Kelly Chew brought her six-year-old twins to cool off in the new water play area at Brooklyn Bridge Park. It just opened so the word is not totally out just yet.
"I am not telling anyone about it,” said Chew, who is already a fan. It may be hard to keep it a secret though.
What You Need To Know:
- Brooklyn Bridge Park is a linear Park along the East River Waterfront that runs more than a mile from DUMBO to Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill.
- The first section of the park opened in 2010.
- The newest section at the Pier Two Uplands brings the park to 95 percent completion.
- The final section of the park will be two acres beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, scheduled for completion in December 2021.
The spray park is part of the new Pier Two Uplands, which adds more than three acres to the waterfront park. The timing of the opening couldn't have been better as New Yorkers flock to parks for an escape from their homes.
"They have taken on such an important role right now," said Brooklyn Bridge Park President Eric Landau, who added that adding more space for people to spread out and socially distance is really important for them.
The uplands, which have been under construction since September of 2018, bring the park's construction to more than 95 percent complete. That's ten years after the first section opened along the East River. It includes a 6,300 square foot lawn, nearly 1,300 new trees and shrubs, and an extension of the berm built to reduce traffic noise from the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
The new section continues the trend of the park reusing materials for construction of new sections. The water-play area features stone obtained after rehabilitation of the Brooklyn Bridge for seating. There are also remnants from the construction of the Park's Pier Three for the spray showers.
"Water shoots off of them, shoots out of them, and it makes it a really cool and unique experience,” said Landau.
The final portion of Brooklyn Bridge Park will be located on two acres underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. It will connect the DUMBO portion of the park to the southern piers sections. It is expected to be complete in December 2021.