New park replaces rotting pier on Hudson River waterfront.

NEW YORK (PIX11) – Finding enough open green space for recreation and relaxation is difficult in a city filled with high rises.

In recent years, the west side of Manhattan has been undergoing a renaissance. Gritty old piers along the Hudson River have been transformed into beautiful parks, and a new one just opened on the west side.

It's been 30 years in the making, but city planners have succeeded in converting an old rotting pier into a heavenly park in the heart of Hell's Kitchen.

It's a beautiful oasis of green that spans two and a half acres of open space with walking promenades, thousands of flowers, and plants, and offers gorgeous views of the city skyline and the Hudson River.

More than $40 million in state funds helped transform the gritty old pier and parking lot for sanitation trucks into a beautiful extension of the river waterfront.

Noreen Doyle is president and CEO of the Hudson River Park Trust. She sees the location as a "Great mix of uses, everything from a playground to a sundeck where you can sit, relax and enjoy the views."

There's a synthetic turf field that can host a variety of sports activities. There's also an all-ages granite slide, where we found some dogs enjoying themselves. In the playground, there's a bigger slide if you can climb through the maze of ropes to get to it. There is plenty in the playground to keep kids of all ages occupied.

It took almost three decades to turn a dream into reality, and the Hell's Kitchen community had a hand in it.

"We engaged with the community in a few ways. One was when we hired the design team. We went out to the community to listen to what kind of uses they wanted to have on the pier. We also had community advocates," Doyle said.

Alex and Stephanie Diaz recently moved to the West Side. The park has become their backyard, and Alex loves it.

"The park is great," he said. "I get to see the views. It's perfect for the dogs, and there's plenty of fresh air."

Pier 97 is the latest transformation of old piers along a four-mile stretch of the Hudson. Doyle sounded the beck and called, " Come over to the West Side and get to see the river environment. You get to enjoy the flowers and get to enjoy the views of the city."

Pier 97 is a significant milestone in expanding green space in a city of concrete and steel. This park is now open to the public, a tranquil setting to watch a sunset or relax from the hustle and bustle of a busy day in the city.