Explore the renovated New York park now accessible, featuring fresh barbecue spots, basketball facilities, and innovative elevated greenery, following a four-year closure.
New York's East River Park Reopens, Boasting Flood Protection and Enhanced Recreational Spaces
After years of extensive reconstruction efforts, the officially reopened important sections of East River Park in New York now stand 8 to 10 feet higher, offering more than just new tennis courts and picnic areas. This raised terrain conceals a cutting-edge flood protection system, designed to shield the Lower East Side from storms caused by climate change. The transformation is part of the East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) project, a $1.45 billion initiative intended to safeguard over 110,000 New Yorkers from the risks of sea level rise and coastal flooding.
The revitalized park showcases a harmonious combination of climate change resilience and everyday recreation. It boasts six regulation tennis courts, two basketball courts, barbecue and picnic areas, open grass, and a new nature exploration zone. The design incorporates over 600 newly planted trees and 21,000 shrubs and grasses, adding a touch of greenery while enhancing precipitation management during storms.
"Today, we’ve taken another significant step in protecting and revitalizing our city's waterfront," said Mayor Eric Adams. The project isn't just about infrastructure; it's an investment in community, safety, and joy."
A defining feature of the new landscape is its "park-lagoon" design, conceived by Bjarke Ingels Group. This innovative concept envisions a connected chain of green spaces inviting people in rather than keeping water out. Already, bridges such as Delancey Street—ADA-accessible—are open, with more access points expected this summer. The goal is to make the park more welcoming and protective simultaneously.
The larger ESCR project involves improvements spanning a 2.4-mile stretch from Montgomery Street to East 25th Street, incorporating sea walls, berms, gates, and sewer upgrades. Upcoming milestones include the reopening of the Corlears Hook bridge and park expansion by the end of this year. Construction will continue until early 2027, with a commitment to keep at least 42% of East River Park open.
The city has also revitalized other open spaces along the East River, such as Stuyvesant Cove Park, Pier 42, and other nearby recreational areas, as part of a broader climate adaptation strategy that places equal emphasis on people and protection.
"This is the future of New York," said Elijah Hutchinson, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Climate Policy and Sustainability. "Greener, stronger, and ready for what's next."
Elsewhere, a significant $16 billion tunnel project connects New York with New Jersey beneath the Hudson River, though this development is not directly related to the ESCR project.
- The raised terrain in the revitalized East River Park, designed to protect the Lower East Side from storms caused by climate change, also includes a new nature exploration zone, adding an element of environmental science to the lifestyle amenities like tennis courts and picnic areas.
- The city's climate adaptation strategy, shown in the ESCR project, combines flood protection systems with the preservation of open spaces like the East River Park, integrating climate-change resilience with everyday recreation and home-and-garden settings.
- In the future, the transformed East River Park will not only shield New Yorkers from the risks of sea level rise and coastal flooding but also serve as a model for a greener, stronger, and climate-change-resilient lifestyle, as stated by Elijah Hutchinson, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Climate Policy and Sustainability.
