This is the view from the 6 train heading into Manhattan. Every day people crane their necks between the Whitlock and Elder Ave. stops to see what new additions have cropped up on this riverside park...
In the short time since that picture was taken they have installed railings, street lamps and grass. It is all part of a project to put in bike paths along the Bronx River and clean up the river itself. This one segment is called the Concrete Plant Park (named for the silos, I think). Salt marsh grasses and other greenery were planted in mats along the riverfront, which you can see in the lower left portion of the top photo.
Volunteers give boat rides at the Hunts Point park
I also recently took a trip to see the riverside park that opened nearby in Hunts Point, and one can see how beautiful the river area can be. At present this park is surrounded by a very industrial area, and the air quality is poor (the smell of garbage was in the air by the waterfront and I had to run to Duane Reade for sinus medication before getting back on the subway). But that just underscores the fact that this area has a need for more green spaces and an improvement in the air quality.
The Bronx River Alliance website is worth taking a look at to see the challenges and the many projects in store for along the river. One large improvement will be controlling runoff into the river from the city streets and from overflow of the combined sewer system, which washes pollution into the water during heavy rainfall.
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They were the ones that originated the whole Hunts Point plan.
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