For years, Lower East Siders, particularly those who live in the Two Bridges neighborhood, have worked hard for better access to the waterfront. Three weeks ago, the opening of an active green space at Pier 35 set a happy, new standard, as Friends of Pier 35 cofounder Trevor Holland put it, “for equitable design in passive areas with difficult urban constraints.”

On December 19, 2018, the kind of chilly, brilliant day that makes the East River sparkle, officials and community leaders made their way to Pier 35 and cut a ribbon to open the new waterfront space. Part of a larger public space that will open fully later this spring, the park features pathways between Piers 35 and 36, landscaped lawns, seating areas with views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, and a 35-foot-high wall that will be eventually twined with vines. Environmentalists are especially pleased about “Mussel Beach,” a 65-foot long stretch of shoreline of sloping concrete textures intended to attract colonies of blue and ribbed mussels.

Pier 35 is part of the East River Waterfront Esplanade project, which began 14 years ago with a multi-agency study of the two-mile waterfront between the Battery Maritime Building and Montgomery Street.

“As we work towards finalizing community-led resiliency plans along the East River, I am thrilled to see active open space come online at Pier 35,” said Councilwoman Carlina Rivera in a press release. “Along with ecological projects, this section of the waterfront is a much-needed amenity what will someday be part of a continuous and protective esplanade along Manhattan’s East Side. We’ll be improving our coastline in the years ahead and much of it will be inaccessible during renovation, so the community needs as much alternative open space as it can get.”