Plaza Lafayette

Plaza Lafayette is a small, 0.09-acre (0.036 ha) park and surrounding streets in the Hudson Heights neighborhood of Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City. Named after the Marquis de Lafayette, the French hero of the American Revolution, the park is roughly trapezoidal in shape, and is bounded by Riverside Drive – originally called Boulevard Lafayette in this area – on the west, the westbound lane of West 181st Street – also called "Plaza Lafayette" here – on the north, the eastbound lane of West 181st Street/Plaza Lafayette on the south, and Haven Avenue on the east. The land was acquired by the city on February 23, 1918.[1]

Plaza Lafayette
seen from the northwest on West 181st Street
location in New York City
Typepublic
LocationHudson Heights, Manhattan, New York City
Coordinates
Area0.09 acres (0.036 ha)
Created1918
Operated byNew York City Department of Parks and Recreation

The park itself has no amenities, but across what is now Riverside Drive is a small viewing area. This and the parklet itself are located near the highest natural point in Manhattan – about 5 block away in Bennett Park – and the viewing platform has unobstructed views of the George Washington Bridge, the Hudson Palisades, and the Hudson River.[1]

The platform has stairs leading down to what is now the Henry Hudson Parkway, which was once Riverside Drive. The staircase is now gated off, but can still be seen from the Hudson River Greenway, on the other side of the parkway, which is reachable by a pedestrian bridge about a block north of the Plaza.

  • George Washington Bridge as seen from the Plaza's viewing platform
  • Now-disused staircase leading down from the viewing area to what was once Riverside Drive, but is now the northbound lanes of the Henry Hudson Parkway
  • Pedestrian bridge over the parkway to the Hudson River Greenway, north of the Plaza, as seen from the Greenway; in the background is the Castle Village complex.
gollark: Actually, I figure you could just fill them with a very thick and tall wall (to prevent chorus fruit).
gollark: Can you also forbid people from entering protected chunks? You could make protected chunk walls.
gollark: It seems like a fairly obvious purpose.
gollark: Really? I didn't think cryonics was that popular.
gollark: Oh, good point, I didn't realize that that existed and would be a workable way to test that. Guess it's probably fine then.

References
  1. "Plaza Lafayette" New York City Department of Parks and Recreation website



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