On the Grid : Gantry Plaza State Park

"Offering spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, Gantry Plaza State Park delights visitors with its 12-acres of urban oasis. Located in the Hunter Point section of LIC, it gets its name from the two massive gantries once used to load and unload rail car floats and barges. Today, these vestiges of the past stand in sharp contrast to the sleek new steel and glass towers rising up all around. The park has immense green lawns, a playground, basketball courts, and even a fishing area. Perhaps the most recognizable icon of LIC is the Pepsi-Cola sign located at the north edge of the park, visible to all from the Manhattan's east side. With letters as high as 60 ft, this retro, massive, typographic supergraphic was constructed by Artkraft Strauss in 1936." - MSLK