Though it’s easy to forget among high-rises and concrete buildings, New York City is full of beaches. There’s the Rockaways in Queens, Coney Island in Brooklyn, Orchard Beach in the Bronx, and Midland Beach in Staten Island—and that’s only to name a few. Though most of the city’s boroughs offer a seaside reprieve during the hot summer months, Manhattan is notably missing from the list. It’s locked between two rivers, but the small island has never had a public beach—until now.
Originally announced in 2019, Gansevoort Peninsula, which opened this week, is home to Manhattan’s first public beach. Part of the Hudson River Project, the new outdoor space is located opposite the Whitney Museum of Art between Gansevoort Street and Little West 12th Street. “This is how we do things in New York. We see beauty and potential, we roll up our sleeves and we get to work,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “It’s been 25 years in the making and we’ve shown once again that anything worth having is worth working for.”
It may not be a coastline in the most traditional sense, but the city is hoping to provide an official location for Manhattanites to relax and sunbathe during the summer months (as it is now, many opt to soak in rays at public parks). “People want a place to lay down and to take their shirt off, and that’s what they’re gonna have here,” Cricket Day, a designer involved in the project, told the Daily Beast. However, what they won’t have is a place to swim: Though the plans include a place to launch kayaks, swimming won’t be permitted. But worry not, there will be also be a large sports field, picnic tables, and walking paths for people who want to do more than just lounge along the shoreline.
“Gansevoort Peninsula is a true green space for the 21st century, incorporating innovative design and helping to prepare the west side of Manhattan for climate change,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “Our administration is working to provide open space in every community and expand access to public parks in all five boroughs. The city has invested more than $70 million in this critical project that will help us reach that goal, and we hope New Yorkers enjoy all the wonderful amenities it has to offer.”
Manhattan’s first public beach was designed by James Corner Field Operations—the same firm that led the design for the High Line. On the peninsula’s eastern edge, visitors can find a building designed by N Architects holding public restrooms and a concession stand. In addition to the highly anticipated beach, the areas have seen a massive influx of buildings and projects from high profile designers, including Bjarke Ingels Group, Zaha Hadid, and Frank Gehry.
