Waterside Plaza
40°44′15″N 73°58′24″W / 40.7374°N 73.9733°W
Waterside Plaza is a residential and business complex located on the
History
Waterside Plaza was built on landfill brought to the US as ships' ballast from the rubble of the city of Bristol in the UK, which was bombed by the Luftwaffe in World War II during the Bristol Blitz.[1][2] The apartment buildings, 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.[3] Developed by Richard Ravitch, the first apartment buildings opened in 1973 and the complex was completed the following year.[4][5] The housing development received the Construction Achievement Project of the Year Award from the Metropolitan Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1974.[6] There were plans to build additional above-water apartments, offices, and a hotel in the 1980s, but environmental concerns and community opposition doomed the project.[7]
In 2004, Waterside Management Company LLC launched a three-year capital improvement program with a cost in excess of $35 million. The capital improvement program included upgrades to all new apartments as they became vacant as well as all hallways and each building's reception and concierge areas. The plaza itself was re-waterproofed and repaved and extensive park-like landscaping added. The health club, parking facilities, and security system were also upgraded.
Features
The complex is made up of four
Waterside is accessible to vehicles only by entering from
Waterside is Manhattan's only residential complex located east of the FDR Drive.[3] The East River Greenway passes between the two. The waterfront south of Waterside Plaza, Stuyvesant Cove Park, which is part of the Greenway, includes a small manmade land mass extending out into the East River, which was created from excess cement dumped into the river.[9]
Architectural significance
Waterside Plaza was designed by the architecture firm of
In 1975, Waterside won the
Events
Waterside Plaza hosts year-round events that are free and open to the public. The most popular are the outdoor summer concerts in July and the outdoor Monday night movies in August.
In 2008, Waterside Plaza hosted the Make Music New York festival, during which 17 bands performed concerts on three different stages – on the waterside, in the gardens, and on the plaza. Other events include monthly playreadings, a short play festival, a dance festival, a spring flea market, and an electronic recycling day.
Notable events include
References
- ^ Pollak, Michael (June 28, 2009). "Not in Their Backyard". The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
- ^ "Waterside Plaza's Fortierth Anniversary Celebration". Waterside Plaza. Archived from the original on December 27, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ^ a b "Waterside Plaza History". Waterside Management Company. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
- ^ Fried, Joseph P. (September 13, 1973). "After Nearly 12 Years of Obstacles, Waterside Housing Opens on River". The New York Times. p. 49. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ Pristin, Terry (April 13, 1999). "'Small Town' With Big-City Woes; Tenant-Landlord Fight Taints Innovative Waterside Plaza". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ "Construction Achievement Project of the Year Award". ASCE Metropolitan Section. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
- ^ Stamler, Bernard (October 26, 1997). "Park to Grow on the Ashes of the Riverwalk Plan". The New York Times. Retrieved July 12, 2009.
- ^ Lambert, Bruce (June 5, 1994). "Worries at Waterside". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ Kinetz, Erika (January 13, 2002). "Rock Outcropping or Rubble? No One's Neutral on Old Cement". The New York Times. Retrieved July 12, 2009.
- ISBN 0-394-50595-6.
- ^ Vanable, Ife (March 2018). "Working the Middle: Harlem River Park Towers and Waterside Plaza". The Avery Review. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ Muschamp, Herbert (October 5, 2001). "For Rebuilders, Inspiration All Around". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
- ^ "Waterside Housing Complex". Davis Brody Bond Architects. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
- ^ "30 Under 30: The Watch List of Future Landmarks" (PDF). Municipal Art Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 6, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
- ^ "Waterside Plaza Architecture". Waterside Management Company. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
- Daily News. New York. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
External links