Lower East Side’s Pier 42 officially opening Wednesday

A $33.6 million park on the Lower East Side is set to officially open Wednesday, allowing residents and visitors access to playgrounds, lawn space and a meandering walkway with city views where a parking lot and warehouse once blocked access to the waterfront.
The 8-acre green space stretches from near Pier 36 to the Corlears Hook ferry terminal along the East River and features two playgrounds for different age groups, bathrooms and water fountains, open lawns and sports fields.
The project, headed by the New York City Economic Development Corp. and the Parks Department, will provide rare new green space for the densely populated neighborhood.
“This is a real labor of love for EDC, for Parks. It reflects so many years of thoughtful community engagement and we’re just so excited to be able to be at this moment, to deliver it to this neighborhood, to this city,” said Josh Kraus, chief infrastructure officer at EDC.
Stacie Ellickson, senior associate at Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, said the project was made in response to community residents’ requests for park space, as well as concerns about flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
“They really wanted a park that was resilient,” Ellickson said of area residents. “They wanted a park that was sustainable.”
The park has features like a green roof on the bathroom, solar-powered lights throughout and vegetated ditches to help with stormwater runoff.
The pier redesign began in 2012 and is part of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, a larger project that aims to create a 32.5-mile loop of park space around the perimeter of Manhattan.
“This remarkable capital project will not only improve quality of life for New Yorkers but expand opportunities for New Yorkers to enjoy spectacular views on the East River,” corporation president and CEO Andrew Kimball said in a statement.
“Investing in resilient coastal projects improves the quality of life for Lower East Side residents and continues to make New York City a great place to live, work and play.”
A deck in the park that extends over the water opened in November 2022. It has a soccer field, four tennis courts, four half-sized basketball courts and an adult fitness equipment area.