Michael Kramer

Michael Kramer is a lifelong New Yorker, civic leader, land-use professional, and longtime advocate for New York City’s waterfront and public realm. He has lived and/or worked in Lower Manhattan throughout his career and brings decades of experience in community planning, government relations, real estate, historic preservation, and waterfront advocacy.

Kramer was the Founding Chair of the Hudson River Park Conservancy Advisory Board, helping to shape one of New York City’s most significant waterfront park initiatives. His waterfront leadership has also included service with the Manhattan Borough President’s Waterfront Task Force, the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, the South Street Seaport Task Force, the Save Our Seaport Coalition, and the Historic Ships Coalition. He has advanced proposals for a Seaport Recreation Center and a Hudson River Performing Arts Center, reflecting his longstanding interest in transforming underused waterfront spaces into public assets.

A veteran of New York City community boards, Kramer formerly served as Vice Chair of Manhattan Community Board 4 and currently serves as a public member of Manhattan Community Board 1. He is also a member of the Historic Districts Council Board of Advisors and a New York State licensed corporate real estate broker.

His commitment to waterfront resilience is also personal. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy flooded him out of his South Street Seaport apartment, reinforcing his belief that Lower Manhattan needs a waterfront that simultaneously protects neighborhoods, expands public access, supports recreation, restores habitat, and strengthens community life.

Kramer is President of Battery to Bridges Coalition, Inc., where he brings this combination of civic leadership, waterfront experience, land-use knowledge, and firsthand understanding of climate vulnerability to the effort to create a continuous, resilient and accessible East River waterfront from the Battery Maritime Building to Montgomery Street.