Wards Island Park, Manhattan — the pixel-art map you can own
Wards Island Park is a 171-acre park in Manhattan. On nyc.world it's drawn from the city's real park boundaries, trails, lawns and woods, pixel by pixel — 322,230 tiles, about 40 blocks at $1 each — and you can claim a corner of it: a bench, a meadow, the whole ballfield.
Nobody has claimed anything in Wards Island Park yet — the first spot costs $5.
what's here
Nothing yet. Wards Island Park is 322,230 empty tiles waiting for a first message, a logo, a pixel mural, or a pigeon. Open the map here, switch to ⛏ claim, tap two corners.
nearby
the neighborhoods around the park — every one is its own page on the map.
frequently asked
How much does it cost to claim a spot in Wards Island Park?
About $1 per block — 8,192 map tiles, roughly one Manhattan block — with a $5 minimum per claim, which buys up to 40,960 tiles. The price is the area you select, so a single storefront or rooftop in Wards Island Park is the $5 minimum; pixel drawings pay only for the tiles you actually paint. Payment is by card through Stripe Checkout, and there are no refunds.
Can someone take my spot in Wards Island Park?
Yes — that's the game. Anyone can take over a claim in Wards Island Park (or anywhere on nyc.world) by paying its last price plus one dollar, or the plain area price for that spot, whichever is higher. Being outbid doesn't entitle you to a refund; you can always claim it back the same way.
What can I put on Wards Island Park, and can I change it later?
A short message, an emoji, an uploaded image (pixelated to fit), or pixel art you draw straight onto the map. As the owner you can edit or remove your claim as often as you like for free, as long as it keeps the same spot — no account needed, edit access is saved in your browser with email recovery. The whole park is a public, all-ages map, so keep it legal and safe.
full mechanics, pricing and rules: about nyc.world · terms.