The bad news is that there isn’t an actual playground. It’s a large, oval area laid with tumbled concrete pavers, and features outdoor seating and food vendors. “It’s our central social space,” says Santini.
The designers “wanted it to feel playful and relaxed and casual and just as welcoming for kids by day and adults by night.” Savory Hospitality will run the stalls, which will serve coffee and baked goods in the morning, sandwiches and salads during the day, and shareable small bites, beer, and wine in the evening. “It’s a great place to come hang after work,” she says.
The space will host a series of pop-up performances and events, including drag bingo, late-night DJs, and, “cabaret-style performers,” according to a press release. (All programming at the Play Ground will be free.)
Unlike the nearby High Line, which has a highly prescribed way for visitors to experience the space, visitors are encouraged to walk and play on the Little Island’s multiple lawns. That said, there are restrictions you won’t find in other city parks: No dogs, (with the exception of service animals), bikes, or scooters are allowed.
At least initially, Santini says, they’ll be capping attendance on the Island to about 800 people. “We’ll do timed entry from noon until 8 p.m. every day, to help keep everybody safe and make sure people feel comfortable and not worried about overcrowding.”
The amphitheater seats 687 people with standing room for 50. It’s rigged with high-quality lighting and acoustics so theater and performance can take place against the Hudson River backdrop. Throughout the summer, the Little Island will host various concerts and festivals, including performances by Broadway Inspirational Voices and American Ballet Theater. In August, New York Pops Up will hold 20 days of free programming on the island.
Perhaps in part because of criticism that the Little Island is a billionaire’s folly, organizers have made an aggressive push to ensure that the majority of the park’s programming will be free or heavily subsidized.
Rehearsals will always be free; for actual performances, 30% of the tickets will be free and distributed to nonprofits, including Hudson Guild, Westbeth, Greenwich House, The Door, PS 33 in Chelsea, and New York’s Department of Youth and Community Development. A further 40% of the tickets will cost less than $25 and be distributed through the Theater Development Fund; the final 30% will be priced at $65 for adults and $25 for seniors and children under the age of 12.
The Island is designed to have a series of micro-climates. There are 65 species of shrubs, and 290 varieties of grasses, vines, and perennials. Currently, the park has 114 trees, represented by 35 different species. (Some trees, organizers say, are anticipated to grow from 50 to 60 feet high.)
Santini says that MNLA’s landscape design was conceived with the riverfront exposure in mind. “You had to take a lot of natural elements into play,” she says, “wind being one of them.”