Little Island made its highly anticipated New York City debut last year, offering dazzling, free views and ample entertainment to the public who visit the park, which floats on the Hudson River.
The 2.4-acre public playground aims to bond nature and art and is part of Hudson River Park -- and is hosting an eclectic arrangement of activities, from family fun to drag bingo and cabaret, every Wednesday through Friday into September. Check the full calendar of events here and find answers to all your top questions below.
Where Is Little Island and How Can I Get There?
Little Island is located at Pier 55 off Manhattan's West Side Highway with entrances on West 13th and 14th streets. It is open daily, but you may need tickets to attend certain events. Click here to search event schedules and ticket info.
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The best way to get to Little Island is by taking public transportation to 14th Street.
- The nearest subway stations are the A, C, E, and L trains located at 14th Street and 8th Avenue (ADA accessible); the 1, 2, and 3 trains located at 14th Street and 7th Avenue; and the F and M trains located at 14th Street and 6th Avenue. Walking west, visitors can cross the West Side Highway at 14th and 13th Streets.
- Bus: The M11, M12, and M14D SBS buses stop at 14th Street and 10th Avenue.
- Biking: If biking to Little Island, bike racks are located just north and south of the park entrances on the Hudson River Park esplanade, where you can secure your bicycle. Bikes are unfortunately not allowed on Little Island in the interest of keeping our space accessible to all visitors.
- Citibike: The closest Citibike stations to Little Island are located along 10th Avenue on 14th Street and 15th Street. Alternatively, there are additional locations by The High Line on West 16th Street, as well as on the corner of Washington and Gansevoort Streets.
- Taxi/Rideshare: Vehicles should drop off guests on 10th Avenue. There is also a taxi pick-up and drop-off location at Pier 57, just north of Little Island.
- There are pedestrian crosswalks across the West Side Highway at 14th Street and 13th Street. Visitors may enter Little Island from the South Bridge near 13th Street or the North Bridge near 14th Street.
Where Can I Park?
Sorry, there's no parking on the Hudson River. The nearest public parking garage is MPG Manhattan at 450 West 17th Street between Ninth and 10th avenues, but you will have to pay.
What Are the Hours?
Little Island is open daily starting at 6 a.m. but the entire park has to close if there is lightning within 10 miles, sustained winds over 32 mph, extreme heat or snow or other severe weather factors. Right now, Little Island is open 6 a.m . to 11 p.m. through Nov. 13, then it scales back hours a bit for winter -- 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 14-March 12. Add another hour of operation starting in March (March 13-Sept. 4, hours of operation are 6 a.m. to midnight).
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Is It Accessible? And It's Really All Free?
The only activities that require a paid ticket are performances at The Amph. Everything else is free to the public -- and the entire park is ADA-compliant. You can even bring your own non-alcoholic drinks and food. Food and drinks (alcohol and non) are also sold at the park between May and September.
What About Bathrooms?
All-gender public bathrooms are located near The Glade just past the South Bridge entrance to the park.
What Can't We Do There?
Good question. Here's a list of don'ts for Little Island park-goers:
- No outside alcohol
- No dogs aside from service animals
- No bikes
- No skateboarding, snow-shoeing, roller skating or blading, sledding or skiing in the park -- but you can carry those things with you if you feel like it
- No strollers in The Amph
- No guided tours, but there are audio tours available online
- No smoking of any kind
- No commercial photography or film shoots
- No private events
