John V. Lindsay East River Park

You are approaching John V. Lindsay East River Park, a long, narrow stretch of greenery that serves as a vital buffer between the bustling FDR Drive and the churning waters of the East River. This park exists because of a creative piece of engineering from the nineteen thirties. When city planner Robert Moses designed the adjacent highway, he faced a massive problem. The Lower East Side was already one of the most densely populated places on earth, and there was simply no room left on the shore for a park. To solve this, he built a ten-foot-wide concrete platform that extended the entire shoreline outward, effectively creating new land where there had previously only been water and industrial docks. This bold move provided the foundation for nearly sixty acres of parkland that residents have used for generations.