There’s Now a Beach in Manhattan — Skyline Views Included

Gansevoort Peninsula made its debut this week on Manhattan's west side — but no swimming is allowed.

Now a trip to the urban jungle of New York City can come with a day on the sand, as Manhattan debuted its first-ever public beach on Monday.

Located within the Hudson River Park, the newly opened Gansevoort Peninsula is home to a stretch of 1,200 tons of sand — shipped in from a Cape May quarry in New Jersey, according to The New York Times — along with misting stations, beach umbrellas, and Adirondack-style chairs.

Previously a Department of Sanitation depot according to Gothamist, the new outdoor area is located in a prime Meatpacking District spot between Gansevoort Street and Little West 12th St., just across from the Whitney Museum of American Art.

“This day, this place, reminds me why New Yorkers are so exceptional,” state governor Kathy Hochul said at the opening, noting it’s the largest park built in the city since Central Park. “To take a place that had been abandoned and overlooked and forgotten and turn it into a gathering place for people from around the world.“

Notable for being built on solid ground as opposed to a pier like many other of the riverfront parks, Gansevoort Peninsula was first envisioned in 2019, and also includes a boardwalk, picnic area, site-specific public art installation (David Hammons’ Day’s End), and salt marsh — also a first for Manhattan.

“Native grasses and plantings, coupled with submerged reef balls and oyster gabions seeded with 20 million juvenile oysters, provide valuable habitat, improve resiliency and serve as an educational touchpoint for the public to learn about the environmental benefits of intertidal ecosystems,” the Hudson River Park site describes.

While all the elements of a perfect riverfront beach day are there, the city beach comes with one major caveat: “Swimming is not permitted,” the park warns on its site.

It stands to reason because of potentially harmful waste in the Hudson River, The New York Times reported in August.

Even so, the new addition is welcome, according to locals. “We’ve wanted a beach for awhile,” Jean Blair, who lives in the neighborhood, told Gothamist. “It’s going to be a great place to relax and kick back. It’s a good change from the other piers.”

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