New York City's newest public park, a "Little Island" on the Hudson River is now welcoming locals and tourists alike.

Opening on Friday, the park offers 2.4 acres of brand new land above the Hudson River filled with more than 350 species of flowers, trees, and shrubs and is complete a whole new vantage point from which to look at Manhattan.

The floating structure, accessible via West 13th St., was built unattached to land, making it rise or fall with the river's water levels, and is made up of 280 concrete piles, resembling tulips.

Developed by the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation in partnership with the Hudson River Park Trust.

"I hope Little Island will serve as a whimsical oasis for everyone who visits, a place to wander around and be happily surprised at every turn, to lounge and graze the landscape, and to be entertained, educated, and stimulated by our programming," Barry Diller said in a statement..

Elsewhere in the park is a central plaza that will serve food and beverages, a 687-seat amphitheater and a smaller stage for more intimate performances. Some of the opening shows at the park include performances from Broadway artists and American Ballet Theatre.

"It's intended to be a place to relax and I think we've been able to do that with the landscape by… masking the visual and even acoustical noise of the city so you can focus inward. It's rare on a pier that you can focus inward," the park's landscape architect Signe Nielsen, told T+L last year. "I think it's going to be unlike any other park, let alone pier."

A timed entry ticket will be required to visit the park from now until September 30. Entry is free but must be booked online in advance. The park is open every day from 6 a.m. until 1 a.m. Reservations are not required before noon or after 8 p.m.

Cailey Rizzo is a contributing writer for Travel Leisure, currently based in Brooklyn. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or at caileyrizzo.com.

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