River views and river life are the big draw for seekers of Battery Park City apartments and condos. Because the land is technically owned by the Battery Park City Authority, a public entity, residents of these downtown condos don’t pay taxes, they pay PILOT — Payments in Lieu of Taxes — which help maintain the glorious esplanade which is Battery Park City’s crown jewel. The beautiful ribbon runs for 1.2 miles, linking together a string of kid- and pet-friendly parks, and many of Battery Park City’s condos look out on these wonderful bits of green to the Hudson beyond. Strolling, rollerblading, biking — or just catching a spectacular sunset or a close-up of the Statue of Liberty — they’re all perks attached to this wonderful downtown real estate.

More The neighborhood, built on the Southwest tip of Manhattan, is both quiet and convenient. It offers luxury apartment living that seems almost suburban, but the area is near Wall Street for work and lively Tribeca for play. Riverhouse, one of the newest condominiums, offers twice-filtered air and filtered water — meeting an environmental standard for green living first set by the Solaire, a Battery Park City rental building that is the nation’s first environmentally-conscious high rise. A new Whole Foods and Barnes and Noble provide great shopping, while the Liberty Park greenmarket lets you get the best and freshest New York City produce, some of it from family farms. There’s also an 11-screen movie theater which screens both popular favorites and hosts part of the world-famous Tribeca Film Festival. Less