Several people aboard a boat, paddling
Several people aboard a boat, paddling

THE WATERFRONT CORRIDOR

A Waterfront That Works for the Community

The Battery to Bridges waterfront serves one of New York City’s most diverse communities. Roughly 75,000 residents live within walking distance of the corridor, alongside a large daytime population of workers and millions of visitors to Lower Manhattan each year. Yet the neighborhoods along the East River also include communities with high poverty rates, significant immigrant populations, public housing residents and small businesses struggling alongside NYCHA storefront vacancies.


A continuous, welcoming and active waterfront can do more than provide recreation and climate resilience. It can become a customer-generating public asset—bringing residents, workers and visitors into Chinatown, Two Bridges and the Lower East Side and creating new demand for neighborhood businesses.

Battery to Bridges envisions an economic opportunity employment corridor where food concessions, cafés, public markets, recreation rentals, visitor services, landscaping, maintenance, cultural programming, events and maritime activities create jobs that do not necessarily require advanced degrees while offering pathways to higher-paying positions, management and business ownership.

THE WATERFRONT CORRIDOR

A Waterfront That Works for the Community

The Battery to Bridges waterfront serves one of New York City’s most diverse communities. Roughly 75,000 residents live within walking distance of the corridor, alongside a large daytime population of workers and millions of visitors to Lower Manhattan each year. Yet the neighborhoods along the East River also include communities with high poverty rates, significant immigrant populations, public housing residents and small businesses struggling alongside NYCHA storefront vacancies.


A continuous, welcoming and active waterfront can do more than provide recreation and climate resilience. It can become a customer-generating public asset—bringing residents, workers and visitors into Chinatown, Two Bridges and the Lower East Side and creating new demand for neighborhood businesses.

Battery to Bridges envisions an economic opportunity employment corridor where food concessions, cafés, public markets, recreation rentals, visitor services, landscaping, maintenance, cultural programming, events and maritime activities create jobs that do not necessarily require advanced degrees while offering pathways to higher-paying positions, management and business ownership.

The goal is not to turn the waterfront into a shopping mall or fill it with national chains. It is to use public investment to strengthen the communities already here. Priority can be given to local entrepreneurs, NYCHA residents, immigrant-owned businesses and existing Chinatown and Lower East Side merchants seeking a seasonal location, a second storefront or an affordable way to reach new customers.


Public housing communities can be an important part of this strategy. NYCHA’s Resident Economic Empowerment & Sustainability (REES) programs already connect residents with workforce development, entrepreneurship and employment opportunities. NYCHA’s Job Generation and Section 3 programs similarly encourage resident hiring, training, apprenticeships and contracting opportunities. Battery to Bridges can help connect those existing programs to the new economic activity created along the waterfront.


The result can be a new ladder of opportunity: a neighborhood entrepreneur might begin with a weekend market stall, grow into a seasonal waterfront kiosk, expand into a permanent storefront and eventually employ other local residents. At the same time, increased visitation can support restaurants and retailers on the neighborhood streets leading to the waterfront.

The waterfront should therefore be understood not simply as a park, but as shared civic infrastructure—creating recreation and resilience while generating customers, jobs, entrepreneurship and economic activity that circulates back into the surrounding communities.

The waterfront should therefore be understood not simply as a park, but as shared civic infrastructure—creating recreation and resilience while generating customers, jobs, entrepreneurship and economic activity that circulates back into the surrounding communities.

Two people admiring a set of artwork displayed outdoors
Two people admiring a set of artwork displayed outdoors
A group of people enjoying a market on the wharf
A group of people enjoying a market on the wharf
A large ship with many country flags on the waterfront with the Statue of Liberty behind it

Stay informed

Join our mailing list for updates on waterfront plans, public meetings, community events, and opportunities to speak up.

By subscribing, you agree to receive occasional news and updates from Battery to Bridges Coalition. You may unsubscribe at any time. Please see our Privacy Policy for information about how we use and protect your information.

A large ship with many country flags on the waterfront with the Statue of Liberty behind it

Stay informed

Join our mailing list for updates on waterfront plans, public meetings, community events, and opportunities to speak up.

By subscribing, you agree to receive occasional news and updates from Battery to Bridges Coalition. You may unsubscribe at any time. Please see our Privacy Policy for information about how we use and protect your information.

A large ship with many country flags on the waterfront with the Statue of Liberty behind it

Stay informed

Join our mailing list for updates on waterfront plans, public meetings, community events, and opportunities to speak up.

By subscribing, you agree to receive occasional news and updates from Battery to Bridges Coalition. You may unsubscribe at any time. Please see our Privacy Policy for information about how we use and protect your information.