New park under bridge
A citizen-driven plan has turned the Manhattan side under the Brooklyn Bridge into Gotham Park — a new green walk-and-jog space transforming previously underused land into a city escape for urban hikers and explorers (nytimes.com). The project was reported March 18 and is already being framed as a fresh hotspot for city runs, strolls, and off-the-guidebook exploration in lower Manhattan (nytimes.com).
Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan Inc., doing business as Gotham Park, was incorporated as a New York State not‑for‑profit in early 2021 to reopen and steward the long‑closed land beneath the Manhattan approach to the Brooklyn Bridge. (gothampark.org) The project seeks to convert roughly nine acres of underused, city‑owned land with a footprint that runs from Park Row to South Street and borders Chinatown, Two Bridges, Tribeca, the South Street Seaport and the Financial District. (irvingyee.com) The first acre of the envisioned park opened on May 24, 2023; the NYC Department of Transportation announced a November 18, 2024 phase that added nearly 15,000 square feet to the public space known as “The Arches.” (gothampark.org) Mayor Eric Adams cut the ribbon on a newly‑revitalized section on June 5, 2025 and announced $50 million in additional city funding to further expand and improve the space. (nyc.gov) Sections of the site have reopened in stages beginning in 2023 with official partnerships and on‑the‑ground support from the mayor’s office, NYC DOT and the NYPD, and the revival has included reopening the storied Brooklyn Banks skate area as part of the activation strategy. (ohny.org) Planning and programming have emphasized community‑led visioning and design sprints with partners including the Van Alen Institute, and designers describe a multi‑part plan that uses native, biodiverse plantings, green infrastructure and flood‑resilient treatments to adapt the low‑lying site. (vanalen.org)
