Nelson A. Rockefeller Park

Nelson A. Rockefeller Park is a 5.85-acre waterfront park at the northern end of Battery Park City, along River Terrace at Chambers Street. Named for the 41st Vice President of the United States and four-term Governor of New York, the park is one of the most generously designed and carefully maintained public spaces in Lower Manhattan.

The park was developed as part of the Battery Park City master plan, which called for a series of distinct parks and public spaces along the Hudson River waterfront. Rockefeller Park was designed by the landscape architecture firm of Carr, Lynch, Hack and Sandell, with playgrounds designed by artist Tom Otterness.

The park features a great lawn, extensive children's playgrounds (including Otterness's whimsical bronze sculpture installations), a community basketball court, a river esplanade with seating, and ornamental gardens. The playground's Otterness sculptures, depicting playful characters engaged in various activities, have become beloved fixtures of the park.

Rockefeller Park benefits from the Battery Park City Authority's dedicated funding model, which uses ground lease revenues from surrounding development to maintain the park to standards that rival private gardens. The result is consistently excellent horticultural care, clean facilities, and well-maintained equipment.

The park serves the residential community of Battery Park City, a planned neighborhood of approximately 15,000 residents, as well as workers from the nearby World Financial Center (now Brookfield Place) and visitors to Lower Manhattan. Its waterfront location provides sunset views across the Hudson to New Jersey.

Nelson A. Rockefeller Park demonstrates what is possible when a park is adequately funded and thoughtfully designed: a space that meets the needs of families, offers genuine beauty, and provides a waterfront experience that enriches the daily lives of everyone who uses it.