The Hell Gate Pathway is a multi-use path and landscape that connects Randall’s Island to networks of pedestrian and bicycle circulation in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens. Threading its way beneath the Amtrak trestle that runs the length of the island’s eastern shore, this dual path system travels along ball fields, wetlands and the... Continue Reading
The Hell Gate Pathway is a multi-use path and landscape that connects Randall’s Island to networks of pedestrian and bicycle circulation in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens. Threading its way beneath the Amtrak trestle that runs the length of the island’s eastern shore, this dual path system travels along ball fields, wetlands and the little-known majesty of utility structures essential to New York’s operations. The planting strategy responds to this monumental scale with a strong, sustainable horticultural motif drawn from the abundance of local plant communities. Fine-grained details and successional landscapes humanize the industrial setting and explore a transect of the island’s ecology: mature and emergent woodlands, successional meadows, low-lying wetlands, grasslands, and river edge. Pavement markings and signage ensure ease of navigation. Transforming the island into a connector between three northern boroughs, the pathway becomes a destination in its own right, offering a trip through an industrial landscape modulated by a rhythm of wetland plantings and garden “rooms” on the backdrop of Long Island Sound.
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