East River State Park

Marsha P. Johnson State Park (formerly and also known as East River State Park) is an 11-acre (4.5 ha) state park[2] in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. The park stretches along the East River near North 7th, 8th, and 9th Streets, with views of the Williamsburg Bridge and Midtown Manhattan.

For the park in Manhattan, see East River Park.
Marsha P. Johnson State Park
East River State Park
View of Marsha P. Johnson State Park with the East River and Midtown Manhattan in the background
TypeState park
LocationWilliamsburg neighborhood
of Brooklyn, New York
Coordinates40°43′18″N 73°57′44″W
Area11 acres (4.5 ha)
Created2007
Operated byNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Visitors1,464,993 (in 2014)[1]
OpenYear round

East River State Park opened in 2007 on the site of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal. The park was renamed in honor of gay rights activist Marsha P. Johnson in 2020, becoming the first New York state park to be named after an LGBTIQIA+ person.

History

Marsha P. Johnson State Park is built on the former site of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, the first offline railroad terminal to be located in Brooklyn (opened in 1870 as Palmer's Dock). It is adjacent to the city-run Bushwick Inlet Park.

East River State Park opened on May 26, 2007.[3] Unlike other nearby parks, it closes at dusk. State park rules prohibit dogs and bicycle riding.

In 2009 the music concerts that were held at the McCarren Park Pool were relocated to the East River State Park.[4] The Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn (OSA) selected the East River State Park as the site for future performances. The park has been nicknamed the Williamsburg Waterfront. Through a public/private partnership the Open Space Alliance and Ticketmaster, live music performances will be held through the summer months at the East River State Park.[5]

The park was renamed in honor of gay rights activist Marsha P. Johnson in 2020, becoming the first state park in New York to be named after an LGBTIQA+ person. The renaming was announced in February 2020,[6][7][8] with New York state governor Andrew Cuomo formally rededicating the park in August 2020.[9][10] At the renaming, Cuomo also announced the addition of art and signage within the park that would reflect Johnson's work.[10]

  • Entrance sign
  • Facilities in the park
  • One of five historic information boards inside the park
  • The park in winter

See also

References
  1. "State Park Annual Attendance Figures by Facility: Beginning 2003". Data.ny.gov. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  2. "Section O: Environmental Conservation and Recreation, Table O-9" (PDF). 2014 New York State Statistical Yearbook. The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. 2014. p. 672. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 16, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  3. Ramirez, Anthony (May 27, 2007). "In Brooklyn, Modest Space, but It Does Have a View". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
  4. Sisario, Ben (March 27, 2009). "A New Home for Outdoor Concerts in Williamsburg". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
  5. "Williamsburg Waterfront Concerts". Retrieved 2010-06-14.
  6. staff/sophia-chang (2020-02-03). "East River State Park Will Be Renamed For Pioneering Gay Rights Activist Marsha P. Johnson". Gothamist. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  7. "New York State To Rename Brooklyn Park After LGBTIQA+ Activist Marsha P. Johnson". NPR.org. 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  8. Goldiner, Dave (February 1, 2020). "Cuomo to rename Brooklyn state park for trailblazing transgender black activist". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  9. "New York governor dedicates state park in memory of LGBTQ activist Marsha P. Johnson". Metro Weekly. 2020-08-26. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  10. "Brooklyn's East River State Park renamed in honor of late LGBTQ activist and trans icon Marsha P. Johnson". The Architect’s Newspaper. 2020-08-25. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
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