Natural Areas « Randall’s Island Park Alliance, Inc.

Natural Areas

Randall's Isalnd - July 1, 2010 - New York - USA - Photo ©Vincent Laforet - www.laforetvisuals.com

The boardwalk bridge that connects the island's waterfront pathways runs over Randall's Island's salt marsh. (Photo by Vincent Laforet)

The Circle Line makes its way up the East River and past Randall's Island

Springtime blooms on Randall's Island

Flowers bloom along the East River pathway

A butterfly makes his home on Randall's Island

One of the many pathways at Randall's Island is constructed

Gardens

Randall’s Island offers a variety of planted and themed gardens as well as landscaped areas.
Learn more
Randall’s Island Urban Farm

Pathways

Bicycle and pedestrian pathways run along the Islandʼs entire waterfront. These meandering routes – free from cars, trucks and buses – are perfect for strollers, runners, cyclists and anyone traveling to and from the Parkʼs new ﬁelds and facilities.
Learn more

Wetlands

RIPA has restored 9 acres of salt marsh and freshwater wetlands. These sites now serve as a habitat for ﬁsh, birds and other wildlife, and welcome schoolchildren, environmental groups and visitors from around the world.
Learn more
For Information on the Wetlands Stewardship Program
For More Information on the Oyster Garden Program

Waterfront

Randall’s Island lies within the East River and is conviently located to Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens as well as other areas in the tri-state area.
Learn more
For information about the Living Shoreline Recreational Area

News

Frieze Art Fair in the News

Coverage of Frieze Art Fair, along with other news and reviews about Randall’s Island, can be found on our Press page.

Soccer and Lacrosse Specialty Camps Coming to Randall’s Island This Summer

The Randall’s Island Park Alliance is proud to host two specialty summer camps in July with our partners at the West Side Soccer League, the New York Red Bulls, and Nike. The camps, open to children ages 12-18, will be free for all participants.

The People Make The Park

“The People Make The Park”, the Bronx Museum of the Arts’ three-week summer program for teens, will be held at Randall’s Island Park on July 8-25. Click here for more information and to apply.

FLOW.13

The Randall’s Island Park Alliance, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, and Made Event are pleased to present FLOW, the annual summer art exhibition along the Island’s southern shoreline. Join us on Saturday, June 15 for the grand opening.

Frieze New York announces the 2013 Sculpture Park

The Sculpture Park at Frieze New York is located beside the waterfront of the East River, adjacent to the fair. On display are works by both established and emerging artists represented by Frieze New York exhibitors. The Sculpture Park will be free and open to the public from May 10-13, 2013.

Governors Ball Music Festival Announces 2013 Lineup

Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, January 25 at Noon at www.govball.com.

Scylla playground undergoing renovations, set to reopen in June

The reconstructed playground, set to reopen in June, will feature modern, age-appropriate play equipment for both toddlers and older children.

Frieze New York 2013: Participating Galleries Announced

Frieze announced today the participating galleries for the organization’s
second New York fair, which is to take place May 10–13, 2013 in Randall’s
Island Park, Manhattan.

Bird Watching Buddies

Join the Randall’s Island Park Alliance’s Natural Areas Crew and friends for our FREE Bird Watching Buddies event on Saturday, April 27 at 10 a.m.!

NYC DOT testing on the 103rd Street Footbridge

The 103rd Street Footbridge will be closed periodically between January 22-26, 2013.

Randall’s Island Dance Program students perform The Nutcracker

Randall’s Island Park Alliance would like to congratulate the students in our RIPA Dance Program for magnificent performances of the Nutcracker in late December!

Proposed Sportime Randall’s Island Tennis Center Annex

If approved, the Proposed Project would be constructed and operational by Fall 2015.

Strides for Sandy 5K

The Randall’s Island Park Alliance and USA Track & Field New York will host the Strides for Sandy 5K on Sunday, November 18. All proceeds will go directly to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC and the Daily News Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund.

Volunteer at Randall’s Island to help Hurricane Sandy relief efforts

There are volunteer opportunities available at Randall’s Island this Friday and Saturday, November 2 and 3.

Majority of Randall’s Island Park OPEN; some fields and areas remain closed

Randall’s Island Park is OPEN– Fields 41-45, 70-71, 80-81 and the waterfront pathway remain closed.

RIPA to host third-annual Run the River 5K

Annual 5K road race along the Island’s waterfront pathways set for Saturday, October 27 at 10 a.m.

Randall’s Island Park featured in the New York Times

“Two Sets of Two-Wheeling Adventures” highlighted the Park’s extensive pathways, natural areas, and popularity among pedestrians and cyclists.

Wetlands Stewardship Program receives grant through the Long Island Sound Futures Fund

The Randall’s Island Park Alliance is proud to announce that our Wetlands Stewardship Program has received an education grant through the Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF). Click here for more information.

Come Get Hooked!

Join the Randall’s Island Park Alliance for free day of fishing & family fun on Saturday, October 13 at 10am.

Lost & Found at Electric Zoo

If you lost an item at the Electric Zoo Festival, please email found@electriczoofestival.com with a detailed description of the item(s). All Lost & Found items will also be available for retrieval on Tuesday (9/4) & Wednesday (9/5) ONLY. Click here for more details.

Meatopia- Meat, Drink, Fire, Music

On September 8 (5pm-9pm) Meatopia, presented by Whole Foods Market®, will take place on Randall’s Island Park featuring the most ambitious line-up of chefs and programming for meat enthusiasts in the event’s history. Tickets are available at www.meatopia.org.

Run the River 5K

The Randall’s Island Park Alliance’s Young Professionals Council will be hosting its third-annual 5K road race followed by races for children and a party for all on Saturday, October 27, 2012. Click here to register.

Barbecuing at Randall’s Island Park

If you’re thinking about firing up the barbecue at Randall’s Island Park, here are a few rules and regulations to keep things clean and safe for all park-goers.

Join the RIPA/Nike Summer Lacrosse Camp

RIPA, in partnership with Nike, is holding a FREE two-day lacrosse camp for children ages 12-18 on August 1 and 2, 2012.

Randall’s Island is home to Bike New York’s newest bicycle education center

This summer, Randall’s Island will be home to one of Bike New York’s eight bicycle education centers, which invite youth camp groups to learn the rules of the road.

Everyone’s talking about Go With The Flow.12!

Join us on Saturday, June 2 at 10 am to see what everyone’s talking about!

103rd Street Pedestrian Bridge Re-Opens June 1

The footbridge will re-open on June 1, with a celebration scheduled for June 2 and 10 am.

Living Shoreline Recreational Area Public Design Workshop

Join Randall’s Island Park Alliance on Thursday, May 24 for a Public Design Workshop to discuss upcoming renovations to the Island’s Living Shoreline.

Go With The Flow – Celebrate the East River’s Only Footbridge

Join us for free art, music, sports and snacks as we celebrate the bridge re-opening and FLOW.12!

RISF is now Randall’s Island Park Alliance, Inc.

Randall’s Island Sports Foundation, Inc. (RISF) has changed its name to Randall’s Island Park Alliance, Inc. (RIPA). The change reflects the Park’s remarkable coalition of current supporters with a view toward an increasingly collaborative stewardship in the coming years. We have also realigned our mission statement as follows: The Randall’s Island Park Alliance (RIPA) works [...]

adidas Grand Prix: Yohan Blake Gives his take on competing in NYC

News – 03/06/2012

Yohan Blake Gives his take on competing in NYC

“I love Icahn Stadium,” declared World Champion Yohan Blake on Tuesday, March 6, as he spoke to media from around the world about his plans to compete at the 2012 adidas Grand Prix on June 9.

NY Times – For the Big Apple, a Gift That Grows

They plunged the roots beneath the surface of the city, the din of an elevated train drowning out the shovels smacking against the dirt. Some gardeners traveled from East Harlem, where a group from the Renaissance Charter High School for Innovation boarded a yellow school bus to Randalls Island on Wednesday morning.

Frieze New York: Galleries Announced

November 18, 2011 – Frieze have announced today the participating galleries for the organization’s first New York fair, which is to take place 4–7 May 2012 in Randall’s Island Park, Manhattan.

NY Daily News – Harry Potter fans bring wizard world to life in Quidditch match

While most Americans were centered on football this weekend, Harry Potter fanatics are crazy about Quidditch.

Ichan Stadium on Randalls Island was transformed into tournament headququarters Saturday, with tents hawking everything from roast turkey legs to magic wands.

103rd Street Pedestrian Bridge Closed Starting Oct. 31, 2011

NYC Dept. of Transportation has informed us that the 103rd Street Pedestrian Bridge shall be closed starting Oct. 31, 2011 due to construction. The bridge is scheduled to re-open early summer 2012.

Randall’s Island Park, October 2011 Newsletter

To download the Newsletter as a PDF click here.

Electric Zoo Gives Randall’s Island a Positive Charge

A Music Festival Gets Intimate with it’s Venue

RISF Director of Horticulture Awarded Chanticleer Foundation Scholarship

July 28, 2011 – Phyllis Odessey, Randall’s Island Sports Foundation’s Director of Horticulture, recently was awarded a scholarship from the Chanticleer Foundation for their horticulture program in 2012.

Randall’s Island Park Hosts Flow.11

Randall’s Island Park Hosts Flow.11, a Waterfront Public Art Exhibit for All New Yorkers

FLOW.11 Art and Music at Randall’s Island

Art along the waterfront pathways on Randall’s Island during the summers of 2011 and 2012.

The Art Newspaper: Frieze confirms New York fair for 2012 at Randall’s Island

Randall’s Island will host the New York edition of Frieze Art Fair in 2012.

ING New York City Marathon

Join Team Randall’s Island and Guarantee Yourself a Entry into the ING NYC Marathon in 2011

NYC Wildflower Week at Randall’s Island Park – May 10, 2011

On May 10 at 11am in partnership with NYC Wildflower Week, Randall’s Island Horticulture Department is offering a botanical walk through the Hell Gate Wildlfower Meadow on Randall’s Island.

Grete Waitz, Marathon Champion and RISF Friend, Dies at 57

Randall’s Island Sports Foundation is saddened by the lost of a true friend, Grete Waitz. Grete was a nine (9) time winner of the New York City Marathon between 1978 and 1988, more than any other runner in history. She also won a silver medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and a [...]

New York Relays at Icahn Stadium

Action kick’s off Friday, April 15 with the 8th Annual New York Relays being held at Randall’s Island Park’s Icahn Stadium.

NYC’s Waterfront Action Agenda

On Monday, March 14, 2011 New York City released its Waterfront Action Agenda. The Agenda is the three year implementation component of the City’s Vision 2020: New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. The plan mentions Randall’s Island Park as a component in the development of NYC’s waterfront Greenways and esplanades. It specifically mentions the completion of waterfront pathways, including [...]

NY Times article on John McEnroe Academy at Sportime on Randall’s Island

12-Year-Old Girl May Embody McEnroe’s Vision By HARVEY ARATON Published: March 7, 2011 For John McEnroe, a man of impassioned and instantly expressed emotions, hitting with Ingrid Neel was almost a case of love at first tennis stroke. To introduce herself, Ingrid drew him to the net with a deft drop volley. Then she [...]

Champions for Children Benefit 2010

On Nov. 17, Randall’s Island Sports Foundation hosted its annual benefit, the Champions for Children Gala. The successful event was attended by over 450 people and RISF broke it’s event fundraising record. All Gala proceeds benefit Randall’s Island Park and our free children’s programs. Thank you to our Trustees, RISF staff and all the friends [...]

Scheduled Construction on 103rd Street Pedestrian Bridge

The New York City Department of Transportation is performing capital upgrades to the 103rd Street Pedestrian Bridge. From November 3 through November 21, the bridge will be open from 6:00am to 7:00pm each day. It may be closed overnight. The bridge will be closed from November 22 until mid-2011 to allow for the construction to [...]

Randall’s Island Sports Foundation, Fall 2010 Annual Review

To download the Randall’s Island Sports Foundation, Fall 2010 Annual Review please click here.

Randall’s Island Hosts Youth Track, Field Championships

8/11/2010 By: Roger Clark The City Parks Foundation hosted the 9th annual Track and Field championships at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island today. Following an Olympics-style parade, thousands of kids participated in the 172 events, which included javelin, triple-jump and hurdles. The competition is a culmination of a summer program at 12 city parks around [...]

John McEnroe’s Next Frontier: Home

July 20, 2010 The New Tennis Academy in His Name Is Designed to Put New York’s Junior Players Back Among the Nation’s Elite By ADITI KINKHABWALA for Wall Street Journal John McEnroe still fidgets. He crosses and uncrosses his arms, he runs his fingers through that famously curly hair, he shifts in his chair. A guitar [...]

Randall’s Island Sports Foundation awarded Challenge Grant by USA Track & Field.

Challenge Grants awarded to three groups 07-07-2010 INDIANAPOLIS -The USA Track & Field Board of Directors announced three inaugural recipients of USATF’s 2010 Excellence Challenge Grants, with groups receiving as much as $50,000 for developmental programs. These grants, established at the 2009 USATF Annual Meeting, support the advancement of performance excellence in five specific [...]

The Architects Newspaper: Randall’s Island Reborn

Regional park revived with major new amenities, its largest public space investment since Robert Moses By Rebecka Gordan, June 14, 2010 Randall’s Island has long been a daunting landscape of deteriorating ball fields and overgrown parkland. But on May 19, the Randall’s Island Sports Foundation (RISF) announced the completion of more than 60 new athletic [...]

NY Times: On Randalls Island, Private Schools Play Free

By JENNY ANDERSON Published: June 13, 2010 On a blazing May afternoon, a group of lanky seventh- and eighth-grade softball players from the Dalton School were locked in a fierce battle against a rival private school, St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s. The championship game was being played on Randalls Island, on an immaculately manicured field [...]

NY Daily News: Yankees’ Mariano Rivera, John McEnroe open new fields at Randalls Island after 3-year controversy

BY Michael Wursthorn DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Thursday, May 27th 2010, 11:24 PM They have built them, and now everyone can come. Public schoolchildren were on hand from PS 182 in the Bronx and Manhattan Center HS as city officials unveiled 62 new or renovated athletic fields on Randalls Island last week. The $130 million [...]

NY Daily News Editorial on Randall’s Island

Fields of dreams: Randalls Island has become a top city sports destination Sunday, May 23rd 2010, 4:00 AM There’s some brightness in this era of dismal developments: New York City has a great new athletic and recreational resource on Randalls Island. Ballplayers of all ages and every kind of ball are flocking to 62 new [...]

2010 Randall’s Island Access Guide Now Available

Plan your next visit to Randall’s Island with our helpful Access Guide.