Little Island is a whimsical respite on the Hudson

Cross one of two bridges into Manhattan’s Little Island and, admirers say, you’ll enter a floating oasis of beauty, with the city’s noise and frenetic pace fading away.

The 2.4-acre island, which opened in 2021 at Pier 55 in Hudson River Park, features a foundation of 132 tulip-shaped concrete “pots” of plants and trees. The massive structures were assembled upstate and floated downriver to their home, where they tower as high as seven stories above the Hudson.

“What you have on top is something very light, and the bottom is very impressive ... It’s really a genius work of art,” said Diego Lima, a software developer from Brazil who recently visited the park.

The $281 million project was almost entirely funded as a gift from The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation. The park consists of a main plaza; a 700-seat amphitheater that looks out to New Jersey; and several scenic overlooks.

Late hours — it’s open until midnight during the summer — make the park ideal for viewing the lit-up skyscrapers.

“You’re automatically leaving the city behind in a kind of interesting way that’s almost subconscious,” said Michael Wiggins, Little Island’s director of engagement and strategic programs. “You’re coming to Little Island for a reason: Because it’s off your beaten path and it asks you to check something at the door and pick something else up. The thing we’re asking you to pick up is the stuff that connects us — art, nature and community.”

This summer, the park has a full schedule of concerts, plays and other events, much of it free or for $25 admission. In July, the rapper Childish Gambino performed from his latest album, "Bando Stone & the New World."

From Aug. 14-18, free performances by speakers of “endangered, Indigenous and minority languages” will be held.

Every Friday, Teen Night serves as a safe spot for teenagers and gay youth to gather for art workshops, performances and panel discussions, said Wiggins, who called the park a “culture maker.”

Little Island feels bigger than its footprint due to plant-bedecked hills and paths that meander around them. Benches or jut-outs along the paths offe what Wiggins calls “little moments.” Whimsical strokes include a xylophone that visitors can play.

“It asks you to slow down,” Wiggins said. “It gives you the opportunity to look at all the varieties of things growing around you and all the insects that have decided to call it home. . . . They’re discovering the island with us.”

IF YOU GO

Little Island is at Pier 55, between 13th and 14th streets. The nearest subway stop is at 14th Street on the E line. The park is about three blocks away.