Southpoint Park
Interactive Park Map
About the Location
Scenic Location
Southpoint Park is a 7-acre public green space located on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island in New York City. The park opened in 2011 and offers visitors expansive views of both Manhattan and Queens across the East River.
Historic Structures
The park incorporates two historic structures: the Renwick Smallpox Hospital, a landmarked ruin, and the restored Strecker Laboratory. The Smallpox Hospital, designed by James Renwick Jr. (who also designed St. Patrick's Cathedral), stands as a picturesque ruin within the park, adding a unique historical element to the landscape.
Natural Features
Southpoint Park features native flowers and plants, providing a natural habitat for local wildlife. The design of the park celebrates the wild nature of the site and reuses many artifacts found on location.
Low retaining walls were built using stone quarried from the demolished City Hospital, which once stood nearby. Cast iron columns from the same hospital now mark the park's entrances, while cast stone ornamental pieces are scattered throughout the gardens.
Sustainable Design
The park's landscaping includes infiltration gardens designed to handle all stormwater on-site. Only native New York plant species were used in the landscaping, and existing trees were preserved to provide shade and structure until newly planted trees mature.
Visitor Activities
Southpoint Park serves as a space for picnics, family-friendly activities, and enjoying nature within the urban environment of New York City. It sits between Cornell Tech campus and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park, forming part of a chain of public spaces on Roosevelt Island's southern end.
