Skirting the southern edge of Manhattan, this revamped, 12-acre oasis lures with public artworks, meandering walkways and perennial gardens. Its memorials include a Holocaust Memorial and the Irish Hunger Memorial. It was on this very part of the island that the Dutch settled in 1623. And it was right here that the first 'battery' of cannons was erected to defend the fledgling settlement of New Amsterdam. These days, the park is also where you'll find historic Castle Clinton and the ferry service to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
