Tomorrow (Saturday, July 14), City of Water Day will offer Lower Manhattan residents a dozen-plus ways to get close to, out on, and in the waters that surround Downtown. Organized by the Waterfront Alliance, in partnership with a coalition of community groups and non-profit organizations, City of Water Day will also feature events in all five boroughs, Yonkers, and New Jersey.
In Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn Bridge Beach will be open to the public for the first time in many years. Located directly beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, the small sandy shorefront will host the annual Con Edison Cardboard Kayak Race in the morning, as well as free public kayak lessons throughout the day, courtesy of HarborLAB. Cardboard kayak race teams will build their kayaks from 8:30am to 10:30am adjacent to the beach, and then heats will begin at 11am.
This tiny patch of sand, which rises up out of the East River just north of the South Street Seaport, is home to herring gulls, mallards, cormorants, driftwood, and volleyballs, as well as recurring locations shoots for “Law & Order” and just about every mafia movie ever made. It has been the focus of a years-long campaign by advocates of marine recreation to open to the public, which the City has resisted, citing safety concerns. The outcome of this ongoing controversy remains uncertain.
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In Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn Bridge Beach will be open to the public for the first time in many years
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“We at the Waterfront Alliance are grateful to the City of New York and the New York City Economic Development Corporation for allowing access to Brooklyn Bridge Beach on City of Water Day,” said Waterfront Alliance president and CEO Roland Lewis. “Civic groups in Lower Manhattan have worked for years to unlock this singular stretch of waterfront, and this is a great first step. I’m proud that the Waterfront Alliance brought the parties together and made it happen, and prouder still that together we are working hard all around our urban archipelago to make sure everyone has a safe way to get to the water. As we celebrate our waterways and waterfronts on July 14, we should remember that many waterfront districts in the region have minimal or zero waterfront access. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”
There will also be a full schedule of free music, dance and theater performances throughout the day at Piers 16 and 17, in the South Street Seaport. Also at the Seaport: a Disney children’s activity fair, and a wide range of food vendors.
“City of Water Day is a great day to come together and celebrate our waterways and waterfronts,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. “I’m especially thrilled that the City of New York has partnered with the Waterfront Alliance to open up Manhattan’s Brooklyn Bridge Beach. I’m sure this will be the first day of many that the public will be able to use this lovely little beach for education, recreation, and relaxation.”
For more information (including a complete schedule of activities), please browse: waterfrontalliance.org/what-we-do/city-of-water-day/activities/