Summer is just around the corner, and Brooklynites have a brand-new spot to soak up the sun. A small beach at Bushwick Inlet Park is officially open and ready for locals to enjoy!
Near Franklin Street and North 15th Street, this waterfront space has undergone a massive transformation. The beach was built by the Parks Department with heavy input from community members, including longtime waterfront advocate Katherine Conkling Thompson.
Reclaiming the Brooklyn waterfront
Believe it or not, this specific inlet was closed off for more than 100 years. After the area’s industrial era came to an end, it was essentially fenced off and forgotten.
Now, families, children, and neighbors finally have a beautiful outdoor space for a quick escape.
This new sandy stretch is actually part of a much larger vision tied to the 2005 Greenpoint-Williamsburg rezoning, an initiative that promised expanded public access all along the waterfront.
A century of history to clean up
If you’re wondering why the entire park isn’t finished yet, it all comes down to the site’s history. It has been over 20 years since the rezoning, but only about a third of the park has been built.
The hold-up? The remaining land contains heavy pollution and requires serious environmental cleanup before any green space can be added.
As Conkling Thompson points out, this area was essentially the birthplace of the fossil fuel industry, seeing heavy industrial use since the 1850s. Transforming a polluted 19th-century industrial site into a pristine public park takes quite a bit of time and effort!
Looming controversies next door
While the beach itself is already drawing happy crowds, a separate development proposal nearby is raising some eyebrows. A highly controversial plan aims to build three large residential towers right next to the park, sitting on land currently occupied by an MTA building.
Despite pushback from some community members, the proposal is steadily making its way through the city’s land use review process. The City Planning Commission is expected to vote on the plan next week, followed by a City Council public hearing scheduled for May 27.
For now, we highly recommend heading down to Greenpoint, claiming your spot on the sand, and enjoying Brooklyn’s newest waterfront oasis!
