Wagner Park is one of BPC's many green spaces

None of this is news to the more than 9,000 people who call the neighborhood home. Here’s more on what those who know Battery Park City (BPC) best have to say about the west side of Lower Manhattan.

Stuyvesant High School students visit nearby Terry's Deli for lunch

Best Place for Lunch (Other Than the School Cafeteria)

Although most students are happy to eat breakfast in the cafeteria of Battery Park City’s Stuyvesant High School, Terry’s Deli on Chambers and North End Avenue is the place to be for lunch -- at least according to seven “Stuy” sophomores and juniors. The deli’s not huge, but almost every day the group wedges into a corner by the sodas and frozen goods to eat, laugh, and relax off campus. “Terry’s is where we go once it gets too cold or rainy outside to eat in the park,” says Grace, a junior who has frequented the neighborhood shop since her freshman year. And what does management have to say about the boisterous group of teens? “They’re very nice kids,” says employee Ena Gopaul. “We like when they come in -- they have us laughing all day, and they say laughter is the best medicine.”

Lush greenery abounds throughout the neighborhood

No one knows the greenery of Battery Park City better than the people who tend it, and one BPC Conservancy gardener even has a favorite park bench to lie down on for a better view of her handiwork. “There’s a little inlet along the Esplanade between Albany and Rector [Streets] that’s lined with several different tree species,” says the gardener, who can easily rattle off several of the trees’ common names: Silver Linden, Japanese Scholar, Black Haw, and Hawthorne. She adds, “Make no mistake -- the Esplanade is a woodland garden.” Nature lovers can enjoy several more glimpses of some of downtown’s greatest greenery, all hugging the western bank of the neighborhood, which also features small piers and footbridges in watery coves, picnic tables, and grassy open fields.

Gristedes attracts many BPC residents

When it comes to practical matters like groceries, Gristedes at 71 South End Avenue has it all, says Chris Miles. A resident of the Gateway Plaza building for more than two years, Miles finds all he needs to fill his cabinets at the supermarket conveniently located at the foot of his apartment building. He adds that Battery Park City is just like other New York neighborhoods, with all the amenities he needs within a few blocks. “There are stores, cafés, dry cleaners, and subways nearby -- but there are also plenty of quiet places to go to relax or read a book,” he says. “And a lot of them are nice outdoor spots, which is not so common uptown.”

Roy Harp and family enjoy Lili's Noodle Shop & Grill

Best Takeout

For Roy Harp and his family, Lili’s Noodle Shop & Grill (102 North End Avenue) is the place to go when you’re either on the go, or home and not going anywhere. “When it comes down to looking at take-out menus and we’re trying to decide if we should try some place new, we always end up saying ‘Nah, let’s do Lili’s,’” says the Gateway Plaza resident. “It’s a great place. Probably my favorite restaurant in the neighborhood.” Along with stellar egg rolls and family dishes, Lili’s is also a good spot at which to fill up before heading next door for a movie at the UA Battery Park City 16 cinema.

Jody Jacobson watches old movies at the Winter Garden (Bear stays home)

Best Place to Watch Old Movies

The Winter Garden, says an enthusiastic Jody Jacobson, who lives just across the street from Battery Park City on West Street. When not walking Bear, her newly adopted dog, or doing not-for-profit theater work, Jacobson loves to watch movies played on the Winter Garden’s indoor screen. Buster Keaton flicks and a showing of Nosferatu top her list of recent favorites. (For a full list of upcoming movies at the Winter Garden, click here.) The Winter Garden is just one of Battery Park City’s greatest assets, stresses Jacobson. “It’s a fabulous part of town -- I get to see the Statue of Liberty all the time. And with all the kids in the afternoon, the green space, the public art, it’s like New York City’s suburbia.”

Selwyn Raab directs visitors to the Irish Hunger Memorial

Best Memorial

The Irish Hunger Memorial, says Selwyn Raab, gesturing to the grassy mound dotted with stones from an old Irish cottage and (in season) native Irish wildflowers. “I thought it was a very imaginative design concept,” he says. “That, plus the historical information inside -- it’s an extraordinary piece of work.” Raab, a retired New York Times reporter, frequently walks along the esplanade beside the Hudson River as a break from his writing. “New York has a lot of interesting walks, but this one is exceptional.”

Unity is a great spot for that after-work drink

Best Place to Get a Drink After Work

When Jeanne Simpson is ready to unwind after a long day’s work, she heads straight for one of two places. Unity, just across the lobby from her post as concierge at the Embassy Suites Hotel on North End Avenue, or Southwest, in the World Financial Center. At Unity, the service wins her over. “It’s like a Cheers situation,” she says. “The people there are so nice, and they remember you, even what drink you like.” (It’s a sour-apple martini every time for Simpson.) And at Southwest, tucked away on the ground floor of 2 World Financial Center, she loves the 30-foot waterfall that graces the entrance. “There aren’t as many bars as parks in Battery Park City, but those two are great.”

Flavia and daughter Ullya visit Wagner Park often

Best Green Space

When Flavia isn’t working as a graphic designer from her home in the River Watch building, she can be found taking her nine-month-old daughter Ullya for a stroll along the Esplanade down to Wagner Park. “We usually go there two or three times a day,” says Flavia. “I like seeing the seasons change from there. The flowers are amazing, especially once the warm weather arrives.” The park is at the southern tip of Battery Park City, and is a prime vantage point for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island -- along with being a great spot to relax on a park bench or catch one of the outdoor events hosted by Battery Park City Authority during summer months (click here for more information).