Parks And Recreation | The Lo-Down : News from the Lower East Side

Smog from wildfires 2,700 miles away clouds New York’s skyline. (taken 9/16/20) Photo by Kari Jensen

West Coast Fire Haze Clouds NYC Skies

New York City’s skies dulled to shades of yellows, greens and grays recently, clouded by smoke blown in from West Coast wildfires. …

Official Bronze Plaque Installed For Togo the Sled Dog in Seward Park

The historic statue of “Togo” the sled dog in the recently renovated Seward Park now has an official plaque. The bronze plaque was installed in a collaboration with the parks department and the Seward Park Conservancy. …

"Running to Protest" participants head north along the East River. All photos by Kari Jensen.

Speaking Out for Racial Justice on the Lower East Side

As racial justice protests continue here in New York City, here is a look at one of the recent events that took place at the East River Park Amphitheater. …

Seward Park Reopens After COVID-19 Closure (UPDATED)

UPDATE (06-22-20): The park jumped the gun a bit, over the weekend, but is now officially open.

UPDATE (06-20-20): The park was definitely open …

Corlears Hook Park in Lush Spring Green

Thanks to Andrea DiFiore (@andreadifiore62) for this photo of Corlears Hook in lush, spring green.

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Magnolias in Bloom on the Lower East Side

Thanks to Andrea DiFiore for sending along these photos of Magnolias in bloom around East River Park. In spite of it all, it’s nice to …

Ribbon Cutting Celebrates Seward Park Improvements

The $6 million renovation of Seward Park was completed several weeks ago, and people in the neighborhood have been enjoying the much-improved plaza linking …

Togo, the sled dog, has new prominence in Seward Park. Photo by Roger Bultot.

Seward Park Facelift is Complete

The Parks Without Borders $6 million dollar facelift at Seward Park has been completed. The project touts lower fences, a new library stone courtyard, an expanded garden, ampitheatre seating and new fitness equipment – not to mention lower fencing around the entire periphery. …

Public Notice: Combined Notice of Joint ROD and Findings Statement and NOI RROF (Sponsored)

East Side Coastal Resiliency Project – New York, New York, December 6, 2019: This provides notice that the City of New York’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as the “Responsible Entity,” as that term is identified by 24 CFR 58.2(a)(7)(i), together with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (NYC Parks), has issued a Joint Record of Decision (ROD) and Findings Statement …

City Council Approves East Side Resiliency Plan

The New York City Council yesterday approved a controversial plan to build a flood protection system along the East River from East 25th Street to Montgomery Street. …

(Opinion) Don’t Kill East River Park for a Bad Flood Plan

The following op/ed was written by Lower East Side resident and East River Park ACTION founder Pat Arnow. The Lo-Down accepts op/ed submissions relevant to the Lower East Side community. Opinion pieces do not reflect the editorial position of The Lo-Down, but only the viewpoints of each individual author. …

Seal Park in the Fall

Photo by Robin Schatell

It’s autumn in what locals call “Seal Park.” Formally known as John V. Lindsay East River Park. Thanks to Robin …

The Fascinating History of Schiff Fountain in Seward Park

Big changes are, of course, coming to Seward Park. A $6.4 million renovation through the city’s Parks Without Borders program is expected to be completed before the end of this year. Meanwhile, the Seward Park Conservancy is launching a fundraising campaign to restore the historic Jacob H. Schiff Fountain …