Gantry Plaza State Park

The towering metal structures that give Gantry Plaza State Park its name were once the heartbeat of New York City commerce. Built in 1925, these industrial giants served as specialized cranes that hoisted massive, hundred-ton railcars from the land onto barges floating in the East River. These car floats allowed freight trains from Long Island to bypass the congested streets of Manhattan, keeping the city supplied with goods while moving cargo directly to rail networks across the water. Each gantry features an intricate system of pulleys and cables designed to raise and lower heavy transfer bridges, ensuring that railcars could roll smoothly from the dock to the boat regardless of the tide.