East River Greenway improvements planned for uptown

MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- A popular New York City parkland is falling to pieces and improvements are on the way. 

The East River Greenway Esplanade stretches from the east side to connect with the Harlem River and into Upper Manhattan. A new phase of the project to rehabilitate and create parts of the path is moving ahead. 

Twenty blocks along a stretch from East Harlem to Harlem are next for work. A new presentation from the New York City Economic Development Corporation and Parks Department offered some details, renderings and a timeline. 

Work is set to begin in mid-2025 and take up to 30 months. It includes a new pier for recreation.

A stretch of the East River Greenway Esplanade uptown is set to receive improvements, including a new pier for recreation. (Courtesy of New York City Economic Development Corporation and Parks Department)

“For people who walk here, it can be dangerous. It needs a fixer-upper,” said Angelo, who travels up and down the east side and home to East Harlem.

In 2013, the city announced hundreds of millions of dollars to fund a network of projects. 

In December 2023, a new elevated park opened around the Queensboro Bridge. It extended to the park's area. 

Jennifer Ratner is with Friends of the East River Esplanade. The group has advocated for improvements all along the pathway. 

“East Harlem and all of Manhattan’s east side will have the creative and exciting waterfront that it deserves. The area has been waiting a long time,” Ratner said. 

The fenced-off Pier 107 will have a new shape and new life. It has been fenced off for decades. 

The city is also currently working on a section to the north that reaches along the Harlem River.