“From coastal resiliency and sustainable green practices to the preservation of affordable housing, world-class public art, and vibrant, year-round programming in award-winning public spaces, Battery Park City leads the way in many of the measures that makes cities livable."
BPC Parks Happenings is a monthly “snapshot” of the Authority’s work in maintaining Battery Park City’s parks and public spaces. Scroll down to see what’s on tap for September.
– Weed ’em out: BPCA partnered with Port Authority of New York & New Jersey for a volunteer day on September 7 to assist with maintaining the street tree beds and weeding of the Rockefeller Park lawn.
– Water works: Our Maintenance team continues to repair irrigation line leaks and breaks throughout BPC as required to ensure our watering needs are met.
– Ebbs and flows: Weather depending, water features in Battery Park City’s playgrounds and dog runs may start being shut off for the season.
– Never Forget: BPCA is participating in the 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s annual “Tribute in Lights” initiative by installing blue lights throughout BPC for the evening of September 11. These lights will be located along Battery Park City’s North Esplanade and in the foyer space of 75 Battery Place. “Tribute in Lights” is a unique but simple gesture of collective remembrance that illuminates the city each year on the evening of September 11 from dusk until dawn. #RemembertheSky
(Pictured below, clockwise from top: Blue lights on BPC’s North Esplanade, at 75 Battery Place, and the annual “Tribute in Light” as viewed from South Cove.)
– Real growth potential: Our Horticultural team will continue watering and weeding our new native no-mow lawn planting at Murray Triangle to ensure successful establishment.
– More real growth potential: Our Horticultural team will also be receiving its autumn order of shrubs and perennials for immediate planting throughout Battery Park City.
– Tiskets, taskets, hanging flower baskets: Watering of hanging baskets and newly planted trees will take place three times per week to ensure optimal plant health.
– Tragic beauties: The Authority continues its efforts to control the spread of Spotted Lanternfly using traps and a backpack vacuum. If you find any Spotted Lanternflies, dead or alive, please take a picture and upload it to BPCA’s iNaturalist page to record and report your sighting (and it’s okay to squish them too!). Your photo will be automatically sent to BPCA staff to help inform our control efforts and battle against the bug.
– Dogged determination: Look for tabling event with the Dog Waste Compost team on September 19 and 21 to learn more about our dog waste composting program and how you can participate. The team will be stationed along South Esplanade between Liberty Street & Third Place from 10:30AM-12PM and 2:30-3:30PM each day.
– Our path to Zero! As a decades-long leader in sustainability, BPCA is striving to divert 90% of what is sent to landfill! To continue helping toward our Zero Waste goal, we ask that you rethink what you throw away in the parks, and please recycle or compost items.
– Compost it! …at any (or all!) of our five community compost bins, including our newest locations at 200 Rector, across from the children’s playground; and in front of our North End Ave dog run. Our team picks up fruits, vegetables, tea bags/leaves, coffee grounds/filters, and spent flowers left by the community Monday-Saturday at all five BPC community compost locations:
o Gateway Plaza o 75 Battery Place o 200 Rector Place o Lower level of North Esplanade (at Chambers Street & River Terrace) o North End Avenue dog run (across from BPC Ball Fields Terrace)
– Calling All Volunteers! BPCA’s Horticulture team is looking for volunteers who would like to join us in completing gardening tasks like weeding, watering, and deadheading of plants. Please reach out to info@bpca.ny.gov for a volunteer application and more info.
– See it to believe it: While all Battery Park City’s parks are beautiful and worth visiting, here are some of this month’s “Must See’s”:
o Irish Hunger Memorial – especially the Clematis growing on the cottage walls; a must smell as well! o Rockefeller Park – across from the Chambers Street planters; note the swallow tail butterflies swarming the Echinacea and Fennel. o Belvedere Plaza (pictured below)
