Hi all,

Could you tell me what Battery Park city is like?

Do you think you'd feel isolated from the rest of Manhattan if living here?

I'm a single mom with a 10 year old and the public schools in this area seem to be great. I am applying to private schools too but want to make sure there are good public schools in the area that I move to in case my son is not accepted.

If I will be working on 5th Avenue between E43 and E44th - how would my commute be?

I'm personally not a fan of BPC because it's logistically difficult to get to. It's very new and there's a ton of WTC construction around you. It's the one area I tend to get lost trying to find. Any train you're trying to get to is kind of a hike. It is right against TriBeCa/Lower Manhattan, which is a good place to be. But yes, in my opinion, you'll be pretty isolated and right up next to the highway. And, the commute will likely include some transferring lines and w/walking, wouldn't be suprised if your commute's 40-45 min. However, that sort of commute time wouldn't deter me from a neighborhood.

Thanks so much for the info - I can cross this off of my list

I disagree, fervently. I have a small child and BPC seems like a little bit of paradise for families. There are built-in parks and playgrounds - and they're gorgeous - a lot of kids' activities, and a lot of families living in the buildings. We actually take our daughter down to Teardrop Park at BPC all the way from Queens because we find it to be one of the best play areas in the city. It's just an extremely family friendly location.

It is cut off a little from the rest of downtown, but that's okay in my mind, especially if you have kids; that cut-off-ness means it's the kind of place where it's safe to tell your kid to play outside, and there are places to play outside, rather than just being on a big avenue in the midst of a lot of other big avenues.

The commute, though, wouldn't be quite as convenient as some other Manhattan locations, as you'd have to take the 2/3 from Chambers and switch to the 7 to 5th Avenue at 42nd Street. It would be a heck of a lot more convenient than commuting from, say, Morningside Heights or Hudson Heights, though.

I don't live in NYC (unfortunately), only visit but I would have thought Battery Park would be a gorgeous place to live. It's one of my favourite Sunday morning walks, its so peaceful. Is Battery Park *City* a separate place?

Leigh x x

Sort of. BPC is a complex of apartment buildings north of Battery Park itself, basically behind the World Financial Center to the north and south sides. The walk behind BPC is really lovely, too.

I lived in Battery Park City for a little more than a year and it is a wonderful neighborhood. The parks there are beautiful and there are many apartments overlooking the Hudson River. It is very quiet at night, unlike other areas in the city where you hear constant horn honking and other traffic noise at all hours of the night. In terms of safety, you can't get much safer and it is very easy to hail a taxi as many of them often wait for people right outside your building. I don't have kids, but have heard very good things about the area public schools, such as PS 234 in Tribeca. There are many families in the neighborhood. I work on 42nd and 3rd and my commute averaged around 35 minutes. I took the 2,3 train at Chambers, transferred at Times Square to the 7 train and got off at Grand Central. I would definitely NOT cross this neighborhood off your list!!

We're moving to NYC in December 1 too. And last week after looking around all of Manhattan we decided on Battery Park to be our new neighborhood. I think it was a good decision. There are very nice parks and even shopping and cafes near the water I haven't seen anywhere else in Manhattan. My first choice was UWS originally since I knew very little of BP but Battery Park won because of the water views you get from most apts, space you get for the money, children friendliness, many parks, proximity to Tribeca. I will be communiting to the same place in midtown and that was my biggest worry but it sounds like a lot of people take the same route which makes me feel better about our decision so thanks for sharing that... lm4883, how long of a walk is it from Battery Park to 2,3 trains at Chambers? I thought N train at Cortland (?) or trains at Fulton were closer to BP but 2,3 trains go faster it sounds like...

If I could move back to NYC tomorrow and choose any neighborhood I fancied, Battery Park City would be IT, Hands-Down!!!!!!! The Water-front there is so exhilarating! So vast and open and vital, it adds to one's over-all quality-of-life hugely, just to spend a few hours out on the promenade, let alone, as a resident, experiencing that "Whole Other" part of lower Manhattan that few venture to truly get to know - there are indeed some of the best schools in the city, wonderful shops and restaurants, museums and bars, just about everything anyone could ask of a Manhattan destination, except for the crowds and the noise! As to feeling isolated, don't worry - your nine-to-five location will make you RELISH the "secret, separate" delights of your home-base! I wish you the best of luck in your ventures, and would love to hear how it works out for you!