Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
A Beach Dream Grows in Manhattan
By
Jen Chung
Published May 29, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published May 29, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Ooh, could it be - a beach along the Hudson River? State officials and environmental groups are interested in creating a beach on the West Side, near the Meatpacking District, with the idea that people would actually swim in the Hudson. Currently, there's a sanitation depot where the trucks rae parked. One person was skeptical, telling the AP, "Haven't they found bodies out here? Who would jump in there?" Well, that's the East River, but, yes, the same sentiment probably persists in many NYers' minds. The director of the Metroplitan Waterfront Alliance, Carter Craft, counters, "I'll swim in the Hudson now. It's safe if you know what you're doing." And how do you do that? From the AP:
Advocates warn that swimmers must stay out of the river for several days after rainfall -- when the city's drainage system dumps raw sewage directly into the Hudson. Within a three-minute walk from the proposed Hudson River Park beach site, muddy discharge is visible around one of the pipes.
Craft and other advocates say the sewage isn't usually a problem and any future beach could simply be closed after storms. But city regulations are more stringent, requiring that beaches be at least 500 feet from overflow pipes. One rule prohibits any beach along Manhattan's West side.
Maybe it's more of a beach we just admire and build sandcastles in. But the Hudson River Park Trust includes the beach in its proposals for the area.
Christopher Swain swam 315 miles of the Hudson two years ago. And every year, the Manhattan Island Foundation holds a 28.5 mile swim around Manhattan - this year's swim in on June 24.
Photograph of the Rockaways from tobyleah on Flickr
Tagged
beaches
District
east river
event
flickr
hudson river
Hudson River Park
hudson river park trust
jen chung
manhattan
Manhattan Island
meatpacking district
News: NYC
people
photos
regulations
the city
waterfront
west side
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYPD: Officer shot, injured knife-wielding woman during ‘chaotic’ night at Queens home
The woman is in stable condition, police said, but several people were stabbed.
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 24, 2026 at 8:35 a.m. ET
3 slates vying to run Jersey City school board as city stares down major tax hikes
The incumbent slate, formerly backed by the teacher's union, lost that influential support over public arguments and controversies.
By
Michael Sol Warren
News
3 slates vying to run Jersey City school board as city stares down major tax hikes
The incumbent slate, formerly backed by the teacher's union, lost that influential support over public arguments and controversies.
By
Michael Sol Warren
5 men charged with trespassing in 2 Manhattan manhole cases
By
Charles Lane
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
By
Carol Chen
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .