Newsletter issue regarding Lower Manhattan waterfront, 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

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IN THIS ISSUE: LowerManhattan.info provides news an Arts and Culture from River to River information about Lower Manhatts On the Waterfront through a free newsletter and websit' Keeping It Clean Bl® www.LowerManhattan.info. This effort tsi' tSJjiMar <i led by the City of New York in partnershi Waterfront Fun Facts with the I. ower Manhattan Developmei Downtown Owing wch a View I Corporation, New York State and tl' Special Waterfront Issue Featuring Free Map of Cultural i®nrRACTIONS ALONG THE Rivers wo __ LJ_ . ....... federal government.

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The Lower Manhattan waterfront - gateway to one of the deepest of paths and parks up the west side all the way past Canal Street. natural harbors in the world - was indispensable to the City's early Amenities include playgrounds and ball fields for children, areas for growth. The Dutch colonists who founded Nieuw Amsterdam believed bicycling, in-line skating and a host of other outdoor activities, and that a thriving port would guarantee their success and lay the foundation water-related sports like fishing, kayaking and canoeing. for the great metropolis that would eventually rise around it. The creation of Battery Park City confirmed that an appealing waterfront In ensuing decades and centuries, New York expanded on the strength helps drive a thriving residential community. Development of the of not only shipping commerce, but also the collateral industries that recreation-oriented Hudson River Park followed, and now nears flowed from it - insurance, the commodities markets and many others. completion. Over on the East River, the South Street Seaport continues These sectors would diversify the City's I to draw tourists and locals alike to its striking economic base and, eventually, grow more waterfront site; next door, the adjacent Fulton important to the area than the industry that Fish Market, scheduled to relocate to .spawned them. Hunt's Point, will soon offer additional tracts for development. As elsewhere in the Even so, the mammoth Port of New York, of City, former commercial buildings in the which Lower Manhattan was a vital part, fca area have been converted to apartments was the nation’s biggest port for most of and condominiums -- a trend that continues. the 1800s. By the onset of the 20th century, Tour boats travel along the downtown waterfront it had grown to be the world's largest -- a position it would occupy for The East River waterfront still offers an opportunity to develop a mix of another 50 years. Beginning around 1960, the modernization of cargo residential, recreational and cultural uses. In the future it may be home packing led to the departure of the industry in favor of massive modern to facilities ranging from museums to outdoor performance areas, as facilities in the outer boroughs and tri-state region. well as to apartments, shopping, restaurants and small businesses.

In remarkably short order, commercial shipping would abandon Lower The Whitehall Ferry Terminal, home of the Staten Island Ferry, is Manhattan completely. The departure of the industry, however, provided currently being rebuilt, and when completed will provide additional the opportunity to revitalize the area's obsolete terminals and resources for commuters and visitors who want to enjoy the waterfront. warehouses, clean up polluted waters and turn the waterfront into an In addition, ferry networks already link Lower Manhattan to midtown, attraction for all. Mindful of the proximity of the traditional Financial upper Manhattan, the outer boroughs and New Jersey, and there are District and, later, the World Trade and Financial Centers, the City plans for further regional expansion. As a result, the area offers direct strove to create a waterfront inviting to workers, residents and visitors connections to countless points in this region of 25 million people. to the area -- an idea that was also embraced by other cities across the Downtown also offers stunning vistas of New York Harbor and the City nation, such as Baltimore, Boston and Seattle. skyline; links to Liberty, Ellis and Governor’s islands; and easy As a result of several decades of cleanup, redevelopment and ambitious connections to the City’s transit network. With such a variety of assets, plans, today's waterfront is more inviting and accessible than ever. the Lower Manhattan waterfront is indeed poised to reclaim its status From Battery Park at the island's tip, one can travel through a network as a major focus of downtown activity.

MAY 2003 VOL 1 ISSUE 3

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