Battery Park City is one of Manhattan’s most picturesque locations. It’s also one of the most synthetic. The carefully crafted promenade, parks, and plazas comprise an area of New York that’s undeniably gorgeous. Yet, somehow, the well-groomed gardens and lawns remind me that centuries ago Manhattan was untouched- its flora and fauna chaotic and beautiful in their original habitat. Today BPC represents the antithesis of that ideal. It is man-made nature, and still there is no denying that it’s beautiful in its artificiality.