A mere seven-minute ferry ride away from Manhattan, Governors Island’s latest project beckons for all to come play.
The latest addition to the island’s park features four man-made hills that rise 70 feet above the New York Harbor, offering breathtaking views. The 172-acre manmade island was once a military compound, but it now has nearly 40 acres of public parkland. The hills are just one piece of a larger plan that will ultimately create 150 acres of parkland on the island.
Dutch architecture firm West 8 designed the hills and the surrounding landscape with curving paths and gentle slopes to obscure sight lines and create an element of surprise. The added height also helps protect the island from climate change and rising sea levels.
The current area features the Play Lawn, an area with swings and climbing structures for children; and Hammock Grove, a wooded area planted with 60 different species of trees and hung with hammocks. There’s also a 57-foot-long slide—the longest slide in New York City, and it’s built right into one of the hills.