Lower East Side residents are getting a new park just in time for the long Fourth of July weekend.
Pier 42, which was an abandoned industrial pier and unused parking lot blocking waterfront views, is now a waterfront park with a recreational area.
Officials cut the ribbon at the park during a ceremony Wednesday morning.
The park is part of an approximately $33 million revitalization project that has been in the works for more than 12 years.
It is south of East River Park, which has been closed for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project. That park is set to reopen in 2026, but in the meantime, the new park will provide community members with much-needed open green space, with waterfront views.
The park’s opening marked a first for young Lower East Side residents who frolicked in the area on Wednesday.
“They’re very excited. We’ve been watching this park grow from a distance,” said Shaughn White, who was visiting the park.
White lives across the street and runs a daycare. She said she was thrilled to be at the park on its opening day.
“It’s good to have access. It’s close to home. I mean, we just had to walk up and just come around. It’s very convenient,” White said.
The city's Department of Parks and Recreation and the New York City Economic Development Corporation led the efforts as part of their “Vital Parks” initiative, which aims to increase access to outdoor recreation space for all New Yorkers.
“By creating clean and safe public spaces, we know that we make our communities safer, providing young people with safe outlets for fun and active play, and also giving neighbors opportunities and spaces to connect, swap stories, and build community,” NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said.
The green space runs from Montgomery Street to East River Park. It includes a new park with a playground and picnic area, a designated bike path, shoreline access and waterfront views, and a recreation deck with a soccer field, tennis courts and adult fitness equipment.
“This is awesome. The landscaping is amazing, amazing, amazing landscaping. I have never seen anything like this. We need more of this like all around, especially in Brooklyn and other places,” Serge Jean-Baptiste said, who was working out at the park.
For some lifelong Lower East Side residents, the new East River waterfront views serve as a reminder of just how far the pier has come.
“This was all dark and gloomy and now it’s all open, and you get to enjoy the river,” Johnny Delvalle, who was enjoying the waterfront views on a park bench, said.
The space is breathing new life for generations to come.
“As you can see, they’re happy, so that’s all that matters to me, as long as the kids are happy,” White said.
The Parks Department said the park was created with flood resistant design elements, aiming to withstand any sort of flooding disasters or other climate change related issues.
The Pier 42 project was made possible by a grant from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which receives funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.