Plans for Public Beach in Manhattan Move Forward

Image: View of Governors Island and Manhattan from New York Harbor. (photo via IdealPhoto30/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
Image: View of Governors Island and Manhattan from New York Harbor. (photo via IdealPhoto30/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 12:45 AM ET, Mon July 29, 2019

Manhattan might be an island surrounded by water, but don't look for the beach.

At least, not yet anyway.

Plans are moving forward to bring a public beach to the west side of Manhattan near the Meatpacking District, famed for its restaurants and nightclubs.

The Hudson River Park Trust on Wednesday unveiled renderings for the proposed 5.5-acre park, which will include the beach along the Hudson River, kayak access, a sports field and a picnic area.

Alas, while the plan is certainly ambitious and potentially rewarding for both locals and tourists alike, there likely will be no swimming-the Hudson River has unacceptable levels of bacteria.

Nonetheless, the plans are moving ahead.

"The driving inspiration behind this concept is the idea of creating habitat that links back to the estuary and to connect people to the river and local wildlife," Madelyn Wils, the president and CEO of the Hudson River Park Trust, said in a statement. "We look forward to finalizing the design, working with the community, and getting the project underway."

The trust expects construction to take 18 months beginning late next year and completed around 2022. The group previously approved a proposal for the design by James Corner Field Operations, the same firm that constructed the wildly popular High Line in Manhattan and Brooklyn's Domino Park.


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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