This area is beautiful! The Elevated Acre is right next to my work office at 55 Water Street! This is a one acre rooftop plaza that sits atop of a parking garage. You can access it via a tucked away escalator or you can take stairs between the wings of the building. In 2005, the Elevated Acre had a redesign of the plaza. The remodel included adding additional gardens, more seating, a tiered amphitheater, a promenade overlooking the East River, varied landscape elements, and better access with the escalators and stairs. The elevated acre is easy to miss. The entrance is discrete and without knowing the stairs or escalator could lead up to this beautiful garden. Every time I went up to the Elevated Acre, it was so quiet and serene. Amid the skyscrapers in the Financial district, this is a great location to escape to. The plaza features landscaped gardens, benches, and plantings. The other side is more open with a lawn, terrace and a amphitheater. You can view the East River, Brooklyn Bridge, and Brooklyn from the Elevated Acre. You can come here for lunch, or evening events! The elevated acre does host outdoor movies, performances and gatherings! The varied topography helps to buffer the street noise too! It's generally open daily with hours in the morning to the night. There is a few restaurants near Elevated Acre like Patsy's Pizzeria & Bar. This is such a great area and a must visit if you're in the Financial District in New York City! read more

See all

Elevated acre is a phenomenal single-acre park with beautiful sights. Yelp will not permit me to show the entire video, but I included an excerpt. read more

Great place to relax at when it gets warm or right around fall! If you like walking this would be a great place to walk to. easy to move around from there all through the financial district! read more

I really wanted to check this out but it is the worst NYC open space. Looked at the web sight it says dogs allowed. I go, casually sitting with a friend holding on to the dog with leash. Approached suddenly by a building security guard to tell me no dogs allowed. I explain to him my home is a bit far to just drop the dog off but could we stay in a side area so as not to be near other people. He agrees. Later another security guy comes and says he doesn't care if special consideration was given I must take the dog and leave. Horrible attitude while saying it too. Just a terrible way to approach people and it's an nyc park! Either change the website or let dogs in. read more

Truly Gem of a Hidden Nature Spot in Manhattan ~ A reel popped up in my social media feed reminding me of my former Wall Street media office garden in the concrete jungle city of New York. I first randomly discovered it on a lunch break and was in awe that such an obscure place of solace existed right in back below the 45th floor of the building where I worked. I later spent many sunny lunches on the green acre and long work day sunset views of Brooklyn from here. I was surprised there weren't many other people around but privately pleased to have this sanctuary in the middle of skyscrapers to just a few of us even solo at times. There isn't much happening here and that is exactly what makes this a peaceful space to enjoy in all the corporate 9 to 5 hustle and bustle that New Yorkers are known to exist in. Thanks to the urban plaza architects for the memories that made my work day better back then. read more

See all

It's pretty here and peaceful. But is it worth going out of your way to see? No. We Ubered here from another location and there was literally nothing going on here. read more

Elevated Acre - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York

This spot is truly a hidden gem in NYC. I'm always looking for unique parks in NYC and when a YouTuber I follow shared this one I immediately added it to my list. This is a very small park, but it's really cute. The style of it reminds me a lot of the High Line (though it's not linear or anywhere near the size). There are also some nice views over the water. This is probably the quietest park I've been to in NYC. I think we saw one other person while we were there. I definitely recommend checking it out! read more

See all

I absolutely love Elevated Acre. It seems secret. Tucked away. I mean, I know people know about it. It just never seems to be "too much" or "too many." There's always somewhere to sit and just enjoy some green space. Yes, it's right over the highway, but who cares? Sitting among all that green, gazing out to the East River, I can tune all else out. Today was especially lovely. The grounds were lush and green and full. There were no helicopters. Even traffic wasn't insane. One person was there other than us. One. We sat and enjoyed the perfect early summer night. It had just stormed mightily and the air felt fresher and cleaner. I don't think I have ever enjoyed Elevated Acre more. As we were finally leaving, another couple came up. It was jus such an extraordinarily quiet, mild evening. Very special and worth the walk down to the "old neighborhood." read more

See all

Terrific spot to enjoy lunch hour on a nice day. An urban oasis with wonderful views. Tables to sit and have a bite to eat overlooking the water and Brooklyn skyline. Places to view the helicopters take off and land. Plenty of benches and spots to relax and enjoy the scenery. A grassy area to lay on the turf and chill, along with mixed greenery and walkways to stroll. It's a perfect little refuge to get away from your work computer on a nice day and enjoy some lunch. A peaceful escape to exhale and be civilized if for a while before heading back to work. read more

See all

Not as exciting or as big as I thought it would be. It was a decent spot to chill after walking around in the heat. Imagine a small sitting area on the roof of the 1st level of an office building. I did find a really cool cicada. read more

Elevated Acre - The view from the bench - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York

See all

An oasis in lower Manhattan. There's an escalator to get you to this park. We went on a weekend and it was pretty empty. Not much to say other than it's a nice peaceful spot read more

It's pretty hard to describe this place in words, and a single photo also can't really capture the view here. This is as close as you can get to an outdoor oasis in the Financial District. Great views of the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge, a nice breeze, elevated between buildings. You have to see it for yourself. Get here early during summer lunch times. This place has limited seating, unfortunately. read more

See all

Note; to enter this park, you do not go inside the building. Just to the left of 55 Water Street, you'll see some escalators and stairs outside. These lead up to this park. It's up two flights of stairs. It's a cute little place to hang out, with a great view of the water. Very urban-oasis thing going on. It's very clean and well-kept. Different seating arrangements can be found. Try to grab some shade! read more

Elevated Acre - Hot today! But a neat little place. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York

EL Acre (cue the music from the old show "Green Acres" ***) El acre is the place for me... Brown bagging is the life for me. Views lookin' out so far and wide Keep South Seaport, just give me that north end side! 80 feet up is where I'd rather stay... I get claustrophobic with the tourist, Hey...I'm walking here!! I just adore a FDR view. Dawn it I left my sandwich on Park Avenue. The daisies... The ladies! Fresh air... I will miss Hanover Square Hey you want my rice? Goodbye, Old Slip Park life. El Acre we are there!!!!! * * * * * BTW- my 1st time on Elevated Acre was back in 1977. There was zero green; nothing but bricks. Take a 5 minute walk thru this place or take an hour lunch, it's worth it. *** For you young Titans of Yelp you may need to Wiki or Youtube "Green Acres" to get the tune in your head. 8-) read more

See all

My friend and I checked out this spot yesterday. It's a nice quiet place to hang out and have lunch, but there's not much else here to do. I would not recommend going out of your way to get here, if you don't work or live in the area. I would also not recommend coming here by yourself on the weekend, there's not much foot traffic so keep that in mind. It's definitely a hidden gem. read more

Love love love this hidden oasis in the midst of fidi. We celebrated a friends birthday party here and it was perfect. His girlfriend cooked a feast of roasted vegetables, lobster salad, deviled eggs, chicken skewers, steak, and so much more. Take two escalators up and you'll find a garden, A large lawn of Astroturf and large steps leading to a view of the waterfront. People bring their dogs here, cuddle on the the lawn, get a view of the city and get some tranquility in an otherwise bustling place. Our hosts brought bocci balls and corn hole board and bags. Someone else brought tennis racquets. I had so much fun playing tennis on the resilient 'grass' and tossing bean bags! Someone else was flying a beautiful kite in the cool summer night. read more

See all

I love it when the city takes nothing and turns it into something. Here we have a former terrace at 55 Water turned into a urban oasis of sorts... a lush garden with a large lovely lawn and multiple areas for sitting. Easy enough to find and accessible via a couple different staircases/escalators it offeres lovely views of Brooklyn. The only downside I can find is that the 'park' overlooks the downtown Manhattan helipad. Sooo this is definitely not a serene park. If you can get past the noise - then its a great place to visit on your lunch break or as you wander lower Manhattan. read more

Elevated Acre - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York

This one is unknown to anyone who doesn't live in the neighborhood. Its next to the Emblem health building. When you see the elevator, you've reached the place! It's pretty relaxing but we went during the weekend. Weekdays it maybe crowded, especially with people who work near wall street may come here to sit during lunch. I wont say it's really beautiful or special because compared to the buildings around it, it's not very "elevated" and you can hear the traffic since the bridge is quite close to it. But I guess you can check it out once. read more

Elevated Acre - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Up a non-descript escalator on Water Street lies lower Manhattan's elevated acre park. This is THE place to go sit down alone or with a group during lunch hour on a sunny day. Plenty of seating options - from tables, to benches, stand along chairs and faux grass ... Lots of options. Well kept and routinely cleaned, this is one of my favorite spots in lower Manhattan. Fun place to people watch or take in views of the East River, the Brooklyn Bridge or the nearby heliport. read more

Elevated Acre - Elevated acre ... What a great (hidden) park - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York

Secret park in NYC, what's not to love. Secret place to take that special someone for lunch outside. Plenty of seating and tables, also grass for you to lay on when you want to daydream. Also, you can see the helicopters take off near the WestSide Highway and the Brooklyn Bridge. For that magical moment with thay special someone, kind reminder that it closes at 10pm. read more

Elevated Acre - Near the water, please follow me at IG: therealkevlarlee - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York

Came here tonight for the free screening of "Breakfast At Tiffany's". It's part of the River to River Festival, and there's a new movie showing every Tuesday here at the Elevated Acre. The space itself is incredible. You take an escalator or two to get upstairs. But when you get up there, its breathtaking. Its an open area, with grass so people can lie down and whatnot. But when you get there, you will see that its not grass at all. I guess its some sort of Astroturf, but its still very soft and comfortable. I swear, if i had a pair of cleats, i would've started playing futbol there and pretend i was david beckham. Only not as good looking and about 300 pounds heavier. But i digress... When you walk up to the little platform, you get a great view of the East River, Brooklyn and the FDR Drive. There you can also get FREE popcorn and FREE water. Yes, all refreshments were free. So take THAT Bryant Park. August 27th is "On the Waterfront" and I'm already penciled that in. Its just a wonderful place. To quote Brando "this place could be somebody, it could be a contender". read more

See all

A hidden retreat in the middle of concrete jungle... You probably walked by the entrance hundreds of times, never knowing it's there. Make a turn towards water, and this minimalistic oasis opens up in front of you. Clean lines, greenery, walkways, benches & huge open elevated patio with spectacular views of the river, bridges & Brooklyn. It's calm and peaceful here. It's a retreat in every sense - for your mind, your soul, to rest after hectic day or after walking around the city, to reflect and to enjoy the scenery. It's beautiful. read more

Elevated Acre - Peace and quiet. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York

The Elevated Acre is, quite literally, an acre of paths, gardens, and a fake grassy field about 30 feet above the street. With sweeping views of the East River and Brooklyn, it's a great place to bring out-of-towners for unique photo opportunities and an interesting perspective on the geographical layout of the city. This is a cool spot to walk your dog, or eat takeout, or just sit and bask in the sun. Try to ignore the roar of FDR as it rushes by below you; you're there for the view, so bust out that iPod and soak it all in. read more

Elevated Acre - Walking my dog on the Elevated Acre - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York

You're in lower Manhattan. You need a quite repose to contemplate how the bubble gum got to the bottom of your shoe. Where do you go? The rooftop garden on top of 55 Waters St. Go between 55 and 53 Waters st., and look for the escalators and go up them until you see park benches and green trees. It's amazing up there! The skyline is not so great, but hey, that's urbania. Enjoy the fact that you are playing in a public park on top of a building in lower Manhattan. Weird. Beautiful. Surreal. Photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cwofford/sets/1214929/ read more

Have you ever wanted to escape your office, as well as your coworkers, during lunch? Have you ever wanted to escape these things and people by being a few floors up and overlooking the river? Have you ever wanted to lounge around on turf with a beautiful display of flowers equipped with benches and tables so you can eat your lunch in peace? If so, then you need to visit Elevated Acre. I had heard of this place plenty of times but had never had the chance to visit until recently. Find 55 Water Street, find the escalators smack in the middle of the building, and take them up. You are then left in a beautiful, clean spot where you can nap in the sun, watch the helipcopters and/or boats, or eat your lunch surrounded by peace and quiet. I fell in love with this place the second I started exploring it. Each area has its own sort of "thing". There are also steps you can sit on that overlook the "grassy" area. For the summer, they have mini golf setup as part of "Go Sports! Water Street". This is truly one of the best kept secrets of lower Manhattan. read more

I totally happened upon the Elevated Acre at 55 Water Street by chance, but I'm glad I did. It's kind of like a much smaller version of The High Line, except with better plant life and less people. My only knock on it would be that, while you have a great view of the water, you're mostly looking at cranes (the construction kind, not the bird). read more

Elevated Acre - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York

Great little spot to get away from it all, snuggled right into the concrete jungle that is the financial district. Perfect spot to do anything from have a lunch with coworkers, take a personal call, or (my favorite) just step out, see some greenery, and relax when work is getting stressful. This beautiful little spot has a great view of the Brooklyn Skyline, and offers a really relaxing retreat. read more

A really hidden area located behind 55 Water Street. You have to go up the stairs next to the building and there you will arrive at the Elevated Area. It's a ghost town during the winter, but in the spring and summer it is a very popular spot during weekday lunchtimes. It holds a beautiful view over the FDR drive towards Brooklyn. You can easily see the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges as well. A great spot for a lunch date or just wanting to relax when the weather turns beautiful. read more

See all

Ah! What a place. I'm glad I came for the last screening of the summer, this place is definitely a contender like Roderick says; it could knock the wind out of Bryant Park if it had a better PR agent or if it hired Roger & Cowan.... I mean, you take the electric escalators and, even though you are not in the 40th floor or something, you are still up there, with a panoramic view of the Financial district, the river, the bridge....perfect!! Now, I came expecting just the lawn and the big movie screen, but what was my surprise when I see this sort of gardens adjacent to the lawn, with nice benches and bivouacs, paths to stroll down or smoke a cigarrette; this is what I call CONSIDERATION!! If you are here on a romantic date, or if the movie made you horny, you can easily walk in these deserted paths, sit on a lonely bench and engage in a make-out session! Further. The sound system is great; you can clearly listen to the movie even if you are 10 feet away from the main area. Finally, they have popcorn and water for free, and yes, you can BYOB or BYOF; discreetly though, that way we give the staff plausible deniability. So yeah, I was sitting there, seeing Marlon Brando when he was my age, and enjoying this beautiful summer day... on the Waterfront. read more

Gorgeous view. This place is a hidden gem, you would never notice it and just walk by. If you're too lazy to take the stairs, there are escalators going up and down. Actually, if you're lucky, the escalators are working. If not, you better get your butt up and start walking/climbing because it's worth it (on a nice day). I've been here during lunch hours and after work. After work, I believe companies host an event here.. I've seen djs and people with drinks. Pretty chillax if you come here during lunch time. read more

Elevated Acre - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York

See all

On the most gorgeous day of the year so far -- today -- I wanted to spend some time outside, but I didn't want to go far from my Financial District apartment. So I decided to try to find this place. Turns out that it's actually really easy to find: Next to the Chase Bank, there are two huge escalators. To me, it's not as far-removed from the city as some people make it seem - thanks to the helipad not too far away, it can be LOUD. But still, it's well designed and there are plenty of benches and trees, and the AstroTurf is a nice soft place to lie down. Open until 8pm from October-April, 10pm in the summer months. read more

Part of me is afraid to even review this if only because this is one of my "secret" spots. A true gem in a wild and crazy city such as ours, the elevated acre, tucked neatly away under the Standard & Poors building at 55 Water street, provides a great use of space that would please even Jane Jacobs. The elevated acre is an acre of space made up of paths around trees and flowers, outdoor tables for lunch, benches, and a sick view of the south waters beyond Manhattan facing Governors Island and Brooklyn. Best part about this place is the River to River festival movies that play throughout the summer. I caught a great viewing of the original Fountainhead (1949) last year that was truly enjoyable. So what if there's fake grass. Not often can you find great (well utilized) public space in this city. Definitely tricky to find so here's the lowdown. Walk on waters st. to building 55. The building says Standard & Poors from the outside. Locate the escalators and take them all the way up and walk towards the back of the building. And Voila! There is the elevated acre. Here is the link to the movie schedule. http://www.rivertorivernyc.com/events/eventDetail.php?eventID=2980 4 stars for a great use of public space. Often not crowded (as long as you don't tell EVERYONE) Come for lunch, come to enjoy the view, come to enjoy great film. I guarantee you'll enjoy this spot. read more

The Financial District can be a crazy place - most of us are up before the sun rises, spend all day behind a desk, and leave well after the sun has set. Such an existence can be sad and disheartening at times. The Elevated Acre has provided me with many moments of solitude when the world seemed to be crashing down, when projects were becoming more and more of a burden, and quite frankly, when I just needed a few minutes to get away from it all. Benches are scattered throughout the entirety of the park and the tall grass, flowers, and trees provide enough privacy and space from other people seeking relaxation. The astroturf lawn is a nice place to kick off your shoes and sit down with a good book. Or, if you walk towards the edge of the park, you can watch helicopters take off and land. On a lighthearted note, if you see me here, don't tell my supervisor of my whereabouts. read more

An oasis in the midst of busy financial district. Really enjoyed the nightly view of the Hudson river in the cool midsummer night breeze. Oh yes, how could I forget the awesome viewing of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" at night! We had a great time lounging and snacking away on a picnic blanket as we savored every scene of the quintessential NYC film. Definitely one of the many NYC treasures I will be sure to miss if I were to move to another city. Places like this really make your urban heart flutter. read more

My wife and I hit up the EA for a showing of West Side Story last summer, and it was extremely pleasant! The weather was great, the space was beautiful, and the sponsors were not too pushy. Everything was well-marked (port-o-johns, FTW) and the film and sound quality was excellent. I'm looking forward to more rooftop movies this year! read more

For those that feel like everything in Manhattan is over-crowded and want to "discover" their own place, this could be your answer. It's small, sure, and the view's really not that great. But it's quiet, it's surrounded on three sides by office buildings and opens to a wide view of the East River. The elevated acre provides a nice sliver of escape to when everyone else rushes to the South Street Seaport or Battery Park. Bring a blanket, a picnic, and enjoy your sunny (or rainy) summer days. Try not to make the office workers too jealous. read more

When I lived in the FiDi district this was definitely one of my favorite spots to just go to relax. Take the elevator up on 55 Water St.and you will find the most gorgeous little man-made park. The view is amazing!!! AMAZING! I could just sit and look out on the East River and Brooklyn for hours. Somedays I used to bring my lunch when it was not to windy outside. Absolutely the perfect place for a quiet lunch for an otherwise stressful workday! Definitely recommend to stop by if you are in the neighborhood! read more

Lovely, pristine nook in the city that is appropriately nestled on the terrace of a giant office building in FiDi. (Design principles parallel the High Line's.) It does feel hidden away. There are fauna and benches and a big astroturf lawn that make it a good candidate for lunchtime. It's cool to gaze over at the river and watch helicopters landing in the heliport. NYC really doesn't have enough pretty open, public spaces like this that are not overrun by tourists or assholes. read more

Company outing. Beautiful space with great view. Amazing hidden space in FiDi. I'm definitely bringing a picnic and a bottle of wine one day. read more

Love this place!!!!!! I used to work around here like 6 years ago and never knew about it! Now I somehow ended back around these neck-of-the-woods and a friend took me there to workout during our lunch hour! I love this place! I sometimes come here to just look out and admire the view.... Wish I knew about it sooner! read more

Elevated Acre - Having lunch w a friend in this lovely area - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York