East River Esplanade - New York, NY
East River Esplanade is a scenic waterfront walkway in New York, New York, located between 53rd and 71st Streets along Park South and Sutton Place South, ZIP code 10022. This accessible and kid-friendly esplanade provides visitors with striking views of Roosevelt Island, Queensboro Bridge, and downtown Manhattan, making it a favored spot for walking, jogging, and photography.
The esplanade features well-maintained paths with separate lanes for biking and running as reported by visitors. There are numerous benches and quiet nooks to sit and enjoy the surroundings, along with a couple of water fountains. The entrance is wheelchair accessible, and the area is noted to be suitable for children as well. According to user reviews, the environment is clean, green, and picturesque, though proximity to the highway may occasionally make it a bit noisy. Maintenance of native plants is an ongoing concern among frequent visitors who appreciate the ecological efforts in place.
While it is described as dog friendly by some visitors, there is no detailed official information on leash policies or designated dog areas. Visitors enjoy the natural beauty and urban views, making East River Esplanade a pleasant outdoor destination for families, dog owners, joggers, and anyone seeking a waterfront walk in this part of Manhattan.
Reviews
A beautiful addition to the waterfront. Clean, green, picturesque, nicely maintained. Lots of benches and nooks to sit down and enjoy the views of the stunning Queensboro bridge and the East River. Kid and dog friendly, with a couple of water fountains.
The East River Walkway is a cozy and refreshing spot, with dedicated bike-share and running lanes. You can enjoy beautiful views of Roosevelt Island along the way. I started my walk from the entrance at E 63rd Street down to E 50th Street. Currently, the walkway is closed near the 71st Street Bridge and 75th Street due to ongoing construction.
Went for another walk along the new Greenway from 53rd to 71st, where it is now closed for some repair work. Today was a beautiful, sunny and cold day and there were still a few hearty souls walking and jogging. Scenery is great with views of Roosevelt Island, Queensboro Bridge, downtown NY and Brooklyn, boat traffic on the East River and the overhead Tramway. Best photo shoot area is from the 53rd end looking down river.
A wonderful addition to the neighborhood and to NYC.
Love the Esplanade, BUT very disappointed about the way the native plant strips have been trimmed. Having been looking at them multiple times a week for the past year, I was shocked to see how they were flattened with what seemed to be little care for their seeds and stalks. I completely understand trimming back plants that are overflowing onto the biking and walking paths, totally makes sense! But leveling native plant stalks, that were planted to help the local ecosystems and native fauna, like insects and birds, seems to defeat the purpose. Overwintering plants are important, their hollow stems create safe habitat for insects and their eggs, while I have been watching the birds delightfully eat the seeds of asters, echinacea, and goldenrod to keep themselves fed through the drought. The before image might look at little wild, but the after images don’t look any better in my opinion. I love this park and greenway, and I appreciate all those who work on it to do make it great for everyone, including the birds and bees, but hopefully we can figure out a way to keep the winter benefits of these plants while still trying to make it look tidy for those that enjoy the paths?
A beautiful walkway overlooking Roosevelt Island, Queens Bridge and lower Manhattan! This beautiful expansion of the East River Greenway can be entered on 71st or 53rd Street. It can be a bit noisy since it’s right along the highway, but it’s lovely for a run with headphones.