PUBLIC LANDSCAPES

Swindler Cove Park - Riley-Levin Children's Garden
New York, NY

Thanks to initiative of Bette Midler and the New York Restoration Project, a 5-acre illegal dumping ground along the banks of Manhattan's Harlem River is now a tranquil and beautiful setting featuring restored wetlands, freshwater ponds and Riley-Levin Children's Garden. Working in conjunction with NYS Department of Transportation, Billie Cohen Ltd. designed this wetland mitigation site creating Swindler Cove Park.

Throughout the park, paths lead visitors to a series of habitats including freshwater ponds, a waterfall, butterfly and hummingbird gardens, native woodland and tidal wetlands. A bridge over spartina wetlands and observation decks over the pond invite closer observation of the natural surroundings. The park, designed to bring people in contact with this unique ecosystem, is breathing new life into the surrounding neighborhood and restoring a sense of pride among local residents.

Billie Cohen Ltd. was responsible for schematic design, design development, complete planting plans and site supervision of all plantings. The various shoreline and upland ecosystems of Swindler Cove Park in northern Manhattan function as outdoor classrooms for school children with free education programs provided by the New York Restoration Project.

Attention to detail emphasizes the natural beauty of the site. The entry to the Riley-Levin Children's Garden is framed by a grape arbor, a fitting introduction to an edible garden tended by senior citizens and school children. A custom designed cattail fence surrounds and compliments Jonathon's Pond and the nearby waterfall. Plantings along the park have created a thriving wildlife habitat - recent studies found more butterflies at Swindler Cove Park than any other public space or garden in Manhattan.

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