Zoomed In: Battery Park

Battery Park's function has changed over the years. Starting in 1623 it served as a landing ground and defense wall for new Dutch settlers. For the next 200 years as the U.S. expanded and changed, the park continued to serve as an artillery defense wall. By 1855 it had become the Nation's first immigrant receiving ground, accepting nearly 8.5 million new immigrants before Ellis Island was ever even built. Now, the 25 acre park serves as a neighborhood center, providing a welcomed oasis to thousands of residents, tourists and workers in the crowded streets of the Financial District.

The park's waterfront views, flower gardens and green lawns are a major draw for tourists in the sweltering summer months but on a cold Tuesday in February, the atmosphere is a bit different. The sun is beginning to set in the Lower Manhattan sky. The temperature is cool and crisp, requiring a scarf and gloves. There's a welcomed hush in the air, a break from the usual city noise. The park's trees stand naked in the glowing sun. Small pockets of people walk by, mostly small groups of three or four, cameras in hand. The occasional mob of 15 or 20 tourists plows through the winding walkways, little snippets of conversations can be heard in their respective languages.

The long striped rows of benches that line the park sit unused, icicles growing beneath them. Small defiant patches of snow litter the park, clinging to the cold, bare soil. Seagulls float above the park, suspended in the air, diving at any sign of a handout of food from a generous park visitor. The Hudson River glitters in the sunset. Couples walk up and down the dock, holding hands and occasionally stopping to photograph one another against the gorgeous backdrop. A large group of Italian tourists cram together to take a photo together on a nearby bench. A giant crowded ferry docks, returning from a visit to the nearby Liberty Island. The American flag flies on the ship's stern, flapping patriotically in the wind with the Statue of Liberty standing solemnly in the background.