amphitheater is a show in itself, because from there you get a prime view of the sunset.

The design of Little Island

Little Island joins the list of original New York parks, among them Domino Park in Williamsburg, which reused structures from the old sugar factory, Gantry Plaza State Park, built around the vintage Pepsi-Cola sign, and the High Line Park, designed on top of an abandoned elevated rail line.

Although it's a public park, it was developed, gifted to the city and fully funded by a New York billionaire couple (Fürstenberg and Diller) to the tune of $260 million, replacing the abandoned Pier 54 on the Hudson River.

Construction hit plenty of obstacles, since the plan involved building on a pier of great symbolic value: this is where the survivors of the Titanic sinking came ashore in 1912. But it finally came to life and revitalized Manhattan's west waterfront.

As a nod to its past, they kept the original Pier 54 gate at the park's entrance, along with the old wooden pilings from the pier.

Another Thomas Heatherwick design

The man behind Little Island's design is English architect Thomas Heatherwick, the same one who created The Vessel in Hudson Yards, the climbable sculpture of staircases that's also one of those new New York attractions worth checking out.

Putting the structure on display is one of Heatherwick's trademarks, in this case the concrete pillars shaped like flowers or champagne glasses that hold the park up, and which absolutely steal the show.

Nearby attractions

I'd suggest starting at Hudson Yards, seeing the Edge observation deck and the Vessel, then walking south along the High Line Park.

As you approach the Meatpacking District, and you'll know because you'll spot the Whitney Museum, get off the High Line and walk toward Little Island. You'll know you've arrived by the rivers of people doing exactly what you're doing 😉.

Another option is to combine Little Island with the Whitney Museum or Chelsea Market, both very close by..

If you have more time you can do it in reverse, walking north from Little Island to reach Hudson Yards and, a few blocks farther up, the Intrepid Museum.

The Intrepid Museum is another one-of-a-kind New York spot on the Hudson River piers. There you can climb aboard a World War II aircraft carrier, step inside the only submarine open to the public in the United States, and see NASA's first Space Shuttle to reach orbit. As you can see, New York is full of surprises!

If you're a good walker, you can head south from Little Island all the way to the World Trade Center and Battery Park. It can be done! I've done it myself (I'll admit I love to walk).

How to visit Little Island

You can enter via one of its two bridges, at 13th and 14th Streets, but I'd recommend using the main entrance to the south so you walk through the original Pier 54 gate 🙂

The pedestrian crossing over the busy West Side Highway is at 14th Street.

Closest subway

Lines A, C, E, L, 1, 2, 3, F, M. 14th St station

Park hours

Little Island is open every day from 6 am to 1 am. Admission is free, but between May and September you need to reserve your spot in advance on the official site, up to a month before your visit.

It's a tiny park and a whole lot of people want to see it!

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