The Hudson River now has a public beach with a sandy shore, sports field, picnic area, and boardwalk. Unfortunately, swimming isn’t allowed, but there are so many other things you can do. It is Manhattan’s first public beach and includes colorful beach umbrellas and lounge chairs, and it’s worth a visit!
Hudson River’s First Beach
The new 5.5-acre beach is located inside Hudson River Park and part of Gansevoort Peninsula. You can also enjoy a sports game, a nice family picnic, a walk in the park, a jogging session, or a boat ride. You can also visit the Whitney Museum of American Art and see a site-specific sculpture named Day’s End by David Hammons.
There is also an ecological salt marsh on the peninsula’s north side. It is home to multiple native grasses and about 20 million juvenile oysters. Swimming is not allowed despite the surf and sand area. This area on the Hudson River was not designed to be a swimming beach. Of course, some people didn’t agree with the restriction. Lots of them expressed their opinion that the beach was a place where you were supposed to swim and have fun.
The New Beach’s Development
Despite receiving some criticism, the new beach was actually given a stamp of approval by most people. It is located much closer than the other popular beaches in New York, like Coney Island, Rockaway Beach, and Brighton Beach. Plus, visitors have a nice view of the Statue of Liberty and One World Trade Center. There is also a water misting system for “cooling down or rinsing off sand.”
If you’re wondering what the site used to look like, it was a parking area for the city’s sanitation department. It was also used as an area for garbage burning. Turning it into a beach cost around $73 million. The fact that this place was abandoned long ago but now functions as an area where people can have fun is quite impressive.