New sculpture adds more dystopia to East River Park An art installation, “Joined an Avalanche, Never to be Alone Again,” opened October 4 at the foot of the temporary Corlears Hook Park bridge. The piece features gravel, corrugated steel, core samples, repurposed fencing from the FDR–and asphalt. At a recent walk-through, the DDC Public Artist in Residence Carlos Irijalba…
Tag: east river park
Our Health and Environment
Make it Better July 26 was our first general meeting of East River Park Action in almost two years. The last time was in October 2021 at the still-existing amphitheater. The unrevised East Side Coastal Resiliency project is now under construction. Do not despair! There is much we can do to improve our health and…
What to Count and When to Breathe
In the absence of birds, I counted vehicles. There were plenty. by Marcella Durand There is a new hawk in town: a juvenile red-tailed hawk that sits on trees and fences between Corlears Hook Park and the tiny oblong of passive lawn in what used to be East River Park. I like to keep an…
The Case for Quercus
The cost of cutting down 29 oak trees in East River Park—just a few of the approximately 600 trees destroyed one year ago by New York City Marcella Durand In Nature’s Best Hope, Douglas Tallamy writes, “Ecologically, oaks are superior plants, and it would be easy to make a convincing case that they deliver more…
Hot and Hotter
Sparse shade in the remains of East River Park means that temperatures in the former oasis are dangerously high. We need remedies. Some intrepid Actioneers braved the outdoors despite heat advisories August 9. We measured temperatures around the area of East River Park. (We started measurements at Corlears Hook Park as shown above because that’s where…
Demand Clean Air
With half of East River Park’s once verdant space now a barren construction zone, the vegetation— that formerly filtered emissions from the FDR Drive, the Williamsburg Bridge and Con Edison — is gone. How will the quality of the air be affected as a result? And what can we do about it? We’re wondering as well,…
FRONTLINE COMMUNITIES AND CLIMATE
Deconstruct the video of the “Frontline Communities Coalition” rally on December 18th https://thevillagesun.com/you-dont-speak-for-us-pro-resiliency-plan-rally-slams-park-defenders and what you see is an image makeover for supporters of the De Blasio plan that is now obliterating East River Park despite wide community opposition. It is certainly interesting how speakers at the rally evade the history of this controversy with…
Don’t Sign, Scott
East River Park Action rallied July 27, 2021, to urge NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer to withhold approval for the controversial low-bid contract that will destroy East River Park. Construction for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project at East River Park could start once approved. Nearly 100 people came with creative signs and chants and solid…
Stringer Declines to Sign Contract
Park Destruction Stalls for a Possible 60 days On Wednesday, July 28, news broke that Comproller Scott Stringer did not sign the IPC Partners contract at hand, but instead sent it back to the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) to address concerns. This came after Christopher Marte, winner of the Democratic primary race for…
Alienation Lawsuit Appeal
The City has strenuously avoided asking for “alienation” approval from the NYS legislature. East River Park Action insists. The more that is uncovered about the City’s East Side Coastal Resiliency project, the more it is clear that accountability is critical. Attorney Arthur Schwartz filed a brief April 30 asking the appellate court to require state…