Ferry Culture

5 WATERFRONT PARKS WITH AWESOME VIEWS OF THE EAST RIVER

Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens all have great public spaces. Carl Schurz Park, Randall’s Island Park and Gantry Park are just a few with unique vantage points along the East River

By LAUREN LIPTON

Manhattan

Carl Schurz Park

Highlights
A waterfront esplanade; separate runs for big and little dogs; and some of the most beautiful landscaping in the city, maintained by an army of local volunteers. The park is also the de facto front yard of Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the Mayor of New York City.

Don’t Miss the View Of
Hell Gate, the narrow river passage between Queens and Randall’s Island, notorious in New York’s past as a rock-filled boat-killer.

Carl Schurz Park
East 84th Street to East 90th Street
Between East End Avenue and the East River

Carl Schurz Park

Randall’s Island

Randall’s Island Park

Highlights
A quiet urban oasis with eight miles of bike paths and walkways that skirt the East River, Harlem River and Bronx Kill. You can even get there on foot or bike via the 103rd Street Footbridge from Manhattan or several RFK Triborough Bridge walkways from Queens and the Bronx.

Don’t Miss the View Of
The panorama of the East River, Manhattan and Queens from the southern end of the island.

Randall’s Island Park

Roosevelt Island

Lighthouse Park

Highlights
It’s all about the 50-foot lighthouse. Built on the north end of Roosevelt Island in 1872, the stone structure originally helped guide ships through the treacherous river. Now it is a picturesque backdrop for your barbecue.

Don’t Miss the View Of
Queens, Manhattan and Hell Gate from the small, grassy promontory at the very, very northernmost tip of the park.

Lighthouse Park

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Bridge Park

Highlights
This 85-acre riverfront park was the site of the original ferry that linked Brooklyn to Manhattan in the mid-1600s. It includes playing fields, gardens, piers and a patch of sandy beach.

Don’t Miss the View Of
Don’t Miss the View Of: The Brooklyn Bridge, from any angle. Don’t worry; it’s impossible to miss.

Brooklyn Bridge Park
Atlantic Avenue to Jay Street
Between Furman Street and the East River

Photo credit right (top): Etienne Frossard; (bottom): Julienne Schaer

BK BRIDGE PARK

Queens

Gantry Park

Highlights
One of the city’s best-kept secrets, this peaceful park pays homage to its industrial-dockyard past with a pair of huge restored gantries at its center. These massive structures, built in 1925, were used to unload barges.

Don’t Miss the View Of
The Manhattan skyline, presented without obstruction

Gantry Park
46th Avenue to 54th Avenue
Between Center Boulevard and the East River