Talk:The Battery (Manhattan)

Name question
Various authoritative sources seem to disagree on whether Castle Clinton was named after DeWitt Clinton (Mayor of New York City 1803-1815, Governor of New York State 1817-1823), or George Clinton (Governor of New York State 1777-1795 and 1801-1804, Vice President of the United States 1805-1809).

-- Dominus 19:46, 18 May 2004 (UTC)

I would tend to agree with the National Park Service that it was renamed for DeWitt Clinton in 1817. He was already famous and admired for his work in promoting the Erie Canal, which opened the west to the Port of New York. The timing of the renaming (two years after leaving Mayoralty) is just about right for such an honor. George Clinton was no slouch, either, but considering the timing, I would go for DeWitt. -- Cecropia | Talk 20:12, 18 May 2004 (UTC)

I would suggest that the New York version is much better known than the Charleston version, and that this article should contain the New York Battery article, with a reference to the Charleston one. Plus the fact the The Battery refers to the New York version as well as the Charleston one. DJ Clayworth 16:05, 24 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Map
Can someone put a map too Battery park here? —Preceding unsigned comment added by UoLMephesto (talk • contribs) 21:42, 29 November 2007 (UTC)


 * You beat me to it by two years! I was honestly going to request that. It would be extremely helpful to provide a map clearly delineating the area in and around Battery Park. And just figured I'd announce that I organized the placement of the pictures to allow for proper editing and aesthetics (there were three edit links bunched together as a result of all pictures being placed at the beginning of the article) and it looks alot better now. KirkCliff2 (talk) 04:59, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Photo of the sphere
There is a great photo of the Sphere sculpture at

If anyone has any ideas as to where it can go, feel free to insert it into this article

Seidenstud 00:33, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

The Simpsons
Someone added a quote from The Simpsons. It incorrectly idetifies Rockefeller Center as Rockefeller Square. If this is the actual quote from the show, fine, but if anyone knows this to be an error, please correct. Digit LeBoid 14:45, 16 October 2007 (UTC)

Identifying a Structure in Battery Park
Does anyone know what this structure is? I also have a ground picture of it here. Thanks. —Kanodin 10:42, 14 August 2008 (UTC)


 * Ventilation for one (both?) of the tunnels under the park, the Battery Park Underpass or the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. --ChrisRuvolo (t) 11:36, 14 August 2008 (UTC)


 * Thanks for the info. A vent makes sense, given that the two tunnels overlap just South of the structure. I guess I was not thinking of a vent when I saw it (I was wondering if it was another secret Men in Black entrance), because other vents are so much bigger and more prominent. Of course, it could just be a vent for the Battery Park Underpass, because there is already a vent for the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel attached to Governor's Island. I just wish there was some way to document the purpose of the structure; the park conservancy website says absolutely nothing about it and there are no signs on the building. Oh well... —Kanodin 06:38, 16 August 2008 (UTC)

Proper name
Isn't the proper full name "Historic Battery Park"? --Jackdavinci (talk) 21:31, 27 January 2010 (UTC)
 * "Historic Battery Park" is written on some orientation maps there, but the city parks department calls it Battery Park. Then again, the quasi-official Battery Conservancy seems to consistently call the park "The Battery" and avoid the word "park," so who knows.--Cam (talk) 04:02, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Popular culture?
Is this section really necessary? Doesn't seem notable to list every time it's ever been mentioned in a movie, TV show or video game. If Battery Park was an obscure location, then it might be notable to have been mentioned in popular culture, but it's a widely known location. 162.136.193.1 (talk) 20:32, 15 April 2010 (UTC)
 * Agree. Just a bunch of trivia that's been tagged for a while. I removed it. Station1 (talk) 22:00, 16 April 2010 (UTC)

NYC Police Memorial
Can someone please confirm this is in Battery Park, here's a photo http://www.panoramio.com/photo/45929565 John a s (talk) 23:43, 24 February 2011 (UTC)
 * It's not in Battery Park. It's in Battery Park City. – Station1 (talk) 04:19, 25 February 2011 (UTC)

Who owns Battery Park?
Is Battery Park federal land or just Castle Clinton NM? It could have remained federal land since colonial days but the Castle Clinton article says "...July 18, 1950, when the legislature and the governor...formally ceded ownership of the property to the Federal Government." What property? Just the area inside Castle Clinton or all of Battery Park? The quote above implies that all the land belonged to the state until 1950.

I can do some research on this but, if someone knows, it'll save me the effort and leave me free to work on other articles. --RoyGoldsmith (talk) 02:17, 24 April 2012 (UTC)
 * Just Castle Clinton and a small bit of pavement surrounding it is federal, one acre total. The rest of Battery Park is owned by the city. 69.95.62.161 (talk) 06:01, 12 January 2013 (UTC)

Popular culture? (2)
Here's a list of popular culture that needs to be cleaned up and referenced. Epicgenius (talk) 17:36, 29 November 2014 (UTC)

Screen appearances:
 * The 1913 silent film Traffic in Souls contains scenes filmed at the Battery.
 * In Michael Wadleigh's 1981 film Wolfen, the first three murders are committed in Battery Park.
 * In the 1999 Tim Burton film Sleepy Hollow, Battery Park is mentioned in the final scene with "The Bronx is up, Battery is down, and home is this way."
 * In 2009, a scene in Whatever Works, directed by Woody Allen and starring Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood, was shot on a park bench in Battery Park.
 * The climax of the 2010 film The Sorcerer's Apprentice happens at the park, including an animated Charging Bull.
 * In the 2010 film The Sorcerer's Apprentice, starring Nicolas Cage and Jay Baruchel, Baruchel's younger counterpart was on a field trip to Battery Park in the beginning of the film.
 * In the Jessie episode "Take The A-Train...I Think?" Emma wants to go to the multicultural state fair and Zuri wants to go to the park at Battery Park, but Jessie keeps taking them on the wrong subway trains.
 * Men in Black 3 (2012), starring Will Smith, was shot in Battery Park, as well as at various other sites in New York City.
 * The 2012 Glee breakup scene between Kurt and Blaine was filmed here.

Video games:
 * The park is featured in the first game in the Deus Ex series, wherein players can explore maintenance tunnels underneath Castle Clinton, visit its courtyard, and roam the surroundings.
 * In the fifth episode of the point and click adventure game Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse, Battery Park is portrayed in a literal manner, with giant batteries inhabiting the area and acting as a power plant of sorts.
 * In Grand Theft Auto IV, the neighborhood named Castle Gardens is based on Battery Park, as it has a similar location at the southern tip of Manhattan (called Algonquin in the game), borders another neighbourhood called Castle Gardens City (similar to Battery Park City), and features a recreation of City Pier A.

Music:


 * Battery Park is mentioned in Cole Porter's song "I Happen to Like New York," from the musical The New Yorkers: "I like to go to Battery Park and watch those liners booming in."
 * The Angus & Julia Stone song, "Santa Monica Dream," mentions Battery Park in the lyrics: "Rob's in the kitchen making pizza / Somewhere down in Battery Park."
 * The park is mentioned in the Follies song "Broadway Baby", which contains the lyric, "To pierce the dark, from Battery Park, to Washington Heights".
 * The Battery is featured in the famous show tune, "New York, New York" from the musical On the Town, which includes the line "... the Bronx is up and the Battery's down" referring to its southerly location.
 * A Sunday In Battery Park is a song in Benny Andersson's and Björn Ulvaeus;s musical Kristina från Duvemåla. A group of Swedish immigrants arrive in America, through Battery Park, and find themselves overwhelmed by all of the sophisticated New Yorkers speaking a foreign language.
 * The Beastie Boys' song "Open Letter to NYC" lyric, "... from the Battery to the top of Manhattan", also refers to the entirety of the island.
 * David Bowie's "New Killer Star" opens with the lines: "See the great white scar/Over Battery Park".
 * Bob Seger's song "Manhattan" has the words: "He's walked all the way from Battery Park...".
 * Battery Park is also mentioned in John Mayer's song "City Love", which includes the lyric, "From the Battery to the Gallery", in reference to the entirety of Manhattan Island.
 * Billy Joel's Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) contains the lyric "The boats were waiting at the Battery".

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