The new 5.5-acre beach is located inside Hudson River Park and part of Gansevoort Peninsula. You can also enjoy a sports game, a nice family picnic, a walk in the park, a jogging session, or a boat ride. You can also visit the Whitney Museum of American Art and see a site-specific sculpture named Day’s End by David Hammons.

There is also an ecological salt marsh on the peninsula’s north side. It is home to multiple native grasses and about 20 million juvenile oysters. Swimming is not allowed despite the surf and sand area. This area on the Hudson River was not designed to be a swimming beach. Of course, some people didn’t agree with the restriction. Lots of them expressed their opinion that the beach was a place where you were supposed to swim and have fun.

Despite receiving some criticism, the new beach was actually given a stamp of approval by most people. It is located much closer than the other popular beaches in New York, like Coney Island, Rockaway Beach, and Brighton Beach. Plus, visitors have a nice view of the Statue of Liberty and One World Trade Center. There is also a water misting system for “cooling down or rinsing off sand.”

If you’re wondering what the site used to look like, it was a parking area for the city’s sanitation department. It was also used as an area for garbage burning. Turning it into a beach cost around $73 million. The fact that this place was abandoned long ago but now functions as an area where people can have fun is quite impressive.

If you’re looking for new recipes this fall, why not have a taste of this delicious baked feta and lentils dish? The earthiness of the lentils blends seamlessly with the caramelization of the baked cheese. Those deep flavors are contrasted by the tartness of the blackberry vinaigrette. It’s a simple meal that brings layers of flavor and is a perfect pick for this fall season!

What’s Required

To prepare this scrumptious dish, you’ll need:

• Just over 3 fluid ounces of high-quality vegetable stock
• 7 ounces of precooked black lentils (drained)
• A 7-ounce block of feta cheese
• 2 sprigs of thyme (leaves picked)
• The zest of 1 lemon
• 1 handful of hazelnuts
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach
• 2 teaspoons of honey

To make the vinaigrette, you’ll require:

• 2 and a half ounces of fresh (or frozen but thawed) blackberries
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Finely chopped – one half of a shallot or spring onion
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar

Prepare the Lentils and Bake the Feta

Preheat the oven to 428 Fahrenheit. Put the drained black lentils in an ovenproof dish. Stir in the vegetable stock, then spread the lentils out evenly, and place the feta in the center. Sprinkle the lemon zest, thyme, and olive oil over the dish. Place it right in the middle of the oven. Spread the hazelnuts in a small baking dish and place it on the lower oven rack. Bake both for eight minutes.

Time for the Vinaigrette

Preheat a grill to its highest setting. Spread the honey over the feta and bake the dish on the grill until the cheese starts looking golden – roughly four minutes. In the meantime, make the vinaigrette by mashing the blackberries with a fork. Stir in the honey, vinegar, olive oil, shallot, or spring onion. Use salt and pepper to season the vinaigrette to your liking. On two serving plates, place a handful of baby spinach each, a serving of lentils on top, and half of the cheese per plate. Drizzle the blackberry vinaigrette over the cheese and top with a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts.