Water Taxi Beach
Long Island City
New York City, NY
Contributed by Project for Public Spaces
An unused industrial site turns into a wildly popular waterfront destination.
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Why It Works
A recent addition to Long Island City, Water Taxi Beach is a wonderful example of how waterfront spaces benefit from simplicity. The "beach" is really a plot full of trucked-in sand overlooking the East River and the Midtown skyline, rounded out with some seating, tables, cheap eats, and a makeshift volleyball area that sometimes doubles as a performance space.
Built on an unused industrial site--mainly to give people a reason to take the Water Taxi from Manhattan to Long Island City--it has become a wildly popular waterfront destination in the warmer months.