NEW YORK (PIX11) — New Yorkers can sunbathe along the Hudson River this summer at Manhattan’s first beach.
Gansevoort Peninsula is set to open in the late summer near West 12th Street, a Hudson River Park Trust spokesperson said. While beachgoers can enjoy the waterfront, entering the water won’t be allowed.
There will be a resilient rocky beach, boardwalks and access to the Hudson for non-motorized boaters, according to the Hudson River Park Trust. There will also be a large sports field, a dog run, an adult fitness area and a salt marsh. The salt marsh on the north side of Gansevoort Peninsula will feature native grasses and other plants to teach visitors about intertidal ecosystems.
Beach lovers with some patience can also look forward to a Williamsburg beach set to open in several years. Real estate company Two Trees, which is developing the area, has developed a River Ring Waterfront Master Plan.
River Ring is set to sit on an old Con Edison site, a spokesperson said. The industrial site, zoned for manufacturing, has kept residents from accessing the waterfront. The River Ring plans call for 6-acres of waterfront park, including 3 acres of protected in-water access and 3 acres of open space. Space will be designated for “previously unavailable in-water recreational opportunities, including kayaking, marine ecology, education, tidal wetlands and an accessible beach.”
“Now is the time to bring New Yorkers into the water like never before. As we grapple with climate change — and celebrate waterways that get cleaner each year —River Ring provides an unprecedented opportunity to interact with the water and experience the river’s newly restored natural habitat,” according to the project website.
Domino Park is just to the south of the River Ring site. The River Ring site will be funded and operated by Two Trees, but it will follow New York City Parks Department rules and regulations.
