Stuyvesant Cove Park
Map
LocationManhattan, New York
Coordinates40°43′59.5″N 73°58′26.5″W / 40.733194°N 73.974028°W / 40.733194; -73.974028
Area1.9 acres (0.77 ha)
Etymologynamed after Peter Stuyvesant
Looking south from Stuyvesant Cove Park

Stuyvesant Cove Park is a 1.9-acre (7,700 m2) public park on the East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan that runs from 18th Street to 23rd Street between the FDR Drive and the East River. Part of the East River Greenway, it is located to the south of the Waterside Plaza apartment complex, to the east of Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village, and to the north of the East River Park, and connects to the Captain Patrick J. Brown Walk on the south end.[1] Stuyvesant Cove is served by the NYC Ferry Soundview route.[2]

Background

A dance company rehearses on an outdoor stage at park used for public events

Located on the what was once the brownfield site of a former ready-mix concrete plant and a parking lot, the park was created after the failure of the proposed Riverwalk mixed-use development that would have included residential units, offices, a hotel and a marina.[3] Surplus concrete dumped from trucks into the East River has created a small beach in the middle of the park near the end of 20th Street, which is not intended to be accessed by pedestrians.[4][5][6]

The park, which was completed in 2002, cost $8.3 million and was designed by Donna Walcavage Landscape Architecture.[7][8] Solar 1, an environmental learning center with a small outdoor stage for public performances, is located at the north end of the park.

Since 2009, Stuyvesant Cove Park has been artfully planted with a wide variety of native plant species. In 2018, park manager Emily Curtis-Murphy embarked on a program to showcase plant species originally native to Manhattan and Long Island in a manner that positions the park as an outdoor classroom for students attending local schools.

The park features a two-way bike path along with ample bike parking, and several picnicking areas with tables and seating. In 2019, NYC Ferry service was added to the park, serving the Soundview route.

Floodwall and flood gate at East 20th Street entrance to park

The park was closed at the end of 2020 and rebuilt to allow for the construction of a new floodwall with flood gates as part of the city's East Side Coastal Resiliency project. This project also removed the gazebos and some seating from the park, replacing it with stadium style seats and more tables. The northern section of the park was reopened to the public on May 31, 2023.[9]

Native Plants of Stuyvesant Cove Park

As of 2016, these are the native plant species that vegetate at the park:

References

Notes

  1. ^ "Stuyvesant Cove Park". Solar 1. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  2. ^ "Soundview Ferry Route & Schedule | NYC Ferry Service". New York City Ferry Service. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  3. ^ Stamler, Bernard (October 26, 1997). "Park to Grow on the Ashes of the Riverwalk Plan". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  4. ^ "Before & After". Solar 1. Archived from the original on 2010-07-02. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  5. ^ Kinetz, Erika (January 13, 2002). "Rock Outcropping or Rubble? No One's Neutral on Old Cement". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  6. ^ Kilgannon, Corey (May 31, 2004). "They'll Take Manhattan (Accidental Beaches, Too)". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  7. ^ Rosen, Dan (December 9, 2009). "Stuy Town Resident Is Putting on The Pier Pressure". The Villager. New York. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  8. ^ Freeman, Allen (August 2003). "East Side Story". Landscape Architecture. Archived from the original on 2011-01-15. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  9. ^ "Stuyvesant Cove Park Reopens with New Recreation Areas and Flood Protection for Surrounding Community". New York City Department of Design and Construction. May 31, 2023. Retrieved 2023-06-18.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stuyvesant Cove Park.
East Side of Manhattan (14th–34th Streets, east of Fifth Ave)
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