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East River Greenway

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A greenway is usually a shared-use path along a strip of undeveloped land, in an urban or rural area, set aside for recreational use or environmental protection. Greenways are frequently created out of disused railways , canal towpaths , utility company rights of way , or derelict industrial land. Greenways can also be linear parks , and can serve as wildlife corridors . The path's surface may be paved and often serves multiple users: walkers, runners, bicyclists, skaters and hikers. A characteristic of greenways, as defined by the European Greenways Association , is "ease of passage": that is that they have "either low or zero gradient", so that they can be used by all "types of users, including mobility impaired people".

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62-769: The East River Greenway (also called the East River Esplanade ) is an approximately 9.44-mile-long (15.19 km) foreshoreway for walking or cycling on the east side of the island of Manhattan on the East River . It is part of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway . The largest portions are operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation . It is separated from motor traffic, and many sections also separate pedestrians from cyclists. The greenway

124-688: A 0.6-mile (0.97 km) gap from 41st to 53rd streets in Midtown where pedestrians use busy First and Second Avenues to get around United Nations Headquarters between the Upper East Side and Kips Bay portions of the Greenway. Some places are narrow due to sinkholes being blocked off by protective fencing, and one part squeezes between the highway and the dock of Con Edison 's East River Station, requiring slower speeds. Other parts are shared space with motor access to Waterside Plaza or

186-559: 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. It was named after Captain Patrick J. Brown , a firefighter who died in the September 11 attacks , and who lived in nearby Stuyvesant Town . The East River Blueway plan between 38th Street and

248-537: A central role in city life and in the real estate market. In the United States, esplanade has another meaning, being also a median (strip of raised land) or berm dividing a roadway or boulevard. Sometimes they are just strips of grass, or some may have gardens and trees. Some roadway esplanades may be used as parks with a walking/jogging trail and benches. Esplanade and promenade are sometimes used interchangeably. The derivation of "promenade" indicates

310-472: A ferry service to piers on Brooklyn's waterfront started. 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

372-625: A filling station. Approximately one mile (1.6 km) near the southeast end is in the shadow of the elevated FDR Drive . This part is to be improved by the East River Esplanade project. In February 2019, The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation allocated $ 75 million to complete the esplanade within East Harlem, East Midtown, and the Lower East Side. In the summer of 2008 the East River Greenway, along with

434-426: A greenway that provides a public right-of-way along the edge of the sea , open to both walkers and cyclists. Foreshoreways resemble promenades and boardwalks . Foreshoreways are usually concerned with the idea of sustainable transport . A foreshoreway is accessible to both pedestrians and cyclists and gives them the opportunity to move unimpeded along the seashore. Dead end paths that offer public access only to

496-421: A linear park along the coast is known as a foreshoreway . [REDACTED] Media related to Greenways at Wikimedia Commons Promenade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water , where people may walk. The historical definition of esplanade was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide clear fields of fire for

558-548: A maritime museum will be opened on the site of a former Coast Guard building there. The proposal, by Rebuild by Design, will also include components for storm barriers in Hunts Point, Bronx and on Staten Island . The first component, a 2.19-mile-long (4 km) barrier on the Lower East Side between Montgomery and East 13th Streets called "The Bridging Berm", will cost $ 335 million. In addition to storm protection,

620-599: A new ADA-accessible bridge across the FDR Drive at 54th Street that provides 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. The 114-foot-long (35 m) bridge was fabricated in Nova Scotia, assembled in Brooklyn, and hoisted into place during

682-485: A place specifically intended for walking, though many modern promenades and esplanades also allow bicycles and other nonmotorized transport. Some esplanades also include large boulevards or avenues where cars are permitted. A similar term with the same meaning in the eastern coastal region of Spain is alameda Alameda de Hercules, Seville , o rambla , such as La Rambla in Barcelona, but more widely used terms in

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744-531: A previous promise to fund the extension of the greenway. 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

806-411: A railroad right-of-way converted to recreational use, a canal , scenic road or other route. It is a natural or landscaped course for pedestrian or bicycle passage; an open-space connector linking parks, nature reserves, cultural features, or historic sites with each other and with populated areas; locally certain strip or linear parks designated as parkway or greenbelt . The term greenway comes from

868-481: A replacement for the pier at 107th Street were announced in April 2024, with construction expected to occur from 2025 through 2027. Reconstruction of the greenway segment between 114th and 117th Streets is expected to begin in the summer of 2024. At 90th Street the Greenway rises to a walkway above the double-decker FDR Drive. The East River Greenway then passes along Carl Schurz Park near Gracie Mansion , and overlooks

930-644: A running track, and bike paths. Fishing is another popular activity. The park is bisected by the Williamsburg Bridge . 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 South Street , to

992-409: A single overnight shift. 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. When the new segment was designed, it

1054-578: A small beach in the middle of the park near the end of 20th Street. The park, which was completed in 2002, cost $ 8.3 million and was designed by Donna Walcavage Landscape Architecture. Solar 1 , an environmental learning center with a small outdoor stage for public performances, is located at the north end of the park. 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  / 40.73083; -73.97306 ),

1116-562: A staircase. 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 Community Board 8 in 2002, and again in 2006. Proposals included reusing a former waste transfer station of the New York City Department of Sanitation at 60th Street, renovating existing parks nearby (including

1178-574: A stormwater catchment system to irrigate the trees and plantings. The 53rd–60th Streets section of the greenway opened December 19, 2023. In August 2024, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) announced plans to complete the greenway between 41st and 53rd streets. The extension would cost $ 120 million and open in 2028. The project would be funded by the city government, as the UN had reneged on

1240-556: 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. The park includes football, baseball and soccer fields, tennis, basketball and handball courts,

1302-515: Is being undertaken in three phases, with first phase completed (including Pier 15). Second phase construction started in summer 2011 (from Old Slip to the Battery Maritime Building). 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. Phase 4 between Catherine and Pike Slips

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1364-454: Is expected to be built between 2021 and 2024. 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. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation allocated $ 25 million to stabilize

1426-454: Is involved in creating cycleways and greenways, states that a traffic-free route "must be designed on the assumption that everyone will use it", and measures taken "to assist visually and mobility impaired users". The American author Charles Little in his 1990 book, Greenways for America, defines a greenway as: A linear open space established along either a natural corridor, such as a riverfront, stream valley or ridgeline, or overland along

1488-426: Is listed as: 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 reef balls to attract fish populations. Access to

1550-531: Is often referred to as the wet-sand area (see Right of way (transit)#Foreshore for a fuller discussion). A linear park is a park in an urban or suburban setting that is substantially longer than it is wide. Some are rail trails ("rails to trails"), that are disused railroad beds converted to recreational use, while others use strips of public land next to canals , streams , extended defensive walls , electrical lines , highways and shorelines . They are also often described as greenways. In Australia,

1612-513: Is parallel to the Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive for a majority of its length. Parts of the greenway were built at different times. Most of the greenway was built from the 1930s to 1950s in conjunction with the nearby FDR Drive, with exceptions: The greenway runs along the East Side, from Battery Park and past South Street Seaport to a dead end at 125th Street, East Harlem with

1674-466: Is vegetated but inappropriate for public use, such as agricultural land. Where the historic rural road network has been enlarged and redesigned to favor high-speed automobile travel, greenways provide an alternative for people who are elderly, young, less mobile or seeking a reflective pace. Tom Turner analyzed greenways in London looking for common patterns among successful examples. He was inspired by

1736-614: The Andrew Haswell Green Park between 60th and 62nd Streets), and using a disused vehicular ramp to connect the greenway to York Avenue at 60th Street. This renovation was funded by a development project at 73rd Street by the City University of New York and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center . Further, $ 23 million from The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and $ 15 million from Rockefeller University were allocated to complete renovations to

1798-606: The Battery Maritime Building east of Battery Park . A bike lane in Pike Street connects to the Manhattan Bridge. The project aims to rehabilitate the existing waterfront space and connect it to two existing waterfront parks, Battery Park and East River Park. Upon completion in 2015, the East River Esplanade is slated to feature three rebuilt piers (14, 15, and 35) new glass pavilions underneath

1860-581: The Brooklyn Bridge , released on February 7, 2013, would elevate the walkway above the FDR Drive, with ramps rising to a gradual pedestrian bridge located where the 15th Street bottleneck is now. Then-Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer pledged $ 3.5 million toward the whole plan. 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  / 40.71750; -73.97417 ), which

1922-866: The Brooklyn Heights Promenade , provided viewing locations to see the New York City Waterfalls . The East Harlem section runs from the Triborough Bridge ramp at 124th Street to the Gracie Mansion site at 90th Street. It contains four footbridges across the FDR Drive as well as a footbridge, the Wards Island Bridge , to Randalls and Wards Islands at 103rd Street. A connection to the Harlem River Greenway at 132nd Street

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1984-471: The East River . Developed by Richard Ravitch , the first apartment buildings opened in 1973 and the complex and greenway section was completed the following year. 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. The bike lanes along this segment of

2046-606: The Gold Coast Seaway . The network includes 36 kilometres (22 mi) of poor, medium and high quality pathways. Others include: The Chicago Lakefront Trail , the Dubai Marina , the East River Greenway , New Plymouth Coastal Walkway , and the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway . Public rights of way frequently exist on the foreshore of beaches throughout the world. In legal discussions the foreshore

2108-656: 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. According to the Department of City Planning, the overall plan

2170-483: The PlaNYC 2030 initiative, which highlights projects and plans to transform the city by the year 2030. 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,

2232-653: The United Nations Headquarters campus. In exchange, the United Nations Development Corporation would pay $ 73 million to fund the development of the gap in the Greenway between 38th and 60th streets. Designs for this stretch of the greenway were revealed in November 2013. The new design, which incorporates an amphitheater and a floating pier, was proposed to open in three phases. The first was to open in 2015 and

2294-454: The green in green belt and the way in parkway , implying a recreational or pedestrian use rather than a typical street corridor, as well as an emphasis on introducing or maintaining vegetation, in a location where such vegetation is otherwise lacking. Some greenways include community gardens as well as typical park-style landscaping of trees and shrubs. They also tend to have a mostly contiguous pathway. Greenways resemble linear parks , but

2356-399: The pattern language technique of architect Christopher Alexander . A pattern language is an organized and coherent set of "patterns", each of which describes a problem and the core of a solution that can be used in many ways within a specific field of expertise. Turner concluded there are seven types, or 'patterns', of greenway which he named: In Australia, a foreshoreway (or oceanway) is

2418-699: The 1970s, the Water Street Access Plan was drafted to extend the confines of the traditional Financial District eastward and create a new business corridor along Water Street , south of Fulton Street . Noting the success of the World Financial Center , the East Side Landing plan was created in the 1980s to add commercial and office buildings along the waterfront, again south of Fulton Street, similar to Battery Park City . This plan never materialized. In 1982, there

2480-642: The Bronx due to plans for the redevelopment of the Manhattan waterfront. 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: During Michael Bloomberg 's tenure as mayor, he spearheaded

2542-420: The Captain Patrick J. Brown Walk on the south end. 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. A plan released in 1997 gave way to the current park. Surplus cement dumped from trucks into the East River has created

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2604-680: 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. The project

2666-429: The FDR Drive. 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 . The north end of East River Esplanade Park currently provides the only connection to Waterside Pier, which runs from 38th to 41st streets. South of East River Esplanade Park,

2728-524: 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

2790-415: The berm—the first of three of the barrier's components—will also provide a pedestrian pathway and bikeway on top of berm, boating and fishing docks, a slope down to current sports fields, upgraded ADA -accessible ramps for bridges across the FDR Drive, and construction materials such as "slurry walls, concrete blocks, a compacted embankment, a clay cap, topsoil and salt-tolerant landscaping." The total cost of

2852-657: The elevated FDR Drive , new bike lanes , recreational facilities, and waterfront seating. The East River waterfront in Lower Manhattan was known for heavy maritime activity, with over 40 piers in operation by the later 1950s. The busy waterfront provided easy access to New York Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean in the south, the Hudson River on the west, with a connection to the Erie Canal . However,

2914-490: The former fortifications, such as hills, viewpoints, ditches, waterways and lakes have now been included in these promenades, making them popular excursion destinations as well as the location of cultural institutions. The rapid development of artificial street lighting in the 19th century also enabled safe use in the evening. One example of this is Vienna's Ringstrasse . Esplanades became popular in Victorian times , when it

2976-430: The fortress's guns. In modern usage, the space allows the area to be paved as a pedestrian walk ; esplanades are often on sea fronts and allow walking whatever the state of the tide , without having to walk on the beach . In the 19th century, the razing of city fortifications and the relocation of port facilities made it possible in many cities to create promenade paths on the former fortresses and ramparts. The parts of

3038-441: The greenway between 114th and 117th Streets in 2019; at the time, the section between 107th and 114th Streets was closed off. The work was expected to take one year, but little progress was made during this period. The city allocated $ 284 million for repairs to the greenway, including the East Harlem section, in early 2021. Plans for the redesigned segments of the greenway from 94th to 107th Streets and 117th to 124th Streets as well as

3100-476: The greenway were installed in 2019. The greenway enters Stuyvesant Cove Park (at 40°43′59.5″N 73°58′26.5″W  /  40.733194°N 73.974028°W  / 40.733194; -73.974028 ), a 1.9-acre (7,700 m) 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

3162-455: The last by 2024. The three parts are between 38th, 41st, 53rd, and 60th Streets, with three gathering nodes along the way. 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 Con Edison for vehicle storage and fuel deliveries at its former Waterside power plant . In October 2021, Waterside Pier

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3224-1082: The latter are only found in urban and suburban environments. The European Greenways Association defines it as Communication routes reserved exclusively for non-motorized journeys, developed in an integrated manner which enhances both the environment and quality of life of the surrounding area. These routes should meet satisfactory standards of width, gradient and surface condition to ensure that they are both user-friendly and low-risk for users of all abilities. Though wildlife corridors are also greenways, because they have conservation as their primary purpose, they are not necessarily managed as parks for recreational use, and may not include facilities such as public trails. Charles Little in his 1990 book, Greenways for America", describes five general types of greenways: Greenways are found in rural areas as well as urban. Corridors redeveloped as greenways often travel through both city and country, connecting them together. Even in rural areas, greenways provide residents access to open land managed as parks, as contrasted with land that

3286-652: The ocean are not part of a foreshoreway. A foreshoreway corridor often includes a number of traffic routes that provide access along an oceanfront, including: A major example is The Gold Coast Oceanway along beaches in Gold Coast, Queensland , a shared use pedestrian and cyclist pathway on the Gold Coast, connecting the Point Danger lighthouse on the New South Wales and Queensland border to

3348-529: The project is over $ 3.5 billion. Foreshoreway In Southern England , the term also refers to ancient trackways or green lanes , especially those found on chalk downlands , like the Ridgeway . Greenways are vegetated, linear, and multi-purpose. They incorporate a footpath and/or bikeway within a linear park . In urban design , they are a component of planning for bicycle commuting and walkability . The British organisation Sustrans , which

3410-505: The rise of truck traffic and the transfer of port activity to the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal drastically reduced maritime traffic on the river after the middle 20th century. With many piers now defunct, ambitious plans have been made to reclaim and reuse the pier space. The north–south arterial highway, the FDR Drive, was moved to an elevated location to allow convenient access to the piers. In

3472-465: The section of the greenway between 62nd and 63rd Streets, which started in 2015. South of 53rd Street, to 41st Street, the greenway enters its only undeveloped section, save for a small section accessed by a footbridge at 51st Street. Previously, the greenway was undeveloped between 60th Street and 38th Street. In October 2011, the city and state reached an agreement to use the western portion of Robert Moses Playground at 41st Street for an expansion of

3534-462: The waters of Hell Gate and Wards Island in the East River. The Greenway is also the park's waterfront promenade , a deck built over the FDR Drive. The park is bordered on the west by East End Avenue and on the south by Gracie Square, the extension of East 84th Street to the river. 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

3596-621: Was a plan to expand the Seaport Museum of New York and attract tourist activity. Parts of the district were devoted to retail, including the main building of the Fulton Fish Market . A modern shopping mall was then built on Pier 17 and was opened on September 11, 1985. Furthermore, the Fulton Fish Market formerly located around South Street and Fulton Street, was pressured to relocate in 2005 to Hunts Point in

3658-449: Was completed in 2015. There are plans for a new storm barrier along the southern third of the greenway, between West 57th and East 42nd Streets. The final proposal, which is geographically U-shaped, will include many features. Under the elevated FDR Drive structure above South Street will be storm barriers hanging from the viaduct's ceiling, which will drop down in case of a storm. A "Battery Berm" will be located at Battery Park , and

3720-446: 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

3782-770: Was fashionable to visit seaside resorts . A promenade, often abbreviated to '(the) prom', was an area where people – couples and families especially – would go to walk for a while in order to 'be seen' and be considered part of ' society '. Beach promenades such as the Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes , the famous Promenade des Anglais on the Mediterranean coast in Nice or the Lungomare of Barcola in Trieste still play

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3844-422: Was temporarily renamed as "New Wave Pier" and turf areas and picnic tables were added to provide supplemental recreation space during construction of the city's East Side Coastal Resiliency project. In April 2017, the city committed $ 100 million in funding toward building the other two parts of the greenway. The greenway section between 53rd and 60th streets began construction in November 2019. This section includes

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