Nothern Manhattan Parks 2030 Master Plan Park Projects

Increase playground and active recreation areas

• Add a playground and comfort station to the south end of the park
• Improve the volleyball area and athletic fields

Improve forest health

• Remove invasive trees and vines; enhance habitat for birds

Enhance the shoreline and natural areas

• Improve access to beaches and rock outcroppings
• Improve shoreline stability through addition of boulders and plantings

Create opportunities for adventure

• Activate the isolated section of the park east of the Henry Hudson Parkway, consider activities such as skateboarding, and BMX biking

Improve connections to the community and other parks

• Construct handicapped accessible, well-lit and safe connections to the waterfront from the community
• Reduce bicycle and pedestrian conflicts
• Improve the perimeter appearance

Enhance the picturesque park

• Expose gigantic rocks and meadows

Provide more opportunities for healthy activity

• Improve the recreation center, athletic fields, and playgrounds
• Provide more restrooms

Improve forest and ecology health

• Remove invasive trees and the vines that are killing trees
• Enhance habitat for birds and locally rare species such as Dusky Salamanders

Create opportunities for adventure

• Provide rock climbing, mountain biking, skateboarding, and BMX biking

Improve bike path continuity and connections to the community

• Construct a visible and continuous middle level path through the entire length of the park connecting to the High Bridge
• Improve the perimeter appearance

Improve business opportunities as well as pedestrian and bicycle safety

• Create public gardens with healthy food at Anne Loftus, Dyckman Rest and Sherman Creek
• Make Dyckman Street a more desirable strolling location, appropriate for the evening Paseo
• Establish areas for sidewalk cafés, perhaps by bumping out the sidewalk
• Eliminate double parking that congests traffic flow and blocks bike lanes, create areas for livery car standing
• Improve pedestrian crossings, and stripe bike lanes

Restore the historic Olmsted Brothers’ landscapes

• Continue the restoration of the park beyond the Heather and Alpine gardens
• Restore internal views through glades
• Restore historic structures

Preserve the treasured views

• Prune to restore the expansive Hudson and Palisades views which were created at great expense

Become a biking and boating destination

• Connect to the Hudson River Greenway and Dyckman Street pier
• Increase greening of Payson Avenue
• Provide secure bike storage at Anne Loftus

Provide a community focus

• Enhance Anne Loftus playground as a piazza with new activities, programs, and local food
• Improve the children’s play area

Family attractions

• Expand the variety of play and exercise in playgrounds, provide comfort stations

Improve forest, ecological health, and scenic beauty

• Restore forest health
• Recreate the buried stream and marshes
• Prune trees to open scenic views

Evoke past eras

• Native American life and the Revolutionary War

Protect, reveal and interpret geological treasures

• Geological phenomena and formations, springs and natural shorelines

Explore Mannahatta, the time before development

• Protect and enhance the isolated valley and forest ridge overlooking the sublime expanse of the Hudson Valley and Palisades

Improve family attractions

• Nature center, accessible restrooms, community space, performance area, picnic lawns

Provide more opportunities for healthy activity

• Add recreation facilities, such as playgrounds

Improve shoreline path continuity and water access

• Extend the shoreline path north to 217th Street
• Create opportunities for fishing and boating, including small boat storage and launching facilities

Enhance the shoreline and natural areas

• Restore the marshes and shoreline