Jean Parker Phifer, New York based architect and author of Public Art New York, reads a selection about The Battery, located in downtown Manhattan. Located at the southernmost tip of Manhattan, The Battery is one of New York City's oldest public open spaces. It is where Dutch settlers landed in 1623, and where the first "battery" of cannons was erected to defend New Amsterdam. Encompassing 23 acres of waterfront parkland, The Battery is the largest public open space downtown. Over 350,000 people work within walking distance of The Battery, and over 20,000 residents live in the surrounding area.