Photo by Danny Katman.
A section of Riverside Park that had been closed for restoration for years reopened on Thursday. Riverside Park South from West 65th to 68th Streets includes new paths, stairs, and plazas; a playground and swings; lawns, sand volleyball courts, and a dog run.
Photo via Riverside Park Conservancy.
The city also says it widened the bicycle path from West 62nd to West 69th streets.
The new section also includes a new path into the park.
The project cost $21.1 million and was funded by federal, city, and private sources. It has been delayed for a while. The city had expected to open the playground and plaza in 2018.
Riverside Park South is being constructed in six phases. “Phases I through IV opened between 2001 and 2008, and work on Phase VI is expected to begin in the coming months,” according to the Parks Department. “When complete, the total park site will encompass 32 acres.”
Isn’t most of this new construction and not reconstruction?
Now bury the West Side Highway 🤷♂️
A tunnel was proposed, but blame the above-ground highway on striped bass!
“But in 1982, Judge Thomas Griesa of the U.S. District Court blocked the Corps permit, saying the road would harm striped bass. His order was affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Side_Highway
CH notes, “A tunnel was proposed, but blame the above-ground highway on striped bass!” One of the pluses for an underground tunnel beneath an existing elevated highway is that traffic can continue on the elevated highway while the tunnel is being constructed. Regarding striped bass: I was trained as ecologist and advocate protection of wildlife populations whenever possible. But have the striped bass returned during the decades following the Court ruling? If not, it is not likely they will return in the future. Humans have as many legitimate needs as fish.
Once I built a highway,
Made it smooth
Cars could race against time
Now it’s just an eyesore
I’d like it buried,
Buddy can you spare a billion?
GREAT adaptation of the Depression-era song, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” by Yip Harburg,(born Edgar Yipsel Harburg) who ALSO, with Harold Arlen, did ALL of the music for “The Wizard of Oz”, including the Garland classic “Over the Rainbow”.
B/T/W: Harburg, son of Orthodox Jewish immigrants from Russia, was a product of NYC’s free public education: Townsend Harris High School and C.C.N.Y.
He was also a communist. This makes for the fun fact that, unlike European and Asian communists whose philosophical statements are widely known,
the most famous words written by an American communist are
“Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high…”.
I agree! Nadler made a mistake with that one!
Yay! Thank you Parks Department!
Thank you for leaving a nice comment.
I remember being chased by security guards as we snuck into the tracks that use to run through this section of the park. The pier that extended out into the river was dilapidated and used by nudist during the tanning summer months , , , the year was 1975.
Are the volleyball courts (from first picture) featured above the swings? Do they come with nets or do you have to bring your own?
Welcome addition Riverside Park but $21 million dollars to move a little dirt and plant a few trees? Wow! Just Wow! Oh and 2-3 years past schedule.
Whine, whine, whine. Complain, complain, complain.
Do we know how many security cameras were installed? It would be reassuring to know that this important feature wasn’t overlooked.
Excellent point, in this day & age cameras are neccessary. If they aren’t installed our council persons need to look into this asap. Not just the new section but the entire park. Cameras can be a deterrent, a crime fighting tool.
More public surveillance doesn’t exactly sound “reassuring.”
This was the area that I used to play softball with my friends from JHS 44 in 1962. It was like an oasis for us in an asphalt jungle. It brings back fond memories.
YAY!!!! Took forever!!
WOW… I just walked by. Beautiful job.
Thank you,
Norm Zinker
Dear Parents of FURRY children. Please keep in mind that we humans sit on the grass, picnic, watch the sun setting etc. I’ve seen your sweet adorable furry children relieving themselves where they shouldn’t! Please be considerate & curb your child/children. Please make use of the area’s provided for your children. (Dog Parks) Animal droppings & urine can cause infections and disease. Lets keep our parks new and old free of animal waste. My children and I sit/lay on the grass. Thank you.
Restrooms?!
The south end of Riverside Park is at 72nd.
This is a different park, not even fully clear if it is an official NYC Park.
It’s clear and it is.
https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/riverside-park-south/history
I thought Trump was going to pay for this.
When the Trump buildings appeared and blocked the views for many, there were “promises” that Trump would pay for the development and improvement of park.
Still waiting for Mexico to pay for the wall maybe Trump can slip in Riverside Park into the bill.