Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park

Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park is a 28-acre multi-level recreational facility in Hamilton Heights, built on the rooftop of the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Hudson River. The park is the only facility of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, rising 69 feet above the river and offering a comprehensive range of athletic and cultural amenities.

The park opened in 1993, the result of a community agreement that accompanied the construction of the sewage treatment plant beneath it. Local residents, who had opposed the plant's construction in their neighborhood, negotiated for a world-class recreational facility on the roof as compensation for hosting the essential but unwelcome infrastructure.

Facilities include an Olympic-size indoor swimming pool, an outdoor lap pool, a covered skating rink (ice in winter, roller in summer), an 800-seat cultural theater, a 2,500-seat athletic complex with gymnasium, a 400-meter running track surrounding a football/soccer field, tennis and basketball courts, softball fields, and a playground.

The park was renamed in 2017 in honor of Assemblyman Herman 'Denny' Farrell, who represented the surrounding community for 42 years in the New York State Assembly and was instrumental in securing resources for the neighborhood. Farrell's advocacy for education, housing, and recreation left a lasting imprint on Harlem and Washington Heights.

Riverbank State Park is managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, making it one of only three state parks within Manhattan. It draws over three million visitors annually, many from the surrounding community of Hamilton Heights and West Harlem.

The park stands as a remarkable example of how creative design and community advocacy can transform a public burden into a public benefit. By placing a world-class recreation facility atop essential infrastructure, Riverbank demonstrates that even the most challenging sites can yield extraordinary public spaces.