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Marsha P. Johnson State Park

Coordinates:40°43′18″N73°57′44″W/ 40.721592°N 73.962257°W/40.721592; -73.962257
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For the park in Manhattan, seeEast River Park.
Marsha P. Johnson State Park
East River State Park
View of Marsha P. Johnson State Park with theEast RiverandMidtown Manhattanin the background
Map
TypeState park
LocationWilliamsburg,Brooklyn,New York
Coordinates40°43′18″N73°57′44″W/ 40.721592°N 73.962257°W/40.721592; -73.962257
Area11 acres (4.5 ha)
Created2007
Operated byNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Visitors1,464,993 (in 2014)[1]
OpenYear round

Marsha P. Johnson State Park(formerly and also known asEast River State Park) is an 11-acre (4.5 ha)state park[2]in theWilliamsburgneighborhood ofBrooklyn,New York.The park stretches along theEast Rivernear North 7th, 8th, and 9th Streets, with views of theWilliamsburg BridgeandMidtown Manhattan.

East River State Park opened in 2007 on the site of theBrooklyn Eastern District Terminal.The park was renamed in honor of gay rights activistMarsha P. Johnsonin 2020, becoming the first New York state park to be named after an LGBTQ person.[3][4]

History[edit]

Marsha P. Johnson State Park is built on the former site of theBrooklyn Eastern District Terminal,the first offline railroad terminal to be located in Brooklyn (opened in 1870 as Palmer's Dock). It is adjacent to the city-runBushwick Inlet Park.The park opened on May 26, 2007, and was originally known as East River State Park.[5]Unlike other nearby parks, it closes at dusk. State park rules prohibit dogs and bicycle riding.

In 2009, the music concerts that were held at theMcCarren ParkPool were relocated to the East River State Park.[6]The Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn (OSA) selected the East River State Park as the site for future performances. The park has been nicknamed the Williamsburg Waterfront. Through a public/private partnership the Open Space Alliance and Ticketmaster, live music performances will be held through the summer months at the East River State Park.[7]

Renaming and renovation[edit]

On February 1, 2020, GovernorAndrew Cuomoof New York announced that theEast River State Parkin Brooklyn would be renamed in honor of gay rights activistMarsha P. Johnson.[8][9][10]New York state governorAndrew Cuomoformally rededicated the park on August 24, 2020, on the 75th anniversary of Johnson's birth.[3][4]At the renaming, Cuomo also announced the addition of art and signage within the park that would reflect Johnson's work.[4]The state government closed parts of the park in early 2021,[11]adding trees, paths, gardens, and event spaces as part of a renovation.[12][13]The state originally planned to commission a mural honoring Johnson, but these plans were scrapped in mid-2021 after community members and activists criticized the lack of public input for the plans.[14][15]

In August 2022, on the 77th anniversary of Johnson's birth, governorKathy Hochulannounced that a new gate to the park would be constructed as part of a renovation. The gateway would contain floral decorations, which Johnson frequently wore, and the words "Pay it no mind", which Johnson sardonically said was what her middle initial stood for.[12][13]

Gallery[edit]

  • Entrance sign
    Entrance sign
  • Facilities in the park
    Facilities in the park
  • One of five historic information boards inside the park
    One of five historic information boards inside the park
  • The park in winter
    The park in winter

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"State Park Annual Attendance Figures by Facility: Beginning 2003".Data.ny.gov.RetrievedAugust 6,2016.
  2. ^"Section O: Environmental Conservation and Recreation, Table O-9"(PDF).2014 New York State Statistical Yearbook.The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. 2014. p. 672. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on September 16, 2015.RetrievedApril 9,2016.
  3. ^abRiley, John (August 26, 2020)."New York governor dedicates state park in memory of LGBTQ activist Marsha P. Johnson".Metro Weekly.RetrievedAugust 26,2020.
  4. ^abcHickman, Matt (August 25, 2020)."Brooklyn's East River State Park renamed in honor of late LGBTQ activist and trans icon Marsha P. Johnson".The Architect’s Newspaper.RetrievedAugust 26,2020.
  5. ^Ramirez, Anthony (May 27, 2007)."In Brooklyn, Modest Space, but It Does Have a View".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 21,2010.
  6. ^Sisario, Ben (March 27, 2009)."A New Home for Outdoor Concerts in Williamsburg".The New York Times.RetrievedJune 14,2010.
  7. ^"Williamsburg Waterfront Concerts".RetrievedJune 14,2010.
  8. ^Goldiner, Dave (February 1, 2020)."Cuomo to rename Brooklyn state park for trailblazing transgender black activist".NY Daily News.Archivedfrom the original on February 2, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 1,2020.
  9. ^Chang, Sophia (February 3, 2020)."East River State Park Will Be Renamed For Pioneering Gay Rights Activist Marsha P. Johnson".Gothamist.RetrievedAugust 26,2020.
  10. ^"New York State To Rename Brooklyn Park After LGBTIQA+ Activist Marsha P. Johnson".NPR.org.February 3, 2020.RetrievedAugust 26,2020.
  11. ^Duggan, Kevin (January 14, 2021)."Locals slam six-month park closure for Cuomo pet project".Brooklyn Paper.RetrievedAugust 29,2022.
  12. ^abBrendlen, Kirstyn (August 25, 2022)."Marsha P. Johnson Park to get new 'ornamental gateway' to cap off renovations, honor park's namesake".Brooklyn Paper.RetrievedAugust 29,2022.
  13. ^abGinsburg, Aaron (August 25, 2022)."Brooklyn's Marsha P. Johnson Park to get new 'ornamental' entrance".6sqft.RetrievedAugust 29,2022.
  14. ^Duggan, Kevin (March 9, 2021)."State Parks ditches controversial Marsha P. Johnson mural following backlash".Brooklyn Paper.RetrievedAugust 29,2022.
  15. ^Gannon, Devin (May 10, 2021)."New design for Marsha P. Johnson State Park adds more greenery, scraps rainbow-striped mural".6sqft.RetrievedAugust 29,2022.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toEast River State Park.
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