In an effort to make people remember that New York is a coastal city and revitalize the lower lower east east side (i.e., LES, Chinatown, Financial District), the city has been pouring money into extending the East River Esplanade as part of the Vision 2020 project. In a reverse-High Line situation, Bloomberg's "newest jewel on New York City's magnificent harbor" utilizes the shade provided by the underside of the FDR as a platform to enjoy the East River. The newly opened parklike public space starts at Pier 11 between Wall Street and Maiden Street and marks the completion of Phase One of the $165 million project. Described as the "missing link in the City's greenway," the goal is to make the East River, like the Hudson, a destination spot and breathe life back into the area, also reminding New Yorkers that the city even has water in the first place.
The goal is to wrap the green space all around this city. Eventually trying to catch up to its West Side rival, the East River Esplanade is starting small, planting some New York-native trees and shrubs because who here cares about anywhere else anyway? Pier 11 also provides seating to read, eat, and use a laptop (dare we dream of wireless?!) atop a guard railing-cum-bar counter. Those taking advantage of the new space can enjoy the post-industrial view of Brooklyn across the way and Brooklynites can spot the space by its illuminated purple girder after nightfall. Puppies are more than encouraged, as a new super high tech dog park—that is debatably fancier than the people park—boasts a climbing bridge, sand pit, splash pad, and dog house.
The "Look Out" is where residents and tourists alike can take in the real natural beauty of NYC via a series of stadium steps and seats leading straight into the water. Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance President and CEO Roland Lewis even remarked, "And at this link you can actually touch the water. How about that!" How about that? We're just fine swimming here, thank you.
