Riverside Park South

Riverside Park South is an approximately 25-acre waterfront park extending along the Hudson River from West 59th to 72nd Streets, bridging the gap between the southern end of Riverside Park and the northern reaches of Hudson River Park. The park was created as part of the Riverside South residential development, a large-scale housing project on the former Penn Central rail yards.

The development site was the subject of one of the most contentious land use battles in New York City history. Developer Donald Trump originally proposed a massive project called Television City, which was scaled back after fierce community opposition. The Riverside South plan that was eventually approved included the creation of this public waterfront park as a condition of the development.

The park features a waterfront esplanade, lawns, gardens, a playground, a dog run, and sports facilities, all with direct access to the Hudson River. The design connects to the Hudson River Greenway, the continuous waterfront path that extends along most of Manhattan's west side.

The creation of Riverside Park South completed a critical gap in Manhattan's west side waterfront, connecting the established Riverside Park to the north with the piers and esplanades of Hudson River Park to the south. The result is a nearly continuous waterfront greenway stretching over seven miles along the Hudson.

Riverside Park South demonstrates the potential of public-private negotiation in urban development: the community's insistence on waterfront parkland as a condition of high-density residential development produced a public amenity that serves not only the new buildings' residents but the entire west side of Manhattan.