By Michael Mandelkern
This past Wednesday, on a drizzling and unseasonably cold morning, the Battery Park City Authority unveiled Teardrop Park South, a half-acre expansion of Teardrop Park North located off Murray St.
The park features slabs of New York Bluestone, shrubbery and thin trees growing from mounds like to the Hudson River Valley, vintage benches and wooden bleachers where visitors can relax and on occasion attend performances.
Teardrop Park South is the most recent extension within Battery Park City’s 30 acres of open public space. It also serves as the location of the Authority’s branch of the New York Public Library, the Poet’s House and a developing café.
“Teardrop Park South is a wonder and sure to be a hit with all New Yorkers,” said Bill Thompson, Chairman of the Battery Park City Authority in a May 12 press release.
“I’m just thrilled, I think the park is so unique,” said Dennis Gault, a member of the Community Board 1 Battery Park City Subcommittee who lives nearby Teardrop Park and has observed the construction of Teardrop Park South from his residence.
Michael Van Valkenbergh Associates designed the park and were highly conscious of environmental sustainability. The public space features a structure to hold rainwater for irrigation and heliostats atop a 23-story residential building.
Heliostats harness solar energy via a reflective mirror that directs sunlight into a specified area, bypassing high-rise buildings in Lower Manhattan that form otherwise unavoidable shade.
“Their [heliostats] use is not widespread anywhere in the world and we are one of only a few that use them to combat a common problem in any metropolis, the blocking of the sun by buildings,” said James Cavanaugh, president of the Battery Park City Authority, in the press release.
Continuing with the environmentally friendly theme, the park will be kept up without toxic fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides or pesticides.
Jeff Galloway, a member of CB 1’s BPC Subcommittee, believes that Battery Park City’s balance between parks that are vast enough for active play and areas more geared towards relaxation is “probably correct in what the community wants.”
He discussed the varying needs of the community; some living in residential areas may not want sports games taking place in their courtyards, while those who are more physically active would hope for more parks that support recreational play.
“We have a severe shortage of parks for active recreation,” Galloway admits.
According to him, parents and seniors are most vocal in their concerns while single citizens in their late-20s and early 30s are the least involved.
He acknowledges that the neighborhood’s demographic could change in ten years when young children who grow older may speak out for more active recreation areas
“We are doing what the community asks for, but it’s a continuing dynamic,” Galloway said.
Rector Park, The Esplanade, Community Ballfields and the Oval Lawn are also part of Battery Park City. West Thames Park is currently under construction but is set to reopen by this Memorial Day.
