East River Greenway
The East River Greenway (also called the East River Esplanade) is an approximately 9.44-mile-long (15.19 km)
Parts of the greenway were built at different times. Most of the greenway was built in the 1930 to 1950s in conjunction with the nearby FDR Drive, with exceptions:
- Waterside Plaza: 1973
- East River Esplanade Park: 1992
- East River Waterfront: Late 1990s
- Stuyvesant Cove: 2002
- United Nations portion (under construction): 2015–24
Route
The greenway runs along the East Side, from
Some places are narrow due to sinkholes being blocked off by protective fencing, and one part squeezes between the highway and the dock of
In the summer of 2008 the East River Greenway, along with the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, provided viewing locations to see the New York City Waterfalls.
Components
East Harlem
The
Although the park is in East Harlem, where all residents have access to a pocket park, neighborhood park, or major park within one-quarter mile (0.4 km), amenities are limited in this section of the greenway. This decrepit portion of the East River Greenway has little open space and no recreation facilities.[5] The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation allocated $25 million to stabilize the greenway between 114th and 117th Streets in 2019;[1] at the time, the section between 107th and 114th Streets was closed off.[2] The work was expected to take one year, but little progress was made during this period.[6][7] The city allocated $284 million for repairs to the greenway, including the East Harlem section, in early 2021.[8] Plans for the redesigned segments of the greenway from 94th to 107th Streets and 117th to 124th Streets as well as a replacement for the pier at 107th Street were announced in April 2024, with construction expected to occur from 2025 through 2027.[9][10] Reconstruction of the greenway segment between 114th and 117th Streets is expected to begin in the summer of 2024.[11]
Upper East Side
At 90th Street the Greenway rises to a walkway above the double-decker FDR Drive. The East River Greenway then passes along
The greenway descends to a grade-level promenade via a 452-foot-long (138 m), 9-foot-wide (2.7 m) ramp at 81st Street. The ramp opened in late 2017, replacing a staircase.[12] The greenway continues to the Queensboro Bridge, with footbridges at 78th, 71st, and 63rd Streets.
The part of the greenway nearest the Queensboro Bridge was the topic of local plans released by
United Nations
South of 53rd Street, to 38th Street, the greenway enters its only undeveloped section, save for a small section accessed by a footbridge at 51st Street. In October 2011, the city and state reached an agreement to use the western portion of
Designs for this part of the greenway were revealed in November 2013. The new design, which incorporates an amphitheater and a floating pier, is proposed to open in three phases. The first was to open in 2015 and the last by 2024.[15] The three parts are between 38th, 41st, 53rd, and 60th Streets, with three gathering nodes along the way.[16]
The greenway section between 38th and 41st Streets, referred to as Waterside Pier, was completed in October 2016 and replaced a structure last used by
The greenway section between 53rd and 60th Streets began construction in November 2019.[4][18][22][23] This section will include a new ADA-accessible bridge across the FDR Drive at 54th Street that will provide a connection to the north end of Sutton Place Park South. The existing pedestrian footbridge at 51st Street and Peter Detmold Park was not used as an access point as it contains stairs on both sides and is not ADA-accessible.[4][24] The 114-foot-long (35 m) bridge was fabricated in Nova Scotia, assembled in Brooklyn, and hoisted into place during a single overnight shift.[25] The greenway segment was originally planned to utilize concrete pilings left in the river from a temporary outboard roadway that served as a detour for traffic during reconstruction of the FDR Drive. Installed in 2004, the pilings were scheduled to be dismantled in 2006 but were kept in place for a future extension of the waterfront esplanade.[26][27] When the new segment was designed, it was decided to remove the old pilings and install new supports as it would cost more to retrofit the old pilings, which did not have the capacity to support the weight of the landscaping elements in the design for the new esplanade. New piles were driven to depths down to 130 feet (40 m) and were socketed into bedrock to support a 40-foot-wide (12 m) deck made of sections of precast concrete that has bike and pedestrian paths with a stormwater catchment system to irrigate the trees and plantings.[25] The 53rd–60th Streets section of the greenway opened December 19, 2023.[28][29]
Murray Hill/Kips Bay/Waterside
South of the United Nations, the greenway enters East River Esplanade Park via a pedestrian underpass at 37th Street. Also known as Glick Park, East River Esplanade Park runs from 38th to 36th streets and was completed in 1992 by The Glick Organization in connection with City Planning Commission requirements to construct The Horizon, a high-rise condominium located on 37th Street between First Avenue and the FDR Drive.[17][30][31] The park cost over $4 million and was designed by Thomas Balsley Associates, the same firm that had prepared a 1987 master plan for the future development of a waterfront esplanade between 41st and 34th streets for Community Board 6.[32][33][34] The north end of East River Esplanade Park currently provides the only connection to Waterside Pier, which runs from 38th to 41st streets.[17]
South of East River Esplanade Park, the approximately three-quarters-mile (1.2 km) portion of the greenway, accessed by pedestrian crosswalks at 35th and 34th streets, contains the East 34th Street Ferry Landing, the East 34th Street Heliport and The Water Club.
The greenway portion and the apartment buildings that make up Waterside Plaza (as well as the neighboring United Nations International School) were constructed on top of platforms supported by over 2,000 concrete piles sunk into the East River.[35] Developed by Richard Ravitch, the first apartment buildings opened in 1973 and the complex and greenway section was completed the following year.[36][37]
In 2016, the New York City Department of Transportation announced plans to install bike lanes along the northbound service road of the FDR Drive from East 25th to East 34th streets to improve access for bikes traveling alongside The Water Club and Waterside Plaza.[38][39] The bike lanes along this segment of the greenway were installed in 2019.[40]
Stuyvesant Cove Park
The greenway enters Stuyvesant Cove Park (at 40°43′59.5″N 73°58′26.5″W / 40.733194°N 73.974028°W), a 1.9-acre (7,700 m2) public park that runs from 23rd Street to 18th Street, east of Avenue C. It is located to the south of Waterside Plaza and to the north of the East River Park, connecting to the Captain Patrick J. Brown Walk on the south end.[41]
The park is located on the former brownfield site of a cement plant and a parking lot. A Riverwalk mixed-use development that would have included residential units, offices, a hotel and a marina was proposed in the 1980s but abandoned in 1992.[42] A plan released in 1997[43] gave way to the current park. Surplus cement dumped from trucks into the East River has created a small beach in the middle of the park near the end of 20th Street.[44][45][46]
The park, which was completed in 2002, cost $8.3 million and was designed by Donna Walcavage Landscape Architecture.[47][48] Solar 1, an environmental learning center with a small outdoor stage for public performances, is located at the north end of the park.
Captain Patrick J. Brown Walk
The next part of the greenway is the Captain Patrick J. Brown Walk (at 40°43′51″N 73°58′23″W / 40.73083°N 73.97306°W), a brick-paved walkway that connects Stuyvesant Cove Park on the north to East River Park to the south. Designed for use by pedestrians and cyclists, it runs approximately between 15th and 18th streets, and Avenues C and D, and was named in 2002.[49]
It was named after Captain Patrick J. Brown, a firefighter who died in the
The East River Blueway plan between 38th Street and the Brooklyn Bridge, released on February 7, 2013,[51] would elevate the walkway above the FDR Drive, with ramps rising to a gradual pedestrian bridge located where the 15th Street bottleneck is now.[52] Then-Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer pledged $3.5 million toward the whole plan.[53]
East River Park
Officially called the "East River Waterfront Esplanade", the greenway goes into East River Park (at 40°43′03″N 73°58′27″W / 40.71750°N 73.97417°W), which is a 57.5-acre (20 ha) public park located on the Lower East Side. The park stretches from East 12th Street down to Montgomery Street on the east side of the FDR Drive. The southern entrance boasts good views of the Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge. The amphitheater, built in 1941 just south of Grand Street, has been reconstructed and is often used for public performances.[54] The park includes football, baseball and soccer fields, tennis, basketball and handball courts, a running track, and bike paths. Fishing is another popular activity. The park is bisected by the Williamsburg Bridge.
East River Waterfront
The last part of the greenway is the East River Waterfront Project, also referred to as the "East River Esplanade", though the latter name includes other features along the waterfront. It consists of two miles (3.2 km) along the East River waterfront between Montgomery Street, along
Origins
The East River waterfront in Lower Manhattan was known for heavy maritime activity, with over 40 piers in operation by the later 1950s.
In 1982, there was a plan to expand the
The pedestrian and bike path was first established in the late 1990s between Montgomery Street in the Lower East Side and Broad Street in the Financial District. Benches were also added along the partially restored waterfront. The pedestrian path/bikeway has been well received by community members. Drawbacks exist however:[62][63]
- The pedestrian path and bikeway are not segregated from each other; there is one lane in each direction which is shared by pedestrians and bikers.
- The path curves around FDR Drive viaduct pillars.
- The path occupies a narrow portion of the space below the viaduct; in most cases, the rest of the space is used as parking facilities and storage space.
- Amenities are few.
- Its legacy as a service and commercial zone offer limited pedestrian access.
- City services, such as the Department of Sanitation, use the waterfront for equipment.
During Michael Bloomberg's tenure as mayor, he spearheaded the PlaNYC 2030 initiative, which highlights projects and plans to transform the city by the year 2030.[64] An important focus was put on the waterfront, including the East River waterfront. Bloomberg also stressed the importance of ferry transport, as an alternative to existing land transport options. The Pier 11/Wall Street ferry terminal has long operated East River waterfront, with regular trips to New Jersey. In June 2011, a ferry service to piers on Brooklyn's waterfront started.
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The Brooklyn Bridge as seen from the East River Esplanade
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The Manhattan Bridge as seen from the East River Esplanade
-
Pier 15
Renovation
SHoP Architects led the design process in the creation of the East River Esplanade, consulting community members during the planning years between 2002 and 2006. A year-long study was undertaken in 2004, allowing designers to derive ways that would "enhance waterfront access". Other groups critical to the project's planning phase include the New York City Department of Transportation, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Economic Development Corporation, the Department of City Planning and other agencies and groups. $137 million was secured with the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, and work began on a "pilot section" in 2009 between John Street and Wall Street.[56]
According to the Department of City Planning, the overall plan is listed as:[55][56]
- The esplanade itself: The new esplanade will consist of a recreation zone along the water's edge with seating and plantings, pavilions under the FDR Drive to support outdoor activities, and a bikeway along South Street that ties into the Manhattan Greenway. Consistent paving, seating, railings, and lighting will be used throughout.
- Pavilions and "get-downs": New, proposed pavilions will help reconnect the city to the river's edge, creating concentrated areas for recreation where appropriate. At Peck Slip and Rutgers Slip, the new esplanade design will mark historic locations by carving steps into the bulkhead line—creating means to "get down" to the water.
- Archipelago: In order to provide a continuous greenway between Battery Park and the new East River Waterfront, the path between the Battery Maritime Building and Old Slip will be extended over the existing shoreline, creating a walkway out over the water with a view of the city.
- Pier 15: The proposed pier will lift its primary recreation area to a second tier, offering new and intimate views of the tall, historic ships that could be docked in this location.
- Pier 35: This large pier will be opened to the public with a second tier, which will function as an amphitheater that faces west-southwest toward Battery Park and the New York Harbor. It is connected to the greenway by a bridge.
- Sustainability: In keeping with the city's LEEDcertification for its pavilions and park uses. Plans aim to reduce energy demand and consumption, conserve natural resources, improve air quality, and catch and reuse rainwater water.
The FDR Drive viaduct will be clad, and South Street will be narrowed for much of its length to make room for additional sidewalk space. The glass pavilions will be located underneath the viaduct, and the bike lanes would be moved to the side of the pavilion, underneath the FDR Drive. The piers would be reconstructed to encourage marine growth, by having
Access to the Esplanade from the neighboring areas would be undertaken with the redevelopment of "slips" - wedge-shaped road shapes which previously allowed ships to berth. Some of these slips have been used as parking facilities, while others are the southern termini for critical north–south thoroughfares. Reconstructions of the existing slips in the Financial District, the Lower East Side and Chinatown will feature bikeways and landscaped medians. Five of these slip projects are at varying stages of construction. From east to west, they are Montgomery Slip, Rutgers Slip, Pike Slip, Peck Slip, and Burling Slip.[67][68]
Renovation phases
The project is being undertaken in three phases, with first phase completed (including Pier 15).[69][70] Second phase construction started in summer 2011 (from Old Slip to the Battery Maritime Building).[71] Construction on the third phase (Pike Slip to Pier 35, Montgomery Slip) began in fall 2011. This phase will last until 2014 and will cover the rehabilitation underneath the FDR Drive from Maiden Lane to Pier 35.[72] Phase 4 between Catherine and Pike Slips was completed in 2015.[55]
Storm barrier
There are plans for a
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