East River Greenway of the Mind: The City Dreamed It, But Dead Ends Riddle Waterfront Trail

Talk about arterial blockage!

That’s been the news from the East River waterfront for years now and, following a recent traversal of this shoreline from the Battery to the Harlem River—at least those parts which are accessible— that’s the way it’s going to remain for the foreseeable future.

It’s not just the discontinuity—including the non-existent sections required to get past the United Nations. It’s also the confusion. For example, coming from the south, having already negotiated the path’s near disappearance around Waterside Plaza starting around 25th St., one eventually enters the amusingly named New Wave Pier—which dead ends at 43rd St.. What?

To go any further, one must backtrack and exit via a catacomb like underpass of the FDR Drive at 37th St.—a trick one can learn easily enough but still.

From there, one bops their way up 1st Ave. past the U.N. and the architecturally stunning Turkish House (a.k.a. the Turkevi Center) at E. 46th St. While this edifice is better known to some as the locus for Mayor Eric Adams alleged corruption scandal involving Turkey, the 35-story Perkins Eastman-designed glass tower is really quite a sight, especially in the morning sun.

Continuing north to E. 53rd St. (if on foot) or E. 54th St. (if on bicycle) St., turning right will lead one safely to the trail’s next open section, the prosaically named East Midtown Greenway.

Opened to significant fanfare in December 2023, this segment is an impressive example of what the coordinated, motivated and well-funded city can do: the Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the Parks Department, and others all deserve a hand here. Four years in the making, this literally over-the-water path parallels the FDR Drive before connecting with Andrew Haswell Green Park at E. 60th St.

Green (1820-1903), a lawyer and civic leader who played integral parts in the creation of Central Park, the New York Public Library and numerous other institutions earned the nicknamed “The Father of Greater New York” and the Greenway is worthy of his legacy.

Widely admired across the political spectrum, Green’s sudden death— from being shot five times at Park Avenue and 39th St. in a case of mistaken identity—was among the most shocking of its day.

Just as Green met a premature ending, so too does the Greenway, which, heading uptown, stops at 71st St. A zig-zag ramp takes one back to street level, where an expansion of the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) called the Anna-Marria and Stephen Kellen Tower has been under construction since October 2021.

The pace of the construction, and the disruption of the Greenway, is the source of a now longstanding conflict between the Friends of East River Esplanade advocacy group, the hospital, the EDC and, by extension, Council Member Julie Menin, within whose district this area lies.

According to the Friends’ chair, Jennifer Ratner, the group has received many hundreds of letters but HSS has been unyielding, saying that the creation of a temporary, water-level walkway is “logistically infeasible.” Because many material deliveries to the construction site have been made by barge, this is likely true though it doesn’t make the situation less frustrating to Esplanade lovers, who can track the project’s progress at the HSS website. At present, HSS aims to re-open the Esplanade as early as possible in 2025.

Heading downtown, the Esplanade dies 74th Street, just past and below John Jay Park. A ramp to and from 78th Street, beneath which a fitness area will someday be constructed, gets one to or from the water level. Today, the chief highlight is a sinkhole—yes, a sinkhole—which around which four sections of metal barricades have been lashed to prevent one from falling in—and perhaps falling all the way through to the East River.

For the time being, Esplanaders are advised to make the best of a non-ideal situation by embracing these forced detours. Indeed, if one has the time, and appetite, don’t just to York Avenue but rather head towards 2nd Avenue, stop at the beloved Orwasher’s Bakery, 308 E. 78th Street for coffee and bread, and, given that it’s the end of October, seasonal variant of the classic black and white cookie, this one being orange and black.

To further lift one’s spirits, E. 78th Street also features numerous buildings adorned with extensive, and impressive Halloween decorations, including all manner of skeletons, ghosts, graveyards, witches and the like: BOO!