Manhattan · New York County
East River Waterfront Esplanade
NYC Parks
- Location
- South Street from the Battery to Pier 35, Lower Manhattan
- Size
- Linear (approximately 2 miles) acres
- Hours
- Always open
- Type
- NYC Parks
East River Waterfront Esplanade is a two-mile waterfront promenade along the eastern shore of Lower Manhattan, connecting Battery Park to the Lower East Side through the South Street Seaport district.
The esplanade was created through the East River Waterfront Project, which transformed a deteriorating stretch of elevated highway and derelict piers into a continuous public waterfront with seating, plantings, and gathering spaces.
The walk provides views of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge, the Brooklyn waterfront, and Governors Island. The changing perspectives on these landmarks as one walks along the esplanade create one of the most visually rich pedestrian experiences in Lower Manhattan.
The esplanade connects several distinct neighborhoods along the East Side waterfront: the Financial District, the Seaport, Chinatown's waterfront, and the Lower East Side, each with its own character and relationship to the river.
East River Waterfront Esplanade provides continuous waterfront access along a stretch of Manhattan that was cut off from the river by highways and industrial infrastructure for most of the 20th century, restoring the public's connection to the water that surrounds the island.