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Starting Monday, September 8, the northern stretch of East River Park, from Houston Street all the way up, will be off-limits for the next two-plus years. It’s the latest (and biggest) closure yet in the city’s massive East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, which is slowly reshaping the beloved riverfront into a stormproof fortress against future Sandy-level floods.
The bad news: Three East Village access points—at Houston, Sixth, and 10th Streets—will close entirely. That means no more loops around the running track, no riverside strolls on the Sixth Street esplanade and no casual hangouts on the grassy knolls north of Houston. The 10th Street overpass has already been closed since July 13, but this next phase takes the rest of the neighborhood’s direct entrances with it. That running track, shuttered in this phase, was given a $2.8 million makeover just seven years ago.
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The upside is that some long-awaited upgrades are finally ready to enjoy. On Thursday, September 5, the Corlears Hook Pedestrian Bridge will reopen, reconnecting the Lower East Side to the waterfront via a shiny new overpass. That same day will see the debut of six more tennis courts, a new amphitheater, revamped esplanade and seating, plus direct access to Pier 42 and the Corlears Hook Ferry Terminal.
This north-end closure is part of ESCR’s multi-year plan to elevate the park by eight to 10 feet, rebuild its seawalls and make it more resilient against climate change-fueled storms. The $1 billion-plus project began in late 2021 and has been proceeding in “phased work operations” to keep at least 42-percent of East River Park open at any given time. Still, the transformation has been a tough pill for locals to swallow. Hundreds of mature trees have been removed, familiar playgrounds demolished and cherished open spaces buried under fill, all in the name of long-term survival.
Once this final northern section closes, East Village residents who want a dose of East River Park greenery will need to head south, below Houston Street, for the remaining open areas. The city says all construction should wrap by the end of 2026, at which point the entire park will be back in action, fully fortified.
Until then, consider it a long-distance relationship with your favorite running track—one that won’t be rekindled until at least the tail end of 2026.