ABOVE: Looking south along a newly opened section of the East River Park promenade, which the city debuted over the July 4th holiday. It now extends down underneath the Williamsburg Bridge and continues slightly south. This section along the water has been closed for what seems like eternity, but the city projects the entire promenade will be open by next summer.
There used to be a dock on this very spot called Willett’s Wharf, named for nearby Willett Street (now Bialystoker Place) — which is itself named for everybody’s favorite post-Revolutionary mayor of New York, Marinus Willett.