Little Island: a stilted park in New York

What You Need to Know About Little Island

• Little Island is a small artificial island on the Hudson River, near the Meatpacking District, west of 14th Street. The island covers about one hectare and features a beautiful, rolling green park that opened in May 2021. It’s one of New York’s newest attractions.
• British architect Thomas Heatherwick designed this unusual project. He also created the Vessel in New York. The goal was to revive Pier 54, an old, abandoned dock that was falling into disrepair. To echo the original pilings of Pier 54, the island rests on a forest of 280 reinforced concrete pillars driven into the Hudson River.
• Barry Diller, chairman of media company IAC (which owns Vimeo and Tinder, among other properties), and his wife, fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg, funded the project. New York City also contributed. The total construction cost reached $260 million.
• Originally, in 2016, the park was planned as Pier 55 Park with a budget of $130 million. The final cost ended up doubling.

What to See on Little Island

• Once you cross one of the two small bridges to reach the island, follow the path uphill to the highest point in the southern section. Little Island offers sweeping views of the Financial District and One World Trade Center. You’ll also see the Whitney Museum and can watch the constant activity on the Hudson River as ferries pass by.
• Little Island functions as a true “maritime botanical garden” with 35 tree species, 65 shrub species, and 270 varieties of grasses, perennials, and vines. Most of these plants were chosen for their fragrance.
• Throughout the year, Little Island hosts numerous events and performances. Settle into the open-air amphitheater with New York as your backdrop.
• Little Island is best visited at sunset. Enjoy the cool ocean breeze as the sun illuminates the Financial District and sets behind the Jersey City skyline across the Hudson River.

Little Island in Video

Map and Directions