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Wikipedia

Jacob Riis Park

August 23, 2023

For the park in Illinois, see Riis Park (Chicago).

Jacob Riis Park, also called Jacob A. Riis Park[2] and Riis Park,[3] is a seaside park on the southwestern portion of the Rockaway Peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens. It lies at the foot of the Marine Parkway–Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge, east of Fort Tilden, and west of Neponsit and Rockaway Beach. Originally run by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, it later became part of the Jamaica Bay Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area, and is managed by the National Park Service (NPS). It features an extensive sand beach along the Atlantic Ocean coastline and several historic Art Deco structures.

Jacob Riis Park
TypePublic park
LocationQueens, New York City, New York, United States
Coordinates40°34′3″N 73°52′24″W / 40.56750°N 73.87333°W / 40.56750; -73.87333
Area262 acres (106 ha)
Created1937
Operated byNational Park Service
StatusOpen all year
Public transit accessBus: Q22, Q35
Jacob Riis Park Historic District
LocationNew York, New York
Coordinates40°34′3″N 73°52′24″W / 40.56750°N 73.87333°W / 40.56750; -73.87333
Built1932
ArchitectJohn L. Plock, Gilmore D. Clarke, Aymar Embury II, Clinton Loyd, Julius Burgevin
Architectural styleArt Deco, Moorish
NRHP reference No.81000081
Added to NRHPJune 17, 1981[1]

In 1912, the city, urged on by social journalist Jacob Riis, acquired the land for a park initially called Seaside Park and later Telawana Park. In 1914, the park was renamed for Riis. During World War I, the site was used as the Rockaway Naval Air Station, one of the first naval air stations in the United States and, in 1919, the launching point for the first transatlantic flight. The Art Deco-style bathhouse was built in 1932, but much of the park's infrastructure and approaches were built between 1936 and 1937 by New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses, who envisioned it as a getaway for New York City residents, like Jones Beach State Park further east on Long Island. The park was built along with the Marine Parkway Bridge and the Belt Parkway in nearby Brooklyn, which provided access to the park.

After a period of decline, Jacob Riis Park was transferred in 1974 to the control of the National Park Service. The Jacob Riis Park Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. The Neponsit Beach Hospital, which occupies part of the park's site, was scheduled to be razed in 2023. In addition to the bathhouse, the park contains a north–south central mall; a boardwalk to the north of the beach; a large parking lot; an 18-hole golf course; and several sporting fields. The beaches at Jacob Riis Park, on the south side of the Rockaway peninsula, consists of 14 bays on the Atlantic coast.

Name

The park was originally known as Seaside Park.[4]: 5 (PDF p.11)  It was later renamed Telawana Park[5]: 321 (PDF p.42) [6]: 2  after Culluloo Telewana, who was believed to be the last surviving member of the Rockaway Lenape tribe until his death in 1818.[6]: 2 [7] A monument to Telawana stands in Woodsburgh, Long Island, east of Far Rockaway.[6]: 2 [8] In 1914, the park was renamed for Jacob Riis, a famous New York City muckraker journalist and photographer who documented the plight of the poor and working class.[4]: 5 (PDF p.11) [9]

History

Early years

 
Neponsit Beach Hospital (pictured) was opened in 1915 on Riis Park land, before major park development

What is now the site of Jacob Riis Park on the western Rockaway Peninsula was under water as recently as the early 19th century. The peninsula was gradually expanded westward by the natural accretion of sand from tidal action. By 1878, the peninsula extended as far as the current western boundaries of the park. The peninsula reached its current extents by the turn of the 20th century.[4]: 5 (PDF p.11) [10]: 2 [11]: 22  During the War of 1812, the United States Army erected a blockhouse west of the future park site, on what was then an island.[4]: 5 (PDF p.11) [6]: 99  It was demolished in 1818.[10]: 1–3 [11]: 23 

In 1880, the New York, Woodhaven & Rockaway Railroad opened a railroad line between mainland Queens and the Rockaways, with a terminal in Rockaway Park.[12]: 2·3 [10]: 4–5  In 1879 with the railroad under construction, several New York businessmen formed the Rockaway Beach Improvement Company and drafted plans to create a landscaped park and amusement area in the western Rockaways. This development would include hotels and a horse racing track. At the approximate location of modern Riis Park would be a pavilion for beach-goers. The company purchased 750 acres (300 ha) of land between what are now Rockaway Park and Breezy Point, and later purchased 750 additional acres farther east. Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of Central Park, was contracted to survey the site.[10]: 7–8 [6]: 89  Part of one hotel, called the Rockaway Beach Hotel or the "Hotel Imperial", was opened in August 1881, with other hotels following it, but the park plans never materialized as the park company had gone bankrupt. This incomplete hotel was demolished by 1889.[4]: 5 (PDF p.11) [10]: 9 [12]: 2·3 [6]: 89  A streetcar line running across the peninsula, operated by the Ocean Electric Railway, opened in 1897, with its western end past Beach 149th Street within the modern park site.[4]: 5 (PDF p.11) [10]: 9–10 

Acquisition of park property

In 1900, the property that would later would become Riis Park was acquired by Edward P. Hatch as part of two lots totaling 1,000 acres (404.685642240 ha) in size. The first plot, the "Hatch Tract," was 350 acres (142 ha) while the second "Bell Harbor tract" was 650 acres (263 ha). The land consisted predominantly of marshland and meadows yet to be developed.[10]: 10–11 [13] From 1902 to 1903, the City of New York initially attempted to create a seaside beach park in Staten Island.[10]: 14  In 1904,[14][13][2][15] the city planned to build an oceanside park in the western Rockaways near Rockaway Point (Breezy Point), supported by Jacob Riis' Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor. The Association, as well as New York City Mayor George B. McClellan Jr. and Bellevue and Allied Hospitals president John W. Brannon, also lobbied for a hospital and "convalescent home" to be established.[10]: 15 [13][2][16][17] In March 1906, Hatch expressed interest in selling the "Hatch tract", with an asking price of $1 million.[10]: 16  On May 15, 1906, an act was passed in the New York State Legislature allowing for the purchase of beach property in or outside of the city for a maximum of $2.5 million. The act also allowed a portion of the property to be leased for the creation of hospitals.[10]: 16  The Hatch tract was favored over other potential locations such as Coney Island and Staten Island, due to its large beach area continuously extended by tidal action, and beaches and surf of higher quality than the other sites.[10]: 16–17  Because Hatch was offering the property at a much higher price than its appraised value of $200,000, the city sought to acquire the site via condemnation.[10]: 17  Efforts to develop the park, then called Seaside Park, and the hospital were suspended on November 1, 1907,[10]: 18 [13][18] due to the panic of 1907,[10]: 18 [19] but resurrected in 1909 after campaigning from citizens and philanthropic groups.[10]: 18 [18]

Following the death of Hatch in 1908, the Hatch tract was acquired first by the West Rockaway Land Company.[11]: 26  It was then sold to the Neponsit Realty Company,[10]: 18 [6]: 105  which was developing the Neponsit neighborhood.[2][11]: 26  Now valued between $850,000 and $1.05 million, the Neponsit Company offered to sell the site for $1.5 million.[10]: 18  Meanwhile, the New York Parks and Playgrounds Association campaigned for the city to purchase land for a 250 acres (101 ha) park in western Rockaway. The Parks Association created a Seaside Park Committee, with the social reformer Jacob Riis as its chairman.[10]: 20  The tract was acquired by the city on March 21, 1912 via condemnation, with the city paying around $1.3 million for the site.[10]: 26 [5]: 321 (PDF p.42) [2] Around this time, the park was renamed Telawana Park.[10]: 30 [20] On March 25, 1913, the tract was transferred to the New York City Parks Department.[10]: 26  The site for the hospital at the east end of the beach was transferred from the Parks Department on April 24, 1913.[21][22]

After Riis died in May 1914, former United States President Theodore Roosevelt advocated for the renaming of the park to Jacob Riis Park.[23][20] The name change was approved on January 4, 1915.[10]: 32  Neponsit Beach Hospital for Children opened on April 16, 1915.[24] Beginning in late 1915, jetties were installed along the beach in order to prevent beach erosion, and to capture sand from tidal action in order to extend the beach. The jetties were based on similar structures used in nearby Neponsit. By 1917, 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land were added to the beach.[10]: 34–36 [25][26]

The original plan for the park was created by Parks Department landscape architect Carl F. Pilat in 1913.[12]: 2·3 [10]: 29 [27][28] Pilat was the nephew of Ignatz Anton Pilát,[29] and had also designed Astoria Park around the same time.[30] Pilat's design would have deviated significantly from the current layout. Much of the property north of Rockaway Beach Boulevard (then called Washington Avenue) would have been developed into recreational space with fields and courts for sports. Pilat's layout of the park utilized Beaux-Arts planning, characterized by pedestrian pathways organized in an axial arrangement, with focal points at the southern beach "esplanade", and at a bandstand at the north end of the park. The Jamaica Bay coastline at the north end of the site would have been utilized for an additional beach and boardwalk, along with a marine basin for boats, and a lagoon. In addition to the space on the Atlantic Ocean coast used by Neponsit Hospital, an additional tract on the west end of the beach would be utilized for a second health facility; only one-third of the beach would have been part of the park.[12]: 2·4 [27][28][31] The Parks Department had held a contest in 1913 accepting submission of designs for the park. Pilat's plan incorporated elements of the six finalists in the competition.[12]: 2·4 [28] At the time, the Pilat plan was considered too expensive and was not implemented.[27] Because of this and the onset of World War I, Riis Park remained largely undeveloped into the 1930s.[12]: 2·5 [10]: 40  Similar Beaux-Arts planning would later be incorporated into the fairgrounds of Flushing Meadows during the 1939 New York World's Fair.[32][33][34]

Use as a military base

 
Aerial view of NAS Rockaway in 1917

In 1917, with the emergence of World War I, the park site was leased to the United States Navy to create Naval Air Station Rockaway, one of the first naval air stations in the country.[4]: 5 (PDF p.11) [2] A permit was issued by the Parks Department to the federal government on April 16, 1917, with 60 acres (24 ha) allotted to the base.[10] The station began operations on October 15 of that year.[10]: 46  An additional 34 acres (14 ha) were ceded to the station in March 1915.[10]: 46–47  The now-94-acre (38 ha) base extended from Fort Tilden east to the location of the modern bathhouse.[10]: 47  The station would be used as the departure point for the first transatlantic flight in 1919, accomplished by the Glenn Curtiss-designed NC-4.[4]: 5 (PDF p.11) [35] By the time the base was complete, the remaining 168 acres (68 ha) of the park had little development occurring.[10]: 40 

On January 20, 1921, US Navy Rear Admiral James H. Glennon requested that the city cede the 94-acre (38 ha) site to the federal government in order to maintain the naval station.[10]: 51 [2] The request was initially refused, but the dispute continued on for the rest of the decade.[10]: 52–56  The station was inactive from 1922 to 1925 and became an armory for the New York Naval Militia from 1928 to 1929.[10]: 50–51  The dispute finally ended in 1930, when the Navy moved to facilities in Valley Stream, Long Island, North Beach Airport (now LaGuardia Airport), and later Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn directly across from Riis Park.[10]: 55 [36] The base was vacated by June 1930, and demolition of the base was ordered in October 1930.[10]: 57 [37]

Initial development of Riis Park

 
The 1932 plaque commemorating the completion of the bathhouse
 
The changing rooms in the courtyard of the Riis Park bathhouse, since removed

On October 17, 1925, a ferry service was opened between Barren Island, Brooklyn (later Floyd Bennett Field airport) and Riis Park.[38] In 1926, a short macadam transverse road was created between Washington Avenue and the ferry terminal.[10]: 41  The road was later paved with concrete, and expanded from 20 feet (6.1 m) wide to 40 feet (12 m) wide.[39]: 14  A small concession stand was also constructed at the west end of the park.[10]: 41–42  From 1926 to 1927, the beach protection system was expanded to the western section of the park, with additional groins installed.[10]: 42–43  From 1927 to 1929, Washington Avenue was widened and paved, with a sidewalk added to both Washington Avenue and the ferry transverse road. Other minor improvements to the park took place at this time.[10]: 43 [40]: 13, 32–33  In July 1929, an existing 1,000-car parking lot was enlarged. By this time, the patronage of Jacob Riis Park was increasing.[10]: 45–46 [41] Meanwhile, in 1929 the New York City Board of Transportation released a major expansion plan for the New York City Subway. One of the new routes in the plan involved recapturing the New York, Woodhaven and Rockaway Railroad, which by this time became the Rockaway Beach Branch of the Long Island Rail Road, and extending it as a subway line west from Rockaway Park to Jacob Riis Park. The extension of the line to the park was never constructed.[42][43][44]

After the remainder of Riis Park was relinquished by the Navy, in fall 1930 Queens Parks Commissioner Albert C. Benninger proposed the construction of a bathing pavilion at Jacob Riis Park. Benninger had been inspired by the design of the bathhouse at Jones Beach State Park, completed in August 1929 by then-Long Island Parks Commissioner Robert Moses.[10]: 60 [45] Prior to this, beach-goers were forced to change their clothes in their cars.[40]: 13  The designs were prepared by architect John L. Plock in November 1930.[46] The project was approved by the mayor's office in February 1931.[46] The foundation of the building was completed in August 1931.[46][10]: 60  Contracts were let for building construction in September 1931.[46][10]: 61  Later that month, Benninger requested an additional $105,000 for the project from the New York City Board of Estimate, on top of the initial $425,000 appropriated.[47] Construction began on November 23, 1931.[48][49] The bathhouse was opened on August 6, 1932. At the time, it was only 60 percent completed.[12]: 2·5 [46][50][51] Additional work was completed in May 1933, including lockers, the restaurant, and the solarium.[46][10]: 64 [52] The solarium was expected to be the largest in the world at the time.[52][53] A seawall running in front of the bathhouse along the beach and parking facilities for 5,000 cars were also completed by 1933.[10]: 64 [54] At this time, Riis Park received 25,000 daily visitors during summer months.[55]

While the bathhouse was being constructed, several plans were evaluated for developing Riis Park.[12]: 2·5 to 2·7 [56] Carl Pilat's 1913 plan for the park was briefly revived in 1930, but not developed.[27] On August 26, 1931, Commissioner Benninger invited several architects to a conference held in conjunction the New York chapters of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Among the architects invited included Gilmore D. Clarke, then the landscape architect for Westchester County, New York.[57] Three plans were later created by independent groups, none of which were developed. The first was from Harold A. Caparn of the City Club's park committee in 1931. The second was created by Earl Morrow of the Regional Plan Association (RPA) in 1932. The third was drawn up by Julius V. Burgevin & Joseph Gatringer of the New York City Park Board in 1933. All the plans suggested developing the northern portion of the property in addition to the southern beach.[12]: 2·6 to 2·7 [56] When presenting the RPA's plans in May 1932, RPA president George McAneny referred to Pilat's plans as "no longer practical", due to the lack of provisions for highways and automobile parking.[56] While presenting the park plan, McAneny also put forward plans for a vehicular bridge or tunnel between Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn and the Riis Park/Fort Tilden area, acting as an extension of Flatbush Avenue.[58] Although the bathhouse was built based on the RPA plans, it and the other plans were rejected in part due to the difficulty and high cost of landscaping and planting in the area.[59]

Expansion under Robert Moses

 
The construction of the Marine Parkway Bridge, Riis Park (bottom right), and Fort Tilden (bottom left) in 1937. The ferry landings at Riis Park/Fort Tilden and Floyd Bennett Field are also present

In January 1934, Robert Moses was appointed commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, newly unified from the five borough departments.[12]: 2·10 [46][10]: 70  Moses wished to develop Riis Park into an urban iteration of Jones Beach for working-class New York City residents.[12]: 2·10 [46][54] Under Moses, alterations to the bathhouse began in April 1934 with funds from the Works Progress Administration (WPA).[46] Moses was critical of the previous operation of the park, including the contracting of an outside firm to operate concessions and services, leading to deteriorating conditions in the park.[10]: 72–73  Moses canceled nearly all outside contracts and formed the Riis Management Corporation to run services.[10]: 77  Improvements to the other park structures were also completed as WPA projects.[10]: 77  From 1934 to 1935, Riis Park was the only facility run by the Parks Department to generate revenue.[60]

On August 6, 1934, Moses released his plan for Riis Park, designed by Gilmore D. Clarke, Julius Burgevin, W. Earle Andrews, and Clinton Loyd. The plan, designed in Beaux-Arts style, featured elements of the final design: the massive parking area for 15,000 cars, the road plan with a roundabout, and a central pedestrian mall running north to south. A second bathhouse structure would be built on the west side of the park, containing a swimming pool. Also included were a causeway and/or bridge linking to Brooklyn.[12]: 2·11 to 2·12 [46][10]: 81–85 [54] Moses was also critical of several aspects of earlier park plans and the layout created under Benninger, including the placement of the bathhouse and seawall too close to the shore, and the lack of parking spaces. Moses believed the location of the bathhouse and bulkhead left a minimal portion of beach during high tide, and limited future expansion of the beach. The lack of parking, meanwhile, limited the use of the bathhouse, which could accommodate more people than the lot could fit cars.[10]: 89 [54] Under Moses's plan, the large parking lot would facilitate traffic from the Belt Parkway and the Marine Parkway Bridge.[9][14] The 1934 plan was not implemented due to opposition from the local communities. Among the reasons for the resistance were fears of bringing in individuals from other parts of the city to the Rockaways, and the possibility of Riis Park out-competing privately owned beaches and resorts, leading to declines in property values.[12]: 2·12 [46]

In 1936, Moses released what would be the final plan for Jacob Riis Park, designed by Clarke, Loyd, and Parks Department architect Aymar Embury II. This plan moved the mall to the western end of the property, with a design similar to that of Orchard Beach which was being built in the Bronx at the same time.[12]: 2·15 [46] The parking area design was altered from two square lots in the 1934 plan, into the current large curved and asymmetrical lot.[12]: 2·15 [46] The bathhouse was reconfigured, shortening the face of the beach pavilion and altering its design to use simpler Art Deco elements.[12]: 2·13 [46][54][61] The modern road layout was created, which including altering the route of Rockaway Beach Boulevard in front of the bathhouse. Initially running at a diagonal to the bathhouse's front face, the boulevard was straightened and moved farther north. It was also truncated to the western end of the parking lot.[12]: 2·13, 2·15  The original seawall was replaced and recessed farther north along the new boardwalk.[12]: 7·3  The mall buildings and golf course were also created at this time.[12]: 2·13  In 1936, Moses asked the New York City Board of Estimate for $3.6 million to improve Jacob Riis Park, Fort Tryon Park, Pelham Bay Park, and the two Marine Parks. But these funds, along with similar amounts Moses requested from the Board of Estimate in each of the next several years, went mostly to build the Marine Parkway Bridge.[12]: 2·12  Jacob Riis Park was completed for a total of $3.5 million, mostly from the WPA.[62]: 476 

 
Looking north from the central mall, built in 1936. In the remote distance is the Empire State Building

Work to enlarge the beach from 8 to 24 acres began on April 1, 1936.[63] About 2,000,000 cubic yards (1,500,000 m3) of sand were dredged from Jamaica Bay.[12]: 2·13, 2·15  The topography of the beach was leveled, with numerous dunes eliminated.[12]: 2·13, 2·15 [14][61] The parking lot was partially opened in June 1936 with a 6,000-car capacity.[12]: 2·15  On June 15, 1936, Green Bus Lines started the Q21B bus route, operating from Brooklyn and mainland Queens to Riis Park via Cross Bay Boulevard.[64][65] The upgraded Jacob Riis Park was initially set to open along with Orchard Beach on June 19, 1937,[66] but the openings were pushed back due to unfinished work.[67] Both beaches were opened on June 25, 1937.[68] Work on the parking lot and bathhouse were completed at this time.[12]: 2·15 

The Marine Parkway Bridge was opened July 3, 1937,[4]: 6 (PDF p.12) [69] after which the ferry service to Riis Park was discontinued.[70] With the opening of the bridge, Green Bus Lines created a new route, the Q35, operating across the bridge between Riis Park and the Flatbush−Nostrand Avenues station in Brooklyn.[71][72] In addition, the Brooklyn Bus Corporation extended their B2 bus route to Riis Park.[72][73]: 167, 500  Due to increasing bus traffic, the Parks Department and the Brooklyn Bus Corporation constructed an enclosed bus shelter with turnstiles to expedite passenger boarding.[73]: 167  On Friday August 6, 1937, the park began holding weekly fireworks shows.[74] The park's pitch and putt golf course was opened on May 14, 1938.[75] The Belt Parkway system was opened in June 1940, connecting to the Marine Parkway Bridge.[76]

A lighted softball field just west of the bathhouse was created in summer 1940.[10]: 168  A bust of Jacob Riis at the western mall building was completed on October 14, 1940.[10]: 175  The Wise and Son street clock was installed on the boardwalk on March 4, 1941.[77] The bathhouse and other structures were waterproofed in 1943.[46][10]: 188, 198  The stairs from the beach and boardwalk to the second floor of the bathhouse were removed between 1948 and 1949. The second-floor cafeteria, meanwhile, was replaced with additional lockers, while a new cafeteria was built on the first floor.[10]: 188–189  Numerous other renovations took place between 1949 and 1958.[10]: 181–201 

Acquisition of Neponsit Hospital property

 
These two baseball diamonds were built on the former land of Neponsit Beach Hospital, which was ceded back to Riis Park in 1959

Neponsit Beach Hospital was closed on April 21, 1955, due to a declining need for tuberculosis treatment.[78][79] Following the closure of the hospital, the site was considered a "hot property", located on the beach in the fairly exclusive Neponsit neighborhood.[21] The 14.3 acres (5.8 ha) site of the hospital was valued at $1 million.[78][80] Numerous groups had conflicting interests in the future of the site,[21] with Parks Commissioner Moses wishing to absorb the site back into Riis Park in order to construct sports fields, a swimming pool, and a comfort station, and to extend the beach.[78][81][82] Others including New York City Comptroller Lawrence E. Gerosa desired for the property to be sold and developed, which would draw income from both the sale and taxes.[21][82][83][84] After the Board of Estimate including Gerosa voted 10 to 6 to block the park expansion,[85] and angry exchanges between Moses and Gerosa,[21][86][87][88] on October 27, 1956, New York Supreme Court Justice Peter M. Daly ruled in favor of Moses in a lawsuit by the Park Association of New York City, preventing the sale. The ruling was upheld by the Appellate Court in Brooklyn on July 9, 1956. The ruling referred to the original 1906 act which zoned the property exclusively for park or hospital use.[89][90]

In 1958, a compromise was reached in which the hospital would be converted into a nursing home called the Neponsit Home for the Aged. Meanwhile, the remaining 10 acres (4.0 ha) of the property were turned over to the Parks Department to expand Riis Park, adding 1,000 feet (300 m) of beach.[10]: 164 [89][91][92] The plan was approved by New York City Board of Estimate in February 1959.[93] A field with two baseball diamonds was created adjacent to the west of the former hospital in 1961, with a comfort station and concession stand erected at the southwest corner of the field.[12]: 2·20 [10]: 205 

Decline and creation of Gateway National Recreation Area

By the 1960s, Riis Park had fallen into a state of disrepair; debris "[blanketed] huge areas" of the beach, the toilet and bathhouse facilities were suffering from a lack of maintenance, and the underpass between the bathhouse and the parking lot frequently flooded after rainfall.[10]: 165–168  The park was damaged by the Ash Wednesday Storm in March 1962.[10]: 200–201  Riis Park also experienced an increase in crime: an 18-year-old was fatally stabbed at the beach in May 1962,[94] and the bust of Jacob Riis at the Central Mall was stolen in June 1964.[23] In addition to vandalism,[10]: 165–166  there were increasing arrests for drug-related offenses on the beach.[95]

 
Beach-goers at Riis Park in 1974, after it was absorbed into the Gateway National Recreation Area

In 1972, the National Park Service established the Gateway National Recreation Area around Jamaica Bay. Jacob Riis Park was ceded to the NPS two years later, on March 4, 1974.[96][10]: 208 [97]: 4 [9] Upon takeover, focus was put on Riis Park due to it being the most heavily visited part of the Gateway Area.[98] Under NPS' purview, several renovations occurred, including the installation of new roofing on the bathhouse and mall buildings, and the restoration of the Wise Clock which had been taken out of operation.[10]: 208  The NPS also began to crack down on nude bathing on the beach.[10]: 209  In mid-July 1974, Federal Magistrate Vincent A. Catoggio suggested that the entire park be shuttered if "it is going to be a gathering place of nudists"[99] and around the same time, United States Park Police started issuing summonses to nude bathers who ignored orders to put clothes on.[100] On July 24, 1974, a bill was introduced to the New York City Council to ban nude bathing.[101] In spite of this, NPS rangers and officers maintained a policy of allowing nude bathers to remain so long as they "minded their own business."[96] Nudity in the park was ended by a state law in 1983.[102]

On June 29, 1976, Riis Park was closed due to raw sewage in the water.[103] It was closed again August 3, 1978 along with beaches in Brooklyn after an oil spill near Breezy Point.[104] The park reopened on August 7, 1978.[105] Riis Park continued to have sewage and wastewater treatment problems. On July 17, 1988, the beach was closed after eight syringes washed up onto the beach. Beaches at South Beach, Midland Beach, and Great Kills Park in Staten Island had previously been closed due to the same issue.[106][107] The beach was reopened on July 22.[108] Much of the waste that had washed up on the beaches in the area had originated in Fresh Kills Landfill or the city sewer system.[109]

In the 1980s during summer months on weekends, the B9 and B46 bus routes were extended south of their normal terminus at Kings Plaza in Brooklyn to Riis Park, with a federal subsidy funding the extension.[110][111][55] The park's historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.[1] Nude bathing was banned at the beach in 1983,[112][95] although it continued to persist unlawfully afterwards.[113]

Proposed amphitheater and water park

In May 1988, the National Park Service planned to put the Riis Park bathhouse and mall buildings up for lease, along with other buildings in the Gateway Area. The developers would then pay for renovations and upgrades to the park and its facilities, which the NPS did not have the money to fund. The bathhouse in particular was in a state of disrepair, with its showering and changing facilities closed. The plan proposed constructing a 15,000-seat performance amphitheater, and a water park. Both attractions would be erected on the site of the golf course at the west end of the park. The amphitheater would occupy the northern half of the golf course site, facing south towards the beach. The water park would sit at the south end, and have a 7,500 person capacity. The golf course would be relocated to the east end of the park.[114]: 34 [115][116] Features would also be added to the bathhouse, including a restaurant, skating rinks, a public garden, and/or a swimming pool.[4]: 6 (PDF p.12) [114]: 34 [117]

The plan was opposed by local residents and conservation groups, including the Sierra Club's New York branch and the National Audubon Society. Among the points of contention were the idea of using federal parkland for amusement development, the additional noise and traffic created by the attractions, and the potential of disturbing the bird habitats in the area.[115][118] The debate was reflective of issues with the country's national parks as a whole.[115] Queens Community Board 14 (representing the Rockaways) voted unanimously to block the plans.[117]

By July 1989, the amphitheater was removed from the development plan. The proposed water park was downsized from 10 acres (4.0 ha) to 2 acres (0.81 ha), and would only occupy a small corner at the southwest section of the golf course.[4]: PDF p.70 [117] The changes did not eliminate opposition from the community or environmental groups.[117] By October of that year, the development plans were dropped and instead $934,000 was allocated for renovations to the park.[118]

1990s and early-21st-century renovation attempts

 
 
Looking at the Riis Park parking lot in 2012, used as a temporary dump to store debris after Hurricane Sandy

On August 31, 1991, the beach was closed again due to the presence of medical waste, with over 500 items found including needles and medicine vials of the painkiller Nubain. The beach was closed for a single day.[109][119] Due in part to the reoccurrence of waste on the beach, the park saw declining patronage that year.[95] During that year, a $20 million rehabilitation of the bathhouse began, which included the removal of asbestos. However, the project was not completed, and the bathhouse remained closed and continued to decay.[120][95][121]

In 1999, the federal government earmarked $450,000 for the rehabilitation of Riis Park, which was projected to be complete within five years.[122] By 2001, then-Senators Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer and then-Congressman Anthony Weiner had secured another $4 million in funds, most of which were targeted toward the renovation of the bathhouse.[123][124] A press release from Senator Schumer alluded to the possible construction of a pool with the $4 million, possibly located in the bathhouse. On the other hand, the National Park Service planned to use the money for general renovations. However, the pool plan was canceled after a preliminary study, which determined that the operation of the pool would result in a negative profit margin.[125][126][127]

Through 2005, numerous improvements were performed on the bathhouse, with plans to repave the central courtyard.[128][129] By July 2006, however, the repairs had not been finished.[121] However, a new bust depicting Jacob Riis had been installed at the Central Mall that April.[23][130][131]

In late October 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck the New York City area, particularly affecting the Rockaway Peninsula. At Riis Park, sand was pushed north from the beach onto the back beach areas. The bathhouse was flooded and damaged.[97]: 4 [132] However, structures like the Wise Clock and the new Jacob Riis bust were generally unscathed.[133][134] During the recovery effort, the large parking lot was used as a temporary dump for debris from the park and the entire peninsula. This included excess sand, trees, cars, boats, and household debris.[132][135][136] The parking lot was selected as a waste facility due to its size, location on the peninsula, and connection to highways and roads.[137] Afterwards, the parking lot was used to clean sand before it returned to the beaches on the peninsula. Because of this the lot was filled with numerous man-made dunes.[135][138] The park reopened in May 2013.[139] Repairs to the bathhouse occurred from 2015 to 2016,[97]: 8 [140] after which the NPS solicited requests for proposals to reuse the entry pavilion and bathhouse.[97]: 7 

Pipeline proposal

 
People enjoying the beach over Labor Day weekend in August 2013

On July 21, 2011, Staten Island Congressman Michael G. Grimm introduced H.R. 2606, the New York City Natural Gas Supply Enhancement Act, to the U.S. Congress.[141] As proposed in the bill, a 3-mile (4.8 km) natural gas pipeline called the Rockaway Delivery Lateral Project, proposed by Williams Companies, would connect to an existing offshore pipeline and running south-to-north through the sites of Jacob Riis Park and Floyd Bennett Field. The pipeline would run through the golf course of Riis Park, then connect to a new 1.5-mile (2.4 km) along Flatbush Avenue to be constructed by National Grid.[142][143] The project was supported by the district manager of Queens Community Board 14.[143] Two Queens congressmen also supported the pipeline, as did Anthony Weiner before his resignation.[142] The pipeline was opposed by local environmental groups, who felt it would disturb a nearby artificial reef.[143] Grimm was subsequently found to have received campaign money from both Williams and National Grid.[142]

Shortly after Hurricane Sandy, on November 7, 2012, the Rockaway Lateral Pipeline bill was signed into law.[144][145] The pipeline was put in service by May 2015.[146]

Demolition of Neponsit Hospital

In both its time as a functioning hospital and after its abandonment, the Neponsit Hospital’s buildings were recognized by researchers and beachgoers alike as having sheltered LGBTQ gathering at Bay 1.[147][148][149] In October 2018, Ms. Colombia, Jackson Heights-based performance artist, died at Bay 1.[150] Her family and friends built a memorial to honor her life and her love of Riis.[151] The memorial is located on a chainlink fence around the former Neponsit Hospital site. An annual Ms. Colombia Memorial Beach Walk is hosted along the beach each August.[151]

In April 2022, the New York City government announced plans to demolish the remains of the Neponsit Beach Hospital.[152] In its abandonment, the former Neponsit Hospital buildings became the site of LGBT-affirming public art.[153] The former Neponsit Hospital building was demolished in early 2023.[154]

LGBTQ history

The easternmost end of the park’s beach, Bays 1 and 2, has been a site of LGBTQ gathering since at least the 1940s.[155] While it was a “well-known destination for mostly white gay men to sunbathe and cruise" in the 1940s, lesbian women also began to gather nearby by the 1950s.[155] In the 1960s, the beach became clothing optional and many people referred to it as “Screech Beach” in reference to its gay beachgoers.[155] The beach remained clothing optional until July 3, 1983, when a state law banning bottomlessness went into effect.[156] Despite the allowance for nudity, police were known to arrest people they deemed as men for wearing “too minimal” suits on the boardwalk.[157][158][159][155]

1974 National Park Service (NPS)-sponsored fieldwork describes Bays 1 and 2’s population as predominantly white with a notable contingent of Black and Latinx beachgoers– with many Black gay beachgoers moving between Bays 1 and 2 and the boardwalk behind Bay 5, known as a site of historically Black gathering–while NPS fieldwork from 2000 reports a demographic shift to “a predominance of blacks and Hispanics” at Bay 1.[160]

The beach continues to be of particular significance to queer and trans people of color. Pride in the City, a New York City Black pride event, was held at a softball field adjacent to Bay 2 in 2006, drawing a crowd of thousands.[161] G.L.I.T.S., an organization dedicated to providing healthcare and housing to Black transgender people, organized Riis Pride at the beach in 2022.[162]

Riis as an LGBTQ gathering space has been mentioned in several works of literature including Audre Lorde’s Zami,  Torrey Peters’ Detransition, Baby, and Sabrina Imbler’s How Far the Light Reaches.[163][164][165][166][167]

Notable LGBTQ beachgoers include:

Description

 
A map of Jacob Riis Park

Jacob Riis Park is located at the west end of the Rockaway Peninsula, between Fort Tilden and the Marine Parkway–Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge to the west, and the Neponsit neighborhood to the east. The Roxbury and Breezy Point neighborhoods sit farther west. The Atlantic Ocean coast marks the south end of the site, where the park's beaches are located. The north end is bound by Beach Channel Drive and the Jamaica Bay shore.[96][12]: 2·3 [173][174]: 12  The park is approximately 262 acres (106 ha) in size, extending 1 mile (1.6 km) east-to-west between Beach 149th Street in Neponsit and Beach 169th Street at Fort Tilden.[2][175][176]

The major east-to-west thoroughfares running across the park are Beach Channel Drive and Rockaway Beach Boulevard, the latter of which runs near the south end of the park at the north end of the beach. Beach Channel Drive feeds west into the Marine Parkway Bridge, and into Rockaway Point Boulevard which runs to Roxbury and Breezy Point. Both roads run east towards the rest of the Rockaways. A roundabout at the east end of the park provides an interchange between the two roads. The road layout was designed in the 1930s.[96][12]: 2·15 [78][173][177]

Three buildings constructed in the 1930s are the primary features of the Riis Park Historical District. These are the bathhouse and the two Central Mall buildings.[96] Many elements of the park, including the mall buildings, boardwalk, and renovations to the bathhouse, were completed during the 1936-1937 renovation of the park with Works Progress Administration funds, under the watch of Robert Moses, Gilmore D. Clarke, and Aymar Embury II.[96][12]: 2·13 to 2·15 

Features

Bathhouse

 
 
The front or north structure of the bathhouse (top), called the entrance pavilion, and rear structure of the bathhouse (bottom), known as the "beach pavilion", in 1990

Located on the south side of Rockaway Beach Boulevard near the horizontal center of the park is the bathhouse, which has historically served as the entrance to the beach. It was first completed in 1932, designed by John L. Plock of the Stoughton and Plonck firm in Moorish/Byzantine style. The 1936-1937 WPA project led to a reconfiguration of the bathhouse, designed by Clinton Loyd, which added Art Deco/Art Moderne elements.[96][4]: PDF p.64 [12]: 2·13, 2·21 [46][97]: 8  The alteration in architectural style is said to have been brought on by Robert Moses being "annoyed" by the bathhouse's original Moorish elements.[12]: 2·13  The bathhouse measures approximately 640 feet (200 m) long and 250 feet (76 m) wide.[10]: PDF p.112–123 [51] It was modeled after the Jones Beach bathhouse, and is similar in design to other bathing pavilions of the early 20th century.[46][50][178] It is the largest building in the park.[46]

The bathhouse actually consists of four individual structures making up each face of the building, linked by common outer screen walls, with a central courtyard in between.[4]: PDF p.64 [12]: 3·6 [97]: 8 [46][120] The screen walls are brick and rise 8 feet (2.4 m) high.[46] The buildings share a common outer facade in terms of materials, consisting of brick laid in american bond, cast stone, and concrete.[46] After the 1937 renovations, the entire structure was painted in light gray.[12]: 2·15 [46]

At the front or north face of the site on Rockaway Beach Boulevard is the Entry Pavilion. The one-story structure was built in 1932 as part of the original bathhouse, and retains its Moorish and Byzantine features. Loosely T-shaped, it occupies 10,000 square feet (930 m2) of space.[96][97]: 8 [46] The front face of the building features two small towers or turrets near each end, with an octagonal shape. In between the towers is an arcade, with five brick archways supported by concrete Corinthian columns. The columns are hexagonal in shape with arabesque features. An additional archway is located at both the east and west ends of the arcade.[96][46] Six hipped skylights are located on the roof of the pavilion.[46]

At the rear of the bathhouse, facing the beach, is the "bathing pavilion"[96] or "beach pavilion",[12]: 2·22 [46] often simply called the "bathhouse".[97]: 8  It is two stories high and rectangular in shape, made up of two brick side sections and a concrete center section. Although built as a part of the 1932 bathhouse, the building underwent extensive renovations during the 1936-1937 projects, leading to its current Art Deco characteristics.[96][4]: PDF p.64 [46][10]: 94–95  Unlike the entrance pavilion which is relatively small, the beach pavilion extends the entire east-west length of the building.[96] An arcade or colonnade is located on the ground floor of the center section, largely concrete with columns.[96][46] The original design of the beach pavilion was similar to that of the entrance building, with numerous Moorish arches forming its arcade.[178] On the second floor on top of the arcade is a concrete projection with rounded edges, enclosed by glass brick windows.[96][46] These windows are not original to the structure.[46] The projection originally contained a cafeteria or restaurant and its kitchen.[10]: 96 [179] It also doubled as a solarium, and is often referred to as such.[52][53] A terrace surrounds the projection.[10]: 96  The center section's roof is flat, used as an additional terrace, while the side sections have hipped roofs.[46] The beach pavilion contains two octagonal towers which rise four stories high with copper roofs. Several windows are located on the towers.[96][46] External stairs on either side originally led from the beach to the terrace on the second floor, with additional staircases to the roof of the structure; the outdoor stairs from the ground have since been removed.[46][10]: 94–95 

 
Inside the front arcade of the bathhouse, with its Moorish arches

At the east and west ends of the bathhouse are the east and west wing buildings. The wings are identical one-story rectangular buildings.[96][4]: PDF p.64 [46] They were built with the original bathhouse, with the east wing renovated in 1936.[46] The wings each feature a hipped roof of asphalt tiles.[46] Both wings originally contained public bathrooms, with east wing containing a police sub-station for the United States Park Police, and the west wing housing first aid stations.[46][97]: 9  Much of this space has since been converted into visitor facilities,[46] with bathrooms still present in the east wing.[97]: 9 

At the core of the bathhouse between the four buildings is the central courtyard.[96][46][97]: 9  Now open space,[97]: 9  the courtyard was initially used for dressing rooms, built with numerous cabana-shaped lockers, along with shower facilities.[96][12]: 3·6  The western courtyard was for women, while the eastern court was for men.[46] There were 500 changing rooms, containing 8,100 individual lockers. Of these, 5,400 lockers were located in the men's section, while the women's quarters held 2,700.[12]: 3·6 [50] The capacity was later increased to 10,000 during the 1936-1937 expansion, with 6,000 men's lockers and 4,000 women's lockers.[96][66][61] The changing rooms were constructed of asbestos board, while the showers were tile with stone trim.[179] The changing rooms were closed and removed by 1988 due to a lack of maintenance and sanitary concerns.[4]: PDF p.64 [115] Entrance to the changing rooms was via doors at the sides of the front and rear arcades.[10]: 96 

Among the other original features of the bathhouse were two restaurants, a cafeteria, concession stands, and the solarium on the roof.[4]: PDF p.64 [12]: 3·3 [46][10]: 96  These were later replaced by a ranger station, the park police station, and the first-aid station.[4]: PDF p.64  An eastern portion of the beach pavilion is currently used to house lifeguards from the National Park Service.[97]: 9  The bathhouse has received damage from numerous storms, including Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy.[4]: PDF p.64 [120] Although a $20 million restoration of the bathhouse was started in the 1990s, the renovation project was only partially completed.[120]

Central Mall

 
 
The western (left) and eastern mall buildings at the end of the central mall

Near the foot of the Marine Parkway Bridge between the parking lot and golf course (see § Additional features) is the park's central mall, a landscaped concourse which runs north-to-south between Beach Channel Drive and the main beach.[4]: 6 (PDF p.12) [96][12]: 5·3  The mall was laid out to be aligned with the Empire State Building, providing a distant view of the Manhattan skyscraper.[12]: 5·3 [14] At the south end of the mall is a concrete plaza with two structures known as the Central Mall Buildings or the Bay 9 Mall Buildings. The buildings were erected during the 1936-1937 park projects, designed in Art Deco/Art Moderne style. The outer facade consists of brick and tile with concrete trim and roofing. The two buildings are mirror images of each other, standing one-story high. They are semi-circle shaped, opening towards the main beach; the two buildings together form a horseshoe. Each structure occupies 6,000 square feet (560 m2) of space. The western building contains offices and public toilets, along with a small bathhouse. The eastern structure is used as a concession stand, with retail space at its eastern end, and a patio area in front of it.[4]: 6 (PDF p.12) [96][12]: 5·3 [180][181] Like the bathhouse, the mall buildings were painted gray upon opening in 1937.[12]: 2·15  A bandstand was originally located in between the two buildings in the center of the plaza, but was removed in 1954.[12]: 5·3 

A bronze bust of Jacob Riis had been installed adjacent to the western mall building in 1940, donated by Riis' son Roger. The bust rested on a granite pedestal constructed by the Parks Department with money from the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, the highway agency also controlled by Robert Moses. After it was stolen in 1964, only its granite base remained.[12]: 2·20 [10]: 166 [23] A replacement bronze bust was constructed by artist David Ostro, organized by students at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy in Jamaica Estates. The new bust was installed on April 17, 2010.[23][130][131]

Boardwalk

 
The Wise and Son clock on the Riis Park boardwalk

Running along the north end of the entire beach is the boardwalk, also sometimes called the promenade. The majority of the boardwalk was built during the 1936-1937 park projects, with the portion in front of the bathhouse built in 1932. The boardwalk separates the beach from the "back beach" portions of the park, such as the bathhouse, central mall, and non-beach recreation areas (see § Central Mall and § Additional features). It is the primary means of pedestrian circulation through the park.[12]: 4·6 to 4·7 [4]: 6 (PDF p.12)  The boardwalk is 40 feet (12 m) wide, except at the bathhouse where it is 70 feet (21 m) wide.[12]: 4·7 [66] It was originally wood, but was upgraded to concrete in 1970.[12]: 4·3, 4·7 [10]: 205 

The boardwalk is built on top of the beach's concrete seawall or bulkhead, which stabilizes the sand and protects the back beach from flooding.[12]: 4·6 [4]: 8 (PDF p.14)  The original seawall was constructed in 1931 and ran parallel to the south face of the bathhouse. Portions of the old sea wall remain on the beach.[12]: 4·3, 7·3 

Located on the boardwalk at the east end of the main beach is a street clock, known as the Wise Clock or Riis Park Memorial Clock. It was donated by Downtown Brooklyn jewelry dealer William A. Wise and Son, after the store moved to a new location.[14][12]: 4·11 to 4·12 [77] The clock was built by the Howard Watch Company in 1891 and moved to the park on March 4, 1941.[77] The clock has four faces, and originally operated on a single mechanism.[12]: 4·11 to 4·12 [10]: 175–176 [77] Renovations in the 1970s added four individual mechanisms.[10]: 208 

Parking lot

 
An aerial view of Riis Park and the Marine Parkway Bridge (background) in 1956

Located on the north side of Rockaway Beach Boulevard extending to Beach Channel Drive is the park's parking lot, which is variously given as being 62 acres (25 ha) or 72 acres (29 ha) in size. The parking lot is the largest individual feature in the park and occupies much of the park site north of the beach. The only entry point to the lot is at its south end in front of the bathhouse, where four toll booths are present.[4]: 10 (PDF p.16) [96][12]: 2·25 [173][181] It was built with a capacity of either 9,000[4]: 10 (PDF p.16) [12]: 2·21 [173][62]: 508  or 14,000[96][12]: 2·15 [66] automobiles. At the time of its construction, it was the largest paved parking lot in the world.[96][12]: 2·15 [66] A grade-level crosswalk to the west of the toll booths, and a pedestrian underpass to the east, lead across the street to the bathhouse.[12]: 2·25 [181] The lot is entirely circumscribed by the access roads to the park, with the roundabout located at its southeast corner, and the interchange with the Marine Park Bridge located near its northwest corner.[4]: 10 (PDF p.16) [96][12]: 2·24 to 2·25 [173]

The parking lot was managed by the Marine Parkway Authority (which constructed and operated the Marine Parkway Bridge) until 1940, when it was merged with Robert Moses' Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA). The TBTA operated the parking lot until 1968, when it in turn was merged with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s Bridges and Tunnels division. In 1974, the entire park and its parking lot was relinquished to the National Park Service.[12]: 2·15 to 2·21 [182][183] Parking fees collected from Riis Park contributed to the construction of the bridge.[12]: 2·15 

Additional features

At the west end of the park across from Fort Tilden is the park's 18-hole, pitch and putt golf course.[4]: 6 (PDF p.12) [12]: 5·4  It is 26 acres (11 ha) in size.[10]: 146 [184] The entrance to the course is from the boardwalk adjacent to the western mall building.[12]: 5·4  The golf course was constructed during the 1936-1937 projects, and opened in 1938.[10]: 146  A New York City Fire Department station and a Park Police station are located at the northwest corner of the golf course, on Beach 169th Street across from Fort Tilden.[10] The fire house, Engine 329 and also called the Neponsit Fire Station, was constructed circa 1957 and opened in 1962. At the time it opened, it served the Neponsit, Roxbury and Breezy Point neighborhoods, as well as southern Brooklyn and Floyd Bennett Field. It replaced a local volunteer fire department when it opened.[185][186][187] The ladder company of the fire house, Ladder 171, was closed on November 22, 1975 during the city's fiscal crisis.[188][189]

At the southeast corner of the park just east of the bathhouse and adjacent to Neponsit is Neponsit Beach Hospital, a former children's tuberculosis hospital and later a nursing home. The hospital was built in 1915 on Riis Park property, and closed in September 1998.[190][78][191] The New York Times wrote that, over the years, the portion of the beach in front of Neponsit Beach Hospital had evolved into "a queer haven".[192] As of 2022, city officials planned to demolish the hospital.[193][153]

The park also contains conventional park recreation including playgrounds and sports fields located in the back beach area. Little league-size baseball fields are located on the west side of the hospital at the east end of the park. Basketball courts are located at the west side of the bathhouse. Farther west near the central mall are handball, paddle ball, and shuffleboard courts. More basketball and handball courts were previously located along the southern edge of the golf course. There are also open grass areas for picnicking and grilling. One of these areas between the bathhouse and mall was previously a lighted softball field.[4]: 15 (PDF p.21) [12]: 5·4 [10][14] The crescent-shaped plot of land east of the parking lot, 30 acres (12 ha) in size, is undeveloped and consists of open grass and trees. Baseball fields were formerly present on the southern portion of this site.[4]: 8 (PDF p.14) 

Beaches

 
The beach and bathhouse at dusk at Jacob Riis Park

The beaches at Jacob Riis Park consists of 14 bays numbered east-to-west on the Atlantic coast.[4]: 6 (PDF p.12) [194][195] The main beach occupies the western half of the park, or Bays 6 through 14, at the mouth of the Central Mall. Bays 1 through 5 lie on the eastern half in front of Neponsit Beach Hospital and the park bathhouse. Bay 1 is directly in front of the hospital, while the bathhouse feeds into Bay 4.[96][78][14][194] The main beach features a distinctive crescent shape opening towards the Atlantic Ocean.[12]: 7·3  The eastern half of the beach is much more narrow than the western half.[14] Each bay is separated by reinforced concrete jetties, boulders, and rows of wooden pilings which extend into the ocean.[14] The jetties also stabilize the sand of the beach.[12]: 7·3  Until the 1950s, Bays 1 and 2 were part of the Neponsit Hospital property.[78] Adjacent to the east of Bay 1 is Rockaway Beach, another public beach which stretches from Neponsit to Far Rockaway at the east end of the peninsula.[174]: 12–13  A fence separates the two beaches.[112]

Bay 1 is often considered the "adult" section of the beach.[14][113] It has historically been popular among the gay community, as well as nudists.[14][195][113][112][196] At Bay 1, there is an informal memorial on a chainlink fence for LGBTQ icon Ms. Colombia, who was known to frequent the beach and whose body was found in the ocean near Bay 1 on October 4, 2018.[197][198] The remaining bays have also been informally segregated in the past.[14][196][95]

Transportation

Public transport

 
A retired Grumman 870 parked in front of Riis Park
 
The Riis Landing ferry stop on the Jamaica Bay shore

The Q22 and Q35 local buses serve the park on Rockaway Beach Boulevard. The Q22 runs east-to-west across the Rockaway Peninsula.[199] The Q35 travels between Rockaway Park and Brooklyn via the Marine Parkway Bridge.[200] During summer months (late May to early September) when the park is open, eastbound Q22 buses and all Q35 buses stop at the Riis Park bathhouse.[201] This stop also acts as a drop-off area for passenger cars.[12]: 3·4  Off-season, the closest stop to the park is at Beach 149th Street in front of Neponsit Hospital; westbound Q22s use this stop during summer months.[201] An additional eastbound bus stop is located at the north end of the mall near the bridge.[4]: 12 (PDF p.18) [12]: 5·4 [202][199][200][201] The QM16 express route to Manhattan also operates on Rockaway Beach Boulevard, terminating at the park bathhouse and parking lot. QM16 passengers utilize the parking lot as a park-and-ride facility.[202][203][204]

The closest New York City Subway station is the Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street station on the IND Rockaway Line east of the park, served by the A and ​S trains.[174]: 14 [205] The Q22 and Q35 connect to the station. The Q35 also connects to the Flatbush Avenue–Brooklyn College station in Brooklyn.[205][202][199][200]

The New York Water Taxi operates a Rockaway ferry, also called the New York Beach Ferry, from Pier 11/Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, which stops at Riis Landing in front of Fort Tilden on Jamaica Bay. Service began in May 2008.[174]: 15 [206][207] NYC Ferry also operates the Rockaway Ferry route from Pier 11/Wall Street to Beach 108th Street in Rockaway Park. A free shuttle bus travels from the ferry terminal, stopping at Beach 149th Street, the Riis Park bathhouse, and Beach 169th Street.[208]

Road access

Highway access to Riis Park is provided by the Belt Parkway, which runs along the south shore of Brooklyn and Queens. The Belt Parkway connects to the Marine Parkway Bridge via its Flatbush Avenue exit in Marine Park, Brooklyn. Cross Bay Boulevard provides access from central Queens and Broad Channel, leading to both Beach Channel Drive and Rockaway Beach Boulevard.[4]: 10–11 (PDF p.16–17) [173][174]: 14  The Riis Park parking lot is a pay-to-park facility during summer months.[209]

In popular culture

The park was featured in a Cracker Jack commercial in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with the boardwalk and the Wise clock shown.[133][210]

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society (1922). Annual Report of the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society to the Legislature of the State of New York. pp. 30–31. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  3. ^ Jamaica Bay Environmental Study Group (January 1, 1971). Jamaica Bay and Kennedy Airport: a Multidisciplinary Environmental Study: A Report. National Academies. p. 44. ISBN 9780309018715. NAP:15660. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af Draft Development Concept Plan and Environmental Assessment, Jacob Riis Park, Gateway National Recreation Area, New York – New Jersey. National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior. June 1989. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Department of Parks: Borough of Queens; 1912 Annual Report" (PDF). Department of Parks: Borough of Queens. 1912. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Emil R. Lucev (2007). The Rockaways. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-4990-3. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  7. ^ Peter Ross; William Smith Pelletreau (1905). A History of Long Island: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time. Lewis Publishing Company. p. 109. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  8. ^ Bessen, Jeff (October 11, 2012). "Woodsburgh marks its centennial: Small village had large impact on the way we live". Nassau Herald. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  9. ^ a b c "Jacob Riis Park". Nyharborparks.org. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
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  11. ^ a b c d Alfred Henry Bellot (1918). History of the Rockaways from the year 1685 to 1917: being a complete record and review of events of historical importance during that period in the Rockaway Peninsula, comprising the villages of Hewlett, Woodmere, Cedarhurst, Lawrence, Inwood, Far Rockaway, Arverne, Rockaway Beach, Belle Harbor, Neponsit and Rockaway Point. Bellot's histories, inc. p. 22−26. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl Lane, Frenchman and Associates, Inc. (1992). (PDF). National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 25, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
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  15. ^ "The Big Seaside Park: Full Report Adopted by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment last Friday" (PDF). Wave of Long Island. March 16, 1907. p. 1. Retrieved September 2, 2017 – via Fultonhistory.com.
  16. ^ "Plea for Oceanside Park" (PDF). New York Evening Post. 1907. Retrieved August 29, 2017 – via Fultonhistory.com.
  17. ^ New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor (1907). Annual Report of the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor for the Fiscal Year ... The Association. pp. 43–44. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
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  19. ^ "Cripple Aids Poor; Boy Caused Erection of Hospital to Cost $250,000" (PDF). The Fayette Chronicle. 1912. Retrieved September 2, 2017 – via Fultonhistory.com.
  20. ^ a b "Jacob A. Riis Park: Movement Starter to Change Name of Rockaway Beach Tract". The New York Times. May 28, 1914. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  21. ^ a b c d e Lawrence Kaplan; Carol P. Kaplan (2003). Between Ocean and City: The Transformation of Rockaway, New York. Columbia University Press. pp. 82–83. ISBN 978-0-231-12848-3. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
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  23. ^ a b c d e "Riis Bust". National Park Service. March 10, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
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External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jacob Riis Park.
  • Jacob Riis Park Visitor information
  • Gateway National Recreation Area

August 23, 2023
jacob, riis, park, park, illinois, riis, park, chicago, also, called, jacob, riis, park, riis, park, seaside, park, southwestern, portion, rockaway, peninsula, york, city, borough, queens, lies, foot, marine, parkway, hodges, memorial, bridge, east, fort, tild. For the park in Illinois see Riis Park Chicago Jacob Riis Park also called Jacob A Riis Park 2 and Riis Park 3 is a seaside park on the southwestern portion of the Rockaway Peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens It lies at the foot of the Marine Parkway Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge east of Fort Tilden and west of Neponsit and Rockaway Beach Originally run by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation it later became part of the Jamaica Bay Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area and is managed by the National Park Service NPS It features an extensive sand beach along the Atlantic Ocean coastline and several historic Art Deco structures Jacob Riis ParkTypePublic parkLocationQueens New York City New York United StatesCoordinates40 34 3 N 73 52 24 W 40 56750 N 73 87333 W 40 56750 73 87333Area262 acres 106 ha Created1937Operated byNational Park ServiceStatusOpen all yearPublic transit accessBus Q22 Q35Jacob Riis Park Historic DistrictU S National Register of Historic PlacesU S National Historic Landmark DistrictLocationNew York New YorkCoordinates40 34 3 N 73 52 24 W 40 56750 N 73 87333 W 40 56750 73 87333Built1932ArchitectJohn L Plock Gilmore D Clarke Aymar Embury II Clinton Loyd Julius BurgevinArchitectural styleArt Deco MoorishNRHP reference No 81000081Added to NRHPJune 17 1981 1 In 1912 the city urged on by social journalist Jacob Riis acquired the land for a park initially called Seaside Park and later Telawana Park In 1914 the park was renamed for Riis During World War I the site was used as the Rockaway Naval Air Station one of the first naval air stations in the United States and in 1919 the launching point for the first transatlantic flight The Art Deco style bathhouse was built in 1932 but much of the park s infrastructure and approaches were built between 1936 and 1937 by New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses who envisioned it as a getaway for New York City residents like Jones Beach State Park further east on Long Island The park was built along with the Marine Parkway Bridge and the Belt Parkway in nearby Brooklyn which provided access to the park After a period of decline Jacob Riis Park was transferred in 1974 to the control of the National Park Service The Jacob Riis Park Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 The Neponsit Beach Hospital which occupies part of the park s site was scheduled to be razed in 2023 In addition to the bathhouse the park contains a north south central mall a boardwalk to the north of the beach a large parking lot an 18 hole golf course and several sporting fields The beaches at Jacob Riis Park on the south side of the Rockaway peninsula consists of 14 bays on the Atlantic coast Contents 1 Name 2 History 2 1 Early years 2 2 Acquisition of park property 2 3 Use as a military base 2 4 Initial development of Riis Park 2 5 Expansion under Robert Moses 2 6 Acquisition of Neponsit Hospital property 2 7 Decline and creation of Gateway National Recreation Area 2 8 Proposed amphitheater and water park 2 9 1990s and early 21st century renovation attempts 2 10 Pipeline proposal 2 11 Demolition of Neponsit Hospital 2 12 LGBTQ history 3 Description 3 1 Features 3 1 1 Bathhouse 3 1 2 Central Mall 3 1 3 Boardwalk 3 1 4 Parking lot 3 1 5 Additional features 3 2 Beaches 4 Transportation 4 1 Public transport 4 2 Road access 5 In popular culture 6 References 7 External linksName EditThe park was originally known as Seaside Park 4 5 PDF p 11 It was later renamed Telawana Park 5 321 PDF p 42 6 2 after Culluloo Telewana who was believed to be the last surviving member of the Rockaway Lenape tribe until his death in 1818 6 2 7 A monument to Telawana stands in Woodsburgh Long Island east of Far Rockaway 6 2 8 In 1914 the park was renamed for Jacob Riis a famous New York City muckraker journalist and photographer who documented the plight of the poor and working class 4 5 PDF p 11 9 History EditEarly years Edit Neponsit Beach Hospital pictured was opened in 1915 on Riis Park land before major park developmentWhat is now the site of Jacob Riis Park on the western Rockaway Peninsula was under water as recently as the early 19th century The peninsula was gradually expanded westward by the natural accretion of sand from tidal action By 1878 the peninsula extended as far as the current western boundaries of the park The peninsula reached its current extents by the turn of the 20th century 4 5 PDF p 11 10 2 11 22 During the War of 1812 the United States Army erected a blockhouse west of the future park site on what was then an island 4 5 PDF p 11 6 99 It was demolished in 1818 10 1 3 11 23 In 1880 the New York Woodhaven amp Rockaway Railroad opened a railroad line between mainland Queens and the Rockaways with a terminal in Rockaway Park 12 2 3 10 4 5 In 1879 with the railroad under construction several New York businessmen formed the Rockaway Beach Improvement Company and drafted plans to create a landscaped park and amusement area in the western Rockaways This development would include hotels and a horse racing track At the approximate location of modern Riis Park would be a pavilion for beach goers The company purchased 750 acres 300 ha of land between what are now Rockaway Park and Breezy Point and later purchased 750 additional acres farther east Frederick Law Olmsted the designer of Central Park was contracted to survey the site 10 7 8 6 89 Part of one hotel called the Rockaway Beach Hotel or the Hotel Imperial was opened in August 1881 with other hotels following it but the park plans never materialized as the park company had gone bankrupt This incomplete hotel was demolished by 1889 4 5 PDF p 11 10 9 12 2 3 6 89 A streetcar line running across the peninsula operated by the Ocean Electric Railway opened in 1897 with its western end past Beach 149th Street within the modern park site 4 5 PDF p 11 10 9 10 Acquisition of park property Edit In 1900 the property that would later would become Riis Park was acquired by Edward P Hatch as part of two lots totaling 1 000 acres 404 685642240 ha in size The first plot the Hatch Tract was 350 acres 142 ha while the second Bell Harbor tract was 650 acres 263 ha The land consisted predominantly of marshland and meadows yet to be developed 10 10 11 13 From 1902 to 1903 the City of New York initially attempted to create a seaside beach park in Staten Island 10 14 In 1904 14 13 2 15 the city planned to build an oceanside park in the western Rockaways near Rockaway Point Breezy Point supported by Jacob Riis Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor The Association as well as New York City Mayor George B McClellan Jr and Bellevue and Allied Hospitals president John W Brannon also lobbied for a hospital and convalescent home to be established 10 15 13 2 16 17 In March 1906 Hatch expressed interest in selling the Hatch tract with an asking price of 1 million 10 16 On May 15 1906 an act was passed in the New York State Legislature allowing for the purchase of beach property in or outside of the city for a maximum of 2 5 million The act also allowed a portion of the property to be leased for the creation of hospitals 10 16 The Hatch tract was favored over other potential locations such as Coney Island and Staten Island due to its large beach area continuously extended by tidal action and beaches and surf of higher quality than the other sites 10 16 17 Because Hatch was offering the property at a much higher price than its appraised value of 200 000 the city sought to acquire the site via condemnation 10 17 Efforts to develop the park then called Seaside Park and the hospital were suspended on November 1 1907 10 18 13 18 due to the panic of 1907 10 18 19 but resurrected in 1909 after campaigning from citizens and philanthropic groups 10 18 18 Following the death of Hatch in 1908 the Hatch tract was acquired first by the West Rockaway Land Company 11 26 It was then sold to the Neponsit Realty Company 10 18 6 105 which was developing the Neponsit neighborhood 2 11 26 Now valued between 850 000 and 1 05 million the Neponsit Company offered to sell the site for 1 5 million 10 18 Meanwhile the New York Parks and Playgrounds Association campaigned for the city to purchase land for a 250 acres 101 ha park in western Rockaway The Parks Association created a Seaside Park Committee with the social reformer Jacob Riis as its chairman 10 20 The tract was acquired by the city on March 21 1912 via condemnation with the city paying around 1 3 million for the site 10 26 5 321 PDF p 42 2 Around this time the park was renamed Telawana Park 10 30 20 On March 25 1913 the tract was transferred to the New York City Parks Department 10 26 The site for the hospital at the east end of the beach was transferred from the Parks Department on April 24 1913 21 22 After Riis died in May 1914 former United States President Theodore Roosevelt advocated for the renaming of the park to Jacob Riis Park 23 20 The name change was approved on January 4 1915 10 32 Neponsit Beach Hospital for Children opened on April 16 1915 24 Beginning in late 1915 jetties were installed along the beach in order to prevent beach erosion and to capture sand from tidal action in order to extend the beach The jetties were based on similar structures used in nearby Neponsit By 1917 10 acres 4 0 ha of land were added to the beach 10 34 36 25 26 The original plan for the park was created by Parks Department landscape architect Carl F Pilat in 1913 12 2 3 10 29 27 28 Pilat was the nephew of Ignatz Anton Pilat 29 and had also designed Astoria Park around the same time 30 Pilat s design would have deviated significantly from the current layout Much of the property north of Rockaway Beach Boulevard then called Washington Avenue would have been developed into recreational space with fields and courts for sports Pilat s layout of the park utilized Beaux Arts planning characterized by pedestrian pathways organized in an axial arrangement with focal points at the southern beach esplanade and at a bandstand at the north end of the park The Jamaica Bay coastline at the north end of the site would have been utilized for an additional beach and boardwalk along with a marine basin for boats and a lagoon In addition to the space on the Atlantic Ocean coast used by Neponsit Hospital an additional tract on the west end of the beach would be utilized for a second health facility only one third of the beach would have been part of the park 12 2 4 27 28 31 The Parks Department had held a contest in 1913 accepting submission of designs for the park Pilat s plan incorporated elements of the six finalists in the competition 12 2 4 28 At the time the Pilat plan was considered too expensive and was not implemented 27 Because of this and the onset of World War I Riis Park remained largely undeveloped into the 1930s 12 2 5 10 40 Similar Beaux Arts planning would later be incorporated into the fairgrounds of Flushing Meadows during the 1939 New York World s Fair 32 33 34 Use as a military base Edit Aerial view of NAS Rockaway in 1917In 1917 with the emergence of World War I the park site was leased to the United States Navy to create Naval Air Station Rockaway one of the first naval air stations in the country 4 5 PDF p 11 2 A permit was issued by the Parks Department to the federal government on April 16 1917 with 60 acres 24 ha allotted to the base 10 The station began operations on October 15 of that year 10 46 An additional 34 acres 14 ha were ceded to the station in March 1915 10 46 47 The now 94 acre 38 ha base extended from Fort Tilden east to the location of the modern bathhouse 10 47 The station would be used as the departure point for the first transatlantic flight in 1919 accomplished by the Glenn Curtiss designed NC 4 4 5 PDF p 11 35 By the time the base was complete the remaining 168 acres 68 ha of the park had little development occurring 10 40 On January 20 1921 US Navy Rear Admiral James H Glennon requested that the city cede the 94 acre 38 ha site to the federal government in order to maintain the naval station 10 51 2 The request was initially refused but the dispute continued on for the rest of the decade 10 52 56 The station was inactive from 1922 to 1925 and became an armory for the New York Naval Militia from 1928 to 1929 10 50 51 The dispute finally ended in 1930 when the Navy moved to facilities in Valley Stream Long Island North Beach Airport now LaGuardia Airport and later Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn directly across from Riis Park 10 55 36 The base was vacated by June 1930 and demolition of the base was ordered in October 1930 10 57 37 Initial development of Riis Park Edit The 1932 plaque commemorating the completion of the bathhouse The changing rooms in the courtyard of the Riis Park bathhouse since removedOn October 17 1925 a ferry service was opened between Barren Island Brooklyn later Floyd Bennett Field airport and Riis Park 38 In 1926 a short macadam transverse road was created between Washington Avenue and the ferry terminal 10 41 The road was later paved with concrete and expanded from 20 feet 6 1 m wide to 40 feet 12 m wide 39 14 A small concession stand was also constructed at the west end of the park 10 41 42 From 1926 to 1927 the beach protection system was expanded to the western section of the park with additional groins installed 10 42 43 From 1927 to 1929 Washington Avenue was widened and paved with a sidewalk added to both Washington Avenue and the ferry transverse road Other minor improvements to the park took place at this time 10 43 40 13 32 33 In July 1929 an existing 1 000 car parking lot was enlarged By this time the patronage of Jacob Riis Park was increasing 10 45 46 41 Meanwhile in 1929 the New York City Board of Transportation released a major expansion plan for the New York City Subway One of the new routes in the plan involved recapturing the New York Woodhaven and Rockaway Railroad which by this time became the Rockaway Beach Branch of the Long Island Rail Road and extending it as a subway line west from Rockaway Park to Jacob Riis Park The extension of the line to the park was never constructed 42 43 44 After the remainder of Riis Park was relinquished by the Navy in fall 1930 Queens Parks Commissioner Albert C Benninger proposed the construction of a bathing pavilion at Jacob Riis Park Benninger had been inspired by the design of the bathhouse at Jones Beach State Park completed in August 1929 by then Long Island Parks Commissioner Robert Moses 10 60 45 Prior to this beach goers were forced to change their clothes in their cars 40 13 The designs were prepared by architect John L Plock in November 1930 46 The project was approved by the mayor s office in February 1931 46 The foundation of the building was completed in August 1931 46 10 60 Contracts were let for building construction in September 1931 46 10 61 Later that month Benninger requested an additional 105 000 for the project from the New York City Board of Estimate on top of the initial 425 000 appropriated 47 Construction began on November 23 1931 48 49 The bathhouse was opened on August 6 1932 At the time it was only 60 percent completed 12 2 5 46 50 51 Additional work was completed in May 1933 including lockers the restaurant and the solarium 46 10 64 52 The solarium was expected to be the largest in the world at the time 52 53 A seawall running in front of the bathhouse along the beach and parking facilities for 5 000 cars were also completed by 1933 10 64 54 At this time Riis Park received 25 000 daily visitors during summer months 55 While the bathhouse was being constructed several plans were evaluated for developing Riis Park 12 2 5 to 2 7 56 Carl Pilat s 1913 plan for the park was briefly revived in 1930 but not developed 27 On August 26 1931 Commissioner Benninger invited several architects to a conference held in conjunction the New York chapters of the American Society of Landscape Architects Among the architects invited included Gilmore D Clarke then the landscape architect for Westchester County New York 57 Three plans were later created by independent groups none of which were developed The first was from Harold A Caparn of the City Club s park committee in 1931 The second was created by Earl Morrow of the Regional Plan Association RPA in 1932 The third was drawn up by Julius V Burgevin amp Joseph Gatringer of the New York City Park Board in 1933 All the plans suggested developing the northern portion of the property in addition to the southern beach 12 2 6 to 2 7 56 When presenting the RPA s plans in May 1932 RPA president George McAneny referred to Pilat s plans as no longer practical due to the lack of provisions for highways and automobile parking 56 While presenting the park plan McAneny also put forward plans for a vehicular bridge or tunnel between Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn and the Riis Park Fort Tilden area acting as an extension of Flatbush Avenue 58 Although the bathhouse was built based on the RPA plans it and the other plans were rejected in part due to the difficulty and high cost of landscaping and planting in the area 59 Expansion under Robert Moses Edit The construction of the Marine Parkway Bridge Riis Park bottom right and Fort Tilden bottom left in 1937 The ferry landings at Riis Park Fort Tilden and Floyd Bennett Field are also presentIn January 1934 Robert Moses was appointed commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation newly unified from the five borough departments 12 2 10 46 10 70 Moses wished to develop Riis Park into an urban iteration of Jones Beach for working class New York City residents 12 2 10 46 54 Under Moses alterations to the bathhouse began in April 1934 with funds from the Works Progress Administration WPA 46 Moses was critical of the previous operation of the park including the contracting of an outside firm to operate concessions and services leading to deteriorating conditions in the park 10 72 73 Moses canceled nearly all outside contracts and formed the Riis Management Corporation to run services 10 77 Improvements to the other park structures were also completed as WPA projects 10 77 From 1934 to 1935 Riis Park was the only facility run by the Parks Department to generate revenue 60 On August 6 1934 Moses released his plan for Riis Park designed by Gilmore D Clarke Julius Burgevin W Earle Andrews and Clinton Loyd The plan designed in Beaux Arts style featured elements of the final design the massive parking area for 15 000 cars the road plan with a roundabout and a central pedestrian mall running north to south A second bathhouse structure would be built on the west side of the park containing a swimming pool Also included were a causeway and or bridge linking to Brooklyn 12 2 11 to 2 12 46 10 81 85 54 Moses was also critical of several aspects of earlier park plans and the layout created under Benninger including the placement of the bathhouse and seawall too close to the shore and the lack of parking spaces Moses believed the location of the bathhouse and bulkhead left a minimal portion of beach during high tide and limited future expansion of the beach The lack of parking meanwhile limited the use of the bathhouse which could accommodate more people than the lot could fit cars 10 89 54 Under Moses s plan the large parking lot would facilitate traffic from the Belt Parkway and the Marine Parkway Bridge 9 14 The 1934 plan was not implemented due to opposition from the local communities Among the reasons for the resistance were fears of bringing in individuals from other parts of the city to the Rockaways and the possibility of Riis Park out competing privately owned beaches and resorts leading to declines in property values 12 2 12 46 In 1936 Moses released what would be the final plan for Jacob Riis Park designed by Clarke Loyd and Parks Department architect Aymar Embury II This plan moved the mall to the western end of the property with a design similar to that of Orchard Beach which was being built in the Bronx at the same time 12 2 15 46 The parking area design was altered from two square lots in the 1934 plan into the current large curved and asymmetrical lot 12 2 15 46 The bathhouse was reconfigured shortening the face of the beach pavilion and altering its design to use simpler Art Deco elements 12 2 13 46 54 61 The modern road layout was created which including altering the route of Rockaway Beach Boulevard in front of the bathhouse Initially running at a diagonal to the bathhouse s front face the boulevard was straightened and moved farther north It was also truncated to the western end of the parking lot 12 2 13 2 15 The original seawall was replaced and recessed farther north along the new boardwalk 12 7 3 The mall buildings and golf course were also created at this time 12 2 13 In 1936 Moses asked the New York City Board of Estimate for 3 6 million to improve Jacob Riis Park Fort Tryon Park Pelham Bay Park and the two Marine Parks But these funds along with similar amounts Moses requested from the Board of Estimate in each of the next several years went mostly to build the Marine Parkway Bridge 12 2 12 Jacob Riis Park was completed for a total of 3 5 million mostly from the WPA 62 476 Looking north from the central mall built in 1936 In the remote distance is the Empire State BuildingWork to enlarge the beach from 8 to 24 acres began on April 1 1936 63 About 2 000 000 cubic yards 1 500 000 m3 of sand were dredged from Jamaica Bay 12 2 13 2 15 The topography of the beach was leveled with numerous dunes eliminated 12 2 13 2 15 14 61 The parking lot was partially opened in June 1936 with a 6 000 car capacity 12 2 15 On June 15 1936 Green Bus Lines started the Q21B bus route operating from Brooklyn and mainland Queens to Riis Park via Cross Bay Boulevard 64 65 The upgraded Jacob Riis Park was initially set to open along with Orchard Beach on June 19 1937 66 but the openings were pushed back due to unfinished work 67 Both beaches were opened on June 25 1937 68 Work on the parking lot and bathhouse were completed at this time 12 2 15 The Marine Parkway Bridge was opened July 3 1937 4 6 PDF p 12 69 after which the ferry service to Riis Park was discontinued 70 With the opening of the bridge Green Bus Lines created a new route the Q35 operating across the bridge between Riis Park and the Flatbush Nostrand Avenues station in Brooklyn 71 72 In addition the Brooklyn Bus Corporation extended their B2 bus route to Riis Park 72 73 167 500 Due to increasing bus traffic the Parks Department and the Brooklyn Bus Corporation constructed an enclosed bus shelter with turnstiles to expedite passenger boarding 73 167 On Friday August 6 1937 the park began holding weekly fireworks shows 74 The park s pitch and putt golf course was opened on May 14 1938 75 The Belt Parkway system was opened in June 1940 connecting to the Marine Parkway Bridge 76 A lighted softball field just west of the bathhouse was created in summer 1940 10 168 A bust of Jacob Riis at the western mall building was completed on October 14 1940 10 175 The Wise and Son street clock was installed on the boardwalk on March 4 1941 77 The bathhouse and other structures were waterproofed in 1943 46 10 188 198 The stairs from the beach and boardwalk to the second floor of the bathhouse were removed between 1948 and 1949 The second floor cafeteria meanwhile was replaced with additional lockers while a new cafeteria was built on the first floor 10 188 189 Numerous other renovations took place between 1949 and 1958 10 181 201 Acquisition of Neponsit Hospital property Edit These two baseball diamonds were built on the former land of Neponsit Beach Hospital which was ceded back to Riis Park in 1959Neponsit Beach Hospital was closed on April 21 1955 due to a declining need for tuberculosis treatment 78 79 Following the closure of the hospital the site was considered a hot property located on the beach in the fairly exclusive Neponsit neighborhood 21 The 14 3 acres 5 8 ha site of the hospital was valued at 1 million 78 80 Numerous groups had conflicting interests in the future of the site 21 with Parks Commissioner Moses wishing to absorb the site back into Riis Park in order to construct sports fields a swimming pool and a comfort station and to extend the beach 78 81 82 Others including New York City Comptroller Lawrence E Gerosa desired for the property to be sold and developed which would draw income from both the sale and taxes 21 82 83 84 After the Board of Estimate including Gerosa voted 10 to 6 to block the park expansion 85 and angry exchanges between Moses and Gerosa 21 86 87 88 on October 27 1956 New York Supreme Court Justice Peter M Daly ruled in favor of Moses in a lawsuit by the Park Association of New York City preventing the sale The ruling was upheld by the Appellate Court in Brooklyn on July 9 1956 The ruling referred to the original 1906 act which zoned the property exclusively for park or hospital use 89 90 In 1958 a compromise was reached in which the hospital would be converted into a nursing home called the Neponsit Home for the Aged Meanwhile the remaining 10 acres 4 0 ha of the property were turned over to the Parks Department to expand Riis Park adding 1 000 feet 300 m of beach 10 164 89 91 92 The plan was approved by New York City Board of Estimate in February 1959 93 A field with two baseball diamonds was created adjacent to the west of the former hospital in 1961 with a comfort station and concession stand erected at the southwest corner of the field 12 2 20 10 205 Decline and creation of Gateway National Recreation Area EditBy the 1960s Riis Park had fallen into a state of disrepair debris blanketed huge areas of the beach the toilet and bathhouse facilities were suffering from a lack of maintenance and the underpass between the bathhouse and the parking lot frequently flooded after rainfall 10 165 168 The park was damaged by the Ash Wednesday Storm in March 1962 10 200 201 Riis Park also experienced an increase in crime an 18 year old was fatally stabbed at the beach in May 1962 94 and the bust of Jacob Riis at the Central Mall was stolen in June 1964 23 In addition to vandalism 10 165 166 there were increasing arrests for drug related offenses on the beach 95 Beach goers at Riis Park in 1974 after it was absorbed into the Gateway National Recreation AreaIn 1972 the National Park Service established the Gateway National Recreation Area around Jamaica Bay Jacob Riis Park was ceded to the NPS two years later on March 4 1974 96 10 208 97 4 9 Upon takeover focus was put on Riis Park due to it being the most heavily visited part of the Gateway Area 98 Under NPS purview several renovations occurred including the installation of new roofing on the bathhouse and mall buildings and the restoration of the Wise Clock which had been taken out of operation 10 208 The NPS also began to crack down on nude bathing on the beach 10 209 In mid July 1974 Federal Magistrate Vincent A Catoggio suggested that the entire park be shuttered if it is going to be a gathering place of nudists 99 and around the same time United States Park Police started issuing summonses to nude bathers who ignored orders to put clothes on 100 On July 24 1974 a bill was introduced to the New York City Council to ban nude bathing 101 In spite of this NPS rangers and officers maintained a policy of allowing nude bathers to remain so long as they minded their own business 96 Nudity in the park was ended by a state law in 1983 102 On June 29 1976 Riis Park was closed due to raw sewage in the water 103 It was closed again August 3 1978 along with beaches in Brooklyn after an oil spill near Breezy Point 104 The park reopened on August 7 1978 105 Riis Park continued to have sewage and wastewater treatment problems On July 17 1988 the beach was closed after eight syringes washed up onto the beach Beaches at South Beach Midland Beach and Great Kills Park in Staten Island had previously been closed due to the same issue 106 107 The beach was reopened on July 22 108 Much of the waste that had washed up on the beaches in the area had originated in Fresh Kills Landfill or the city sewer system 109 In the 1980s during summer months on weekends the B9 and B46 bus routes were extended south of their normal terminus at Kings Plaza in Brooklyn to Riis Park with a federal subsidy funding the extension 110 111 55 The park s historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 1 Nude bathing was banned at the beach in 1983 112 95 although it continued to persist unlawfully afterwards 113 Proposed amphitheater and water park Edit In May 1988 the National Park Service planned to put the Riis Park bathhouse and mall buildings up for lease along with other buildings in the Gateway Area The developers would then pay for renovations and upgrades to the park and its facilities which the NPS did not have the money to fund The bathhouse in particular was in a state of disrepair with its showering and changing facilities closed The plan proposed constructing a 15 000 seat performance amphitheater and a water park Both attractions would be erected on the site of the golf course at the west end of the park The amphitheater would occupy the northern half of the golf course site facing south towards the beach The water park would sit at the south end and have a 7 500 person capacity The golf course would be relocated to the east end of the park 114 34 115 116 Features would also be added to the bathhouse including a restaurant skating rinks a public garden and or a swimming pool 4 6 PDF p 12 114 34 117 The plan was opposed by local residents and conservation groups including the Sierra Club s New York branch and the National Audubon Society Among the points of contention were the idea of using federal parkland for amusement development the additional noise and traffic created by the attractions and the potential of disturbing the bird habitats in the area 115 118 The debate was reflective of issues with the country s national parks as a whole 115 Queens Community Board 14 representing the Rockaways voted unanimously to block the plans 117 By July 1989 the amphitheater was removed from the development plan The proposed water park was downsized from 10 acres 4 0 ha to 2 acres 0 81 ha and would only occupy a small corner at the southwest section of the golf course 4 PDF p 70 117 The changes did not eliminate opposition from the community or environmental groups 117 By October of that year the development plans were dropped and instead 934 000 was allocated for renovations to the park 118 1990s and early 21st century renovation attempts Edit Looking at the Riis Park parking lot in 2012 used as a temporary dump to store debris after Hurricane Sandy On August 31 1991 the beach was closed again due to the presence of medical waste with over 500 items found including needles and medicine vials of the painkiller Nubain The beach was closed for a single day 109 119 Due in part to the reoccurrence of waste on the beach the park saw declining patronage that year 95 During that year a 20 million rehabilitation of the bathhouse began which included the removal of asbestos However the project was not completed and the bathhouse remained closed and continued to decay 120 95 121 In 1999 the federal government earmarked 450 000 for the rehabilitation of Riis Park which was projected to be complete within five years 122 By 2001 then Senators Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer and then Congressman Anthony Weiner had secured another 4 million in funds most of which were targeted toward the renovation of the bathhouse 123 124 A press release from Senator Schumer alluded to the possible construction of a pool with the 4 million possibly located in the bathhouse On the other hand the National Park Service planned to use the money for general renovations However the pool plan was canceled after a preliminary study which determined that the operation of the pool would result in a negative profit margin 125 126 127 Through 2005 numerous improvements were performed on the bathhouse with plans to repave the central courtyard 128 129 By July 2006 however the repairs had not been finished 121 However a new bust depicting Jacob Riis had been installed at the Central Mall that April 23 130 131 In late October 2012 Hurricane Sandy struck the New York City area particularly affecting the Rockaway Peninsula At Riis Park sand was pushed north from the beach onto the back beach areas The bathhouse was flooded and damaged 97 4 132 However structures like the Wise Clock and the new Jacob Riis bust were generally unscathed 133 134 During the recovery effort the large parking lot was used as a temporary dump for debris from the park and the entire peninsula This included excess sand trees cars boats and household debris 132 135 136 The parking lot was selected as a waste facility due to its size location on the peninsula and connection to highways and roads 137 Afterwards the parking lot was used to clean sand before it returned to the beaches on the peninsula Because of this the lot was filled with numerous man made dunes 135 138 The park reopened in May 2013 139 Repairs to the bathhouse occurred from 2015 to 2016 97 8 140 after which the NPS solicited requests for proposals to reuse the entry pavilion and bathhouse 97 7 Pipeline proposal Edit People enjoying the beach over Labor Day weekend in August 2013On July 21 2011 Staten Island Congressman Michael G Grimm introduced H R 2606 the New York City Natural Gas Supply Enhancement Act to the U S Congress 141 As proposed in the bill a 3 mile 4 8 km natural gas pipeline called the Rockaway Delivery Lateral Project proposed by Williams Companies would connect to an existing offshore pipeline and running south to north through the sites of Jacob Riis Park and Floyd Bennett Field The pipeline would run through the golf course of Riis Park then connect to a new 1 5 mile 2 4 km along Flatbush Avenue to be constructed by National Grid 142 143 The project was supported by the district manager of Queens Community Board 14 143 Two Queens congressmen also supported the pipeline as did Anthony Weiner before his resignation 142 The pipeline was opposed by local environmental groups who felt it would disturb a nearby artificial reef 143 Grimm was subsequently found to have received campaign money from both Williams and National Grid 142 Shortly after Hurricane Sandy on November 7 2012 the Rockaway Lateral Pipeline bill was signed into law 144 145 The pipeline was put in service by May 2015 146 Demolition of Neponsit Hospital Edit In both its time as a functioning hospital and after its abandonment the Neponsit Hospital s buildings were recognized by researchers and beachgoers alike as having sheltered LGBTQ gathering at Bay 1 147 148 149 In October 2018 Ms Colombia Jackson Heights based performance artist died at Bay 1 150 Her family and friends built a memorial to honor her life and her love of Riis 151 The memorial is located on a chainlink fence around the former Neponsit Hospital site An annual Ms Colombia Memorial Beach Walk is hosted along the beach each August 151 In April 2022 the New York City government announced plans to demolish the remains of the Neponsit Beach Hospital 152 In its abandonment the former Neponsit Hospital buildings became the site of LGBT affirming public art 153 The former Neponsit Hospital building was demolished in early 2023 154 LGBTQ history Edit The easternmost end of the park s beach Bays 1 and 2 has been a site of LGBTQ gathering since at least the 1940s 155 While it was a well known destination for mostly white gay men to sunbathe and cruise in the 1940s lesbian women also began to gather nearby by the 1950s 155 In the 1960s the beach became clothing optional and many people referred to it as Screech Beach in reference to its gay beachgoers 155 The beach remained clothing optional until July 3 1983 when a state law banning bottomlessness went into effect 156 Despite the allowance for nudity police were known to arrest people they deemed as men for wearing too minimal suits on the boardwalk 157 158 159 155 1974 National Park Service NPS sponsored fieldwork describes Bays 1 and 2 s population as predominantly white with a notable contingent of Black and Latinx beachgoers with many Black gay beachgoers moving between Bays 1 and 2 and the boardwalk behind Bay 5 known as a site of historically Black gathering while NPS fieldwork from 2000 reports a demographic shift to a predominance of blacks and Hispanics at Bay 1 160 The beach continues to be of particular significance to queer and trans people of color Pride in the City a New York City Black pride event was held at a softball field adjacent to Bay 2 in 2006 drawing a crowd of thousands 161 G L I T S an organization dedicated to providing healthcare and housing to Black transgender people organized Riis Pride at the beach in 2022 162 Riis as an LGBTQ gathering space has been mentioned in several works of literature including Audre Lorde s Zami Torrey Peters Detransition Baby and Sabrina Imbler s How Far the Light Reaches 163 164 165 166 167 Notable LGBTQ beachgoers include Harvey Milk LGBTQ activist and icon who met his partner of six years Joe Campbell at the beach in 1956 168 169 Audre Lorde writer and activist who wrote about going to the gay beach at Riis on summer Saturdays in the mid 1950s in her biomythography Zami 165 A photo of her and her children there in the 1960s was featured in the exhibition Powerful and Dangerous The Images and Words of Audre Lorde at Alice Austen House in 2021 170 Ernestine Eckstein activist and leader of the New York chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis 155 Joan Nestle writer and founder of the Lesbian Herstory Archives writes that going to Riis Park in the 1960s was her deepest joy 171 Craig Rodwell activist who wrote of being arrested at Riis for a too short bathing suit 155 172 Ms Colombia performer and LGBTQ icon who also died at Bay 1 150 Description Edit A map of Jacob Riis ParkJacob Riis Park is located at the west end of the Rockaway Peninsula between Fort Tilden and the Marine Parkway Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge to the west and the Neponsit neighborhood to the east The Roxbury and Breezy Point neighborhoods sit farther west The Atlantic Ocean coast marks the south end of the site where the park s beaches are located The north end is bound by Beach Channel Drive and the Jamaica Bay shore 96 12 2 3 173 174 12 The park is approximately 262 acres 106 ha in size extending 1 mile 1 6 km east to west between Beach 149th Street in Neponsit and Beach 169th Street at Fort Tilden 2 175 176 The major east to west thoroughfares running across the park are Beach Channel Drive and Rockaway Beach Boulevard the latter of which runs near the south end of the park at the north end of the beach Beach Channel Drive feeds west into the Marine Parkway Bridge and into Rockaway Point Boulevard which runs to Roxbury and Breezy Point Both roads run east towards the rest of the Rockaways A roundabout at the east end of the park provides an interchange between the two roads The road layout was designed in the 1930s 96 12 2 15 78 173 177 Three buildings constructed in the 1930s are the primary features of the Riis Park Historical District These are the bathhouse and the two Central Mall buildings 96 Many elements of the park including the mall buildings boardwalk and renovations to the bathhouse were completed during the 1936 1937 renovation of the park with Works Progress Administration funds under the watch of Robert Moses Gilmore D Clarke and Aymar Embury II 96 12 2 13 to 2 15 Features Edit Bathhouse Edit The front or north structure of the bathhouse top called the entrance pavilion and rear structure of the bathhouse bottom known as the beach pavilion in 1990 Located on the south side of Rockaway Beach Boulevard near the horizontal center of the park is the bathhouse which has historically served as the entrance to the beach It was first completed in 1932 designed by John L Plock of the Stoughton and Plonck firm in Moorish Byzantine style The 1936 1937 WPA project led to a reconfiguration of the bathhouse designed by Clinton Loyd which added Art Deco Art Moderne elements 96 4 PDF p 64 12 2 13 2 21 46 97 8 The alteration in architectural style is said to have been brought on by Robert Moses being annoyed by the bathhouse s original Moorish elements 12 2 13 The bathhouse measures approximately 640 feet 200 m long and 250 feet 76 m wide 10 PDF p 112 123 51 It was modeled after the Jones Beach bathhouse and is similar in design to other bathing pavilions of the early 20th century 46 50 178 It is the largest building in the park 46 The bathhouse actually consists of four individual structures making up each face of the building linked by common outer screen walls with a central courtyard in between 4 PDF p 64 12 3 6 97 8 46 120 The screen walls are brick and rise 8 feet 2 4 m high 46 The buildings share a common outer facade in terms of materials consisting of brick laid in american bond cast stone and concrete 46 After the 1937 renovations the entire structure was painted in light gray 12 2 15 46 At the front or north face of the site on Rockaway Beach Boulevard is the Entry Pavilion The one story structure was built in 1932 as part of the original bathhouse and retains its Moorish and Byzantine features Loosely T shaped it occupies 10 000 square feet 930 m2 of space 96 97 8 46 The front face of the building features two small towers or turrets near each end with an octagonal shape In between the towers is an arcade with five brick archways supported by concrete Corinthian columns The columns are hexagonal in shape with arabesque features An additional archway is located at both the east and west ends of the arcade 96 46 Six hipped skylights are located on the roof of the pavilion 46 At the rear of the bathhouse facing the beach is the bathing pavilion 96 or beach pavilion 12 2 22 46 often simply called the bathhouse 97 8 It is two stories high and rectangular in shape made up of two brick side sections and a concrete center section Although built as a part of the 1932 bathhouse the building underwent extensive renovations during the 1936 1937 projects leading to its current Art Deco characteristics 96 4 PDF p 64 46 10 94 95 Unlike the entrance pavilion which is relatively small the beach pavilion extends the entire east west length of the building 96 An arcade or colonnade is located on the ground floor of the center section largely concrete with columns 96 46 The original design of the beach pavilion was similar to that of the entrance building with numerous Moorish arches forming its arcade 178 On the second floor on top of the arcade is a concrete projection with rounded edges enclosed by glass brick windows 96 46 These windows are not original to the structure 46 The projection originally contained a cafeteria or restaurant and its kitchen 10 96 179 It also doubled as a solarium and is often referred to as such 52 53 A terrace surrounds the projection 10 96 The center section s roof is flat used as an additional terrace while the side sections have hipped roofs 46 The beach pavilion contains two octagonal towers which rise four stories high with copper roofs Several windows are located on the towers 96 46 External stairs on either side originally led from the beach to the terrace on the second floor with additional staircases to the roof of the structure the outdoor stairs from the ground have since been removed 46 10 94 95 Inside the front arcade of the bathhouse with its Moorish archesAt the east and west ends of the bathhouse are the east and west wing buildings The wings are identical one story rectangular buildings 96 4 PDF p 64 46 They were built with the original bathhouse with the east wing renovated in 1936 46 The wings each feature a hipped roof of asphalt tiles 46 Both wings originally contained public bathrooms with east wing containing a police sub station for the United States Park Police and the west wing housing first aid stations 46 97 9 Much of this space has since been converted into visitor facilities 46 with bathrooms still present in the east wing 97 9 At the core of the bathhouse between the four buildings is the central courtyard 96 46 97 9 Now open space 97 9 the courtyard was initially used for dressing rooms built with numerous cabana shaped lockers along with shower facilities 96 12 3 6 The western courtyard was for women while the eastern court was for men 46 There were 500 changing rooms containing 8 100 individual lockers Of these 5 400 lockers were located in the men s section while the women s quarters held 2 700 12 3 6 50 The capacity was later increased to 10 000 during the 1936 1937 expansion with 6 000 men s lockers and 4 000 women s lockers 96 66 61 The changing rooms were constructed of asbestos board while the showers were tile with stone trim 179 The changing rooms were closed and removed by 1988 due to a lack of maintenance and sanitary concerns 4 PDF p 64 115 Entrance to the changing rooms was via doors at the sides of the front and rear arcades 10 96 Among the other original features of the bathhouse were two restaurants a cafeteria concession stands and the solarium on the roof 4 PDF p 64 12 3 3 46 10 96 These were later replaced by a ranger station the park police station and the first aid station 4 PDF p 64 An eastern portion of the beach pavilion is currently used to house lifeguards from the National Park Service 97 9 The bathhouse has received damage from numerous storms including Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy 4 PDF p 64 120 Although a 20 million restoration of the bathhouse was started in the 1990s the renovation project was only partially completed 120 Central Mall Edit The western left and eastern mall buildings at the end of the central mall Near the foot of the Marine Parkway Bridge between the parking lot and golf course see Additional features is the park s central mall a landscaped concourse which runs north to south between Beach Channel Drive and the main beach 4 6 PDF p 12 96 12 5 3 The mall was laid out to be aligned with the Empire State Building providing a distant view of the Manhattan skyscraper 12 5 3 14 At the south end of the mall is a concrete plaza with two structures known as the Central Mall Buildings or the Bay 9 Mall Buildings The buildings were erected during the 1936 1937 park projects designed in Art Deco Art Moderne style The outer facade consists of brick and tile with concrete trim and roofing The two buildings are mirror images of each other standing one story high They are semi circle shaped opening towards the main beach the two buildings together form a horseshoe Each structure occupies 6 000 square feet 560 m2 of space The western building contains offices and public toilets along with a small bathhouse The eastern structure is used as a concession stand with retail space at its eastern end and a patio area in front of it 4 6 PDF p 12 96 12 5 3 180 181 Like the bathhouse the mall buildings were painted gray upon opening in 1937 12 2 15 A bandstand was originally located in between the two buildings in the center of the plaza but was removed in 1954 12 5 3 A bronze bust of Jacob Riis had been installed adjacent to the western mall building in 1940 donated by Riis son Roger The bust rested on a granite pedestal constructed by the Parks Department with money from the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority the highway agency also controlled by Robert Moses After it was stolen in 1964 only its granite base remained 12 2 20 10 166 23 A replacement bronze bust was constructed by artist David Ostro organized by students at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy in Jamaica Estates The new bust was installed on April 17 2010 23 130 131 Boardwalk Edit The Wise and Son clock on the Riis Park boardwalkRunning along the north end of the entire beach is the boardwalk also sometimes called the promenade The majority of the boardwalk was built during the 1936 1937 park projects with the portion in front of the bathhouse built in 1932 The boardwalk separates the beach from the back beach portions of the park such as the bathhouse central mall and non beach recreation areas see Central Mall and Additional features It is the primary means of pedestrian circulation through the park 12 4 6 to 4 7 4 6 PDF p 12 The boardwalk is 40 feet 12 m wide except at the bathhouse where it is 70 feet 21 m wide 12 4 7 66 It was originally wood but was upgraded to concrete in 1970 12 4 3 4 7 10 205 The boardwalk is built on top of the beach s concrete seawall or bulkhead which stabilizes the sand and protects the back beach from flooding 12 4 6 4 8 PDF p 14 The original seawall was constructed in 1931 and ran parallel to the south face of the bathhouse Portions of the old sea wall remain on the beach 12 4 3 7 3 Located on the boardwalk at the east end of the main beach is a street clock known as the Wise Clock or Riis Park Memorial Clock It was donated by Downtown Brooklyn jewelry dealer William A Wise and Son after the store moved to a new location 14 12 4 11 to 4 12 77 The clock was built by the Howard Watch Company in 1891 and moved to the park on March 4 1941 77 The clock has four faces and originally operated on a single mechanism 12 4 11 to 4 12 10 175 176 77 Renovations in the 1970s added four individual mechanisms 10 208 Parking lot Edit An aerial view of Riis Park and the Marine Parkway Bridge background in 1956Located on the north side of Rockaway Beach Boulevard extending to Beach Channel Drive is the park s parking lot which is variously given as being 62 acres 25 ha or 72 acres 29 ha in size The parking lot is the largest individual feature in the park and occupies much of the park site north of the beach The only entry point to the lot is at its south end in front of the bathhouse where four toll booths are present 4 10 PDF p 16 96 12 2 25 173 181 It was built with a capacity of either 9 000 4 10 PDF p 16 12 2 21 173 62 508 or 14 000 96 12 2 15 66 automobiles At the time of its construction it was the largest paved parking lot in the world 96 12 2 15 66 A grade level crosswalk to the west of the toll booths and a pedestrian underpass to the east lead across the street to the bathhouse 12 2 25 181 The lot is entirely circumscribed by the access roads to the park with the roundabout located at its southeast corner and the interchange with the Marine Park Bridge located near its northwest corner 4 10 PDF p 16 96 12 2 24 to 2 25 173 The parking lot was managed by the Marine Parkway Authority which constructed and operated the Marine Parkway Bridge until 1940 when it was merged with Robert Moses Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority TBTA The TBTA operated the parking lot until 1968 when it in turn was merged with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority MTA s Bridges and Tunnels division In 1974 the entire park and its parking lot was relinquished to the National Park Service 12 2 15 to 2 21 182 183 Parking fees collected from Riis Park contributed to the construction of the bridge 12 2 15 Additional features Edit At the west end of the park across from Fort Tilden is the park s 18 hole pitch and putt golf course 4 6 PDF p 12 12 5 4 It is 26 acres 11 ha in size 10 146 184 The entrance to the course is from the boardwalk adjacent to the western mall building 12 5 4 The golf course was constructed during the 1936 1937 projects and opened in 1938 10 146 A New York City Fire Department station and a Park Police station are located at the northwest corner of the golf course on Beach 169th Street across from Fort Tilden 10 The fire house Engine 329 and also called the Neponsit Fire Station was constructed circa 1957 and opened in 1962 At the time it opened it served the Neponsit Roxbury and Breezy Point neighborhoods as well as southern Brooklyn and Floyd Bennett Field It replaced a local volunteer fire department when it opened 185 186 187 The ladder company of the fire house Ladder 171 was closed on November 22 1975 during the city s fiscal crisis 188 189 At the southeast corner of the park just east of the bathhouse and adjacent to Neponsit is Neponsit Beach Hospital a former children s tuberculosis hospital and later a nursing home The hospital was built in 1915 on Riis Park property and closed in September 1998 190 78 191 The New York Times wrote that over the years the portion of the beach in front of Neponsit Beach Hospital had evolved into a queer haven 192 As of 2022 update city officials planned to demolish the hospital 193 153 The park also contains conventional park recreation including playgrounds and sports fields located in the back beach area Little league size baseball fields are located on the west side of the hospital at the east end of the park Basketball courts are located at the west side of the bathhouse Farther west near the central mall are handball paddle ball and shuffleboard courts More basketball and handball courts were previously located along the southern edge of the golf course There are also open grass areas for picnicking and grilling One of these areas between the bathhouse and mall was previously a lighted softball field 4 15 PDF p 21 12 5 4 10 14 The crescent shaped plot of land east of the parking lot 30 acres 12 ha in size is undeveloped and consists of open grass and trees Baseball fields were formerly present on the southern portion of this site 4 8 PDF p 14 Beaches Edit The beach and bathhouse at dusk at Jacob Riis ParkThe beaches at Jacob Riis Park consists of 14 bays numbered east to west on the Atlantic coast 4 6 PDF p 12 194 195 The main beach occupies the western half of the park or Bays 6 through 14 at the mouth of the Central Mall Bays 1 through 5 lie on the eastern half in front of Neponsit Beach Hospital and the park bathhouse Bay 1 is directly in front of the hospital while the bathhouse feeds into Bay 4 96 78 14 194 The main beach features a distinctive crescent shape opening towards the Atlantic Ocean 12 7 3 The eastern half of the beach is much more narrow than the western half 14 Each bay is separated by reinforced concrete jetties boulders and rows of wooden pilings which extend into the ocean 14 The jetties also stabilize the sand of the beach 12 7 3 Until the 1950s Bays 1 and 2 were part of the Neponsit Hospital property 78 Adjacent to the east of Bay 1 is Rockaway Beach another public beach which stretches from Neponsit to Far Rockaway at the east end of the peninsula 174 12 13 A fence separates the two beaches 112 Bay 1 is often considered the adult section of the beach 14 113 It has historically been popular among the gay community as well as nudists 14 195 113 112 196 At Bay 1 there is an informal memorial on a chainlink fence for LGBTQ icon Ms Colombia who was known to frequent the beach and whose body was found in the ocean near Bay 1 on October 4 2018 197 198 The remaining bays have also been informally segregated in the past 14 196 95 Transportation EditPublic transport Edit A retired Grumman 870 parked in front of Riis Park The Riis Landing ferry stop on the Jamaica Bay shore The Q22 and Q35 local buses serve the park on Rockaway Beach Boulevard The Q22 runs east to west across the Rockaway Peninsula 199 The Q35 travels between Rockaway Park and Brooklyn via the Marine Parkway Bridge 200 During summer months late May to early September when the park is open eastbound Q22 buses and all Q35 buses stop at the Riis Park bathhouse 201 This stop also acts as a drop off area for passenger cars 12 3 4 Off season the closest stop to the park is at Beach 149th Street in front of Neponsit Hospital westbound Q22s use this stop during summer months 201 An additional eastbound bus stop is located at the north end of the mall near the bridge 4 12 PDF p 18 12 5 4 202 199 200 201 The QM16 express route to Manhattan also operates on Rockaway Beach Boulevard terminating at the park bathhouse and parking lot QM16 passengers utilize the parking lot as a park and ride facility 202 203 204 The closest New York City Subway station is the Rockaway Park Beach 116th Street station on the IND Rockaway Line east of the park served by the A and S trains 174 14 205 The Q22 and Q35 connect to the station The Q35 also connects to the Flatbush Avenue Brooklyn College station in Brooklyn 205 202 199 200 The New York Water Taxi operates a Rockaway ferry also called the New York Beach Ferry from Pier 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan which stops at Riis Landing in front of Fort Tilden on Jamaica Bay Service began in May 2008 174 15 206 207 NYC Ferry also operates the Rockaway Ferry route from Pier 11 Wall Street to Beach 108th Street in Rockaway Park A free shuttle bus travels from the ferry terminal stopping at Beach 149th Street the Riis Park bathhouse and Beach 169th Street 208 Road access Edit Highway access to Riis Park is provided by the Belt Parkway which runs along the south shore of Brooklyn and Queens The Belt Parkway connects to the Marine Parkway Bridge via its Flatbush Avenue exit in Marine Park Brooklyn Cross Bay Boulevard provides access from central Queens and Broad Channel leading to both Beach Channel Drive and Rockaway Beach Boulevard 4 10 11 PDF p 16 17 173 174 14 The Riis Park parking lot is a pay to park facility during summer months 209 In popular culture EditThe park was featured in a Cracker Jack commercial in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the boardwalk and the Wise clock shown 133 210 References Edit a b National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service April 15 2008 a b c d e f g h American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society 1922 Annual Report of the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society to the Legislature of the State of New York pp 30 31 Retrieved August 29 2017 Jamaica Bay Environmental Study Group January 1 1971 Jamaica Bay and Kennedy Airport a Multidisciplinary Environmental Study A Report National Academies p 44 ISBN 9780309018715 NAP 15660 Retrieved September 7 2017 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af Draft Development Concept Plan and Environmental Assessment Jacob Riis Park Gateway National Recreation Area New York New Jersey National Park Service United States Department of the Interior June 1989 Retrieved September 3 2017 a b Department of Parks Borough of Queens 1912 Annual Report PDF Department of Parks Borough of Queens 1912 Retrieved September 3 2017 a b c d e f g Emil R Lucev 2007 The Rockaways Arcadia Publishing ISBN 978 0 7385 4990 3 Retrieved September 3 2017 Peter Ross William Smith Pelletreau 1905 A History of Long Island From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time Lewis Publishing Company p 109 Retrieved September 3 2017 Bessen Jeff October 11 2012 Woodsburgh marks its centennial Small village had large impact on the way we live Nassau Herald Retrieved September 3 2017 a b c Jacob Riis Park Nyharborparks org Retrieved July 28 2016 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb Unrau Harlan D April 1981 Historic Structure Report Jacob Riis Park Historic District Historic Data Gateway National Recreation Area New Jersey New York Package No 109 PDF National Park Service United States Department of the Interior Archived from the original PDF on March 3 2017 Retrieved September 4 2017 a b c d Alfred Henry Bellot 1918 History of the Rockaways from the year 1685 to 1917 being a complete record and review of events of historical importance during that period in the Rockaway Peninsula comprising the villages of Hewlett Woodmere Cedarhurst Lawrence Inwood Far Rockaway Arverne Rockaway Beach Belle Harbor Neponsit and Rockaway Point Bellot s histories inc p 22 26 Retrieved August 29 2017 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl Lane Frenchman and Associates Inc 1992 Cultural Landscape Report Jacob Riis Park Gateway National Recreation Area PDF National Park Service United States Department of the Interior Archived from the original PDF on February 25 2017 Retrieved September 3 2017 a b c d Department of Parks Borough of Queens 1912 Annual Report PDF Department of Parks Borough of Queens 1912 Retrieved September 3 2017 a b c d e f g h i j k l Setha Low Dana Taplin Suzanne Scheld May 21 2009 Rethinking Urban Parks Public Space and Cultural Diversity University of Texas Press ISBN 978 0 292 77821 4 Retrieved September 3 2017 The Big Seaside Park Full Report Adopted by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment last Friday PDF Wave of Long Island March 16 1907 p 1 Retrieved September 2 2017 via Fultonhistory com Plea for Oceanside Park PDF New York Evening Post 1907 Retrieved August 29 2017 via Fultonhistory com New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor 1907 Annual Report of the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor for the Fiscal Year The Association pp 43 44 Retrieved August 29 2017 a b Seaside Park Being Urged PDF Wave of Long Island December 4 1909 p 1 Retrieved September 2 2017 via Fultonhistory com Cripple Aids Poor Boy Caused Erection of Hospital to Cost 250 000 PDF The Fayette Chronicle 1912 Retrieved September 2 2017 via Fultonhistory com a b Jacob A Riis Park Movement Starter to Change Name of Rockaway Beach Tract The New York Times May 28 1914 Retrieved September 3 2017 a b c d e Lawrence Kaplan Carol P Kaplan 2003 Between Ocean and City The Transformation of Rockaway New York Columbia University Press pp 82 83 ISBN 978 0 231 12848 3 Retrieved August 29 2017 250 000 Building To be Erected at Seaside Park for Hospital Use PDF Wave of Long Island April 26 1913 p 1 Retrieved September 2 2017 via Fultonhistory com a b c d e Riis Bust National Park Service March 10 2017 Retrieved September 5 2017 Bellevue and Allied Hospitals 1915 Annual Report pp 39 40 Retrieved August 29 2017 Ocean Gives City Five Acres of Land Brooklyn Daily Eagle Newspapers com July 20 1916 p 5 Retrieved September 4 2017 Plan to Steal 30 Acres from Ocean Brooklyn Daily Eagle Newspapers com August 6 1916 p 4 Retrieved September 4 2017 a b c d PLAN TO BEAUTIFY RIIS PARK REVIVED Development Outlined by C F Pilat in 1916 Competition Now Is Being Modernized APPROVED BY CIVIC BODIES Queens Park Commission Prepares to Begin Work With Recent Allotment of 90 000 Plans Receive Backing Would Preserve Shrubbery The New York Times June 23 1930 Retrieved September 3 2017 a b c Competition for Landscape Design Landscape Architecture 4 66 71 1914 Retrieved September 3 2017 American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society 1915 Annual Report J B Lyon Company p 154 Retrieved September 3 2017 Astoria Park Pool and Play Center PDF New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission June 20 2006 Retrieved September 3 2017 Rockaway Beach for Bathers or Institutions The Survey New York Survey Associates Inc 31 16 455 456 January 17 1914 Retrieved September 3 2017 Flushing Meadows Corona Park Historic Preservation Studio Columbia Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation May 3 2015 Retrieved March 31 2017 Flushing Meadows Corona Park Strategic Framework Plan Conceptual Framework PDF New York City Department of Parks and Recreation VAST QUEENS PARK RISING ON FAIR SITE The New York Times December 6 1936 Retrieved April 4 2017 The First Flight Across the Atlantic Archived September 25 2007 at the Wayback Machine Naval Historical Center Accessed July 11 2007 Soon the NC l would establish a record by carrying 51 men aloft including the first deliberate stowaway in aviation history RIIS PARK DISPUTE ENDED City Leases 2 Private Flying Fields for Naval Militia Temporarily The New York Times February 20 1930 Retrieved September 4 2017 TO WRECK AIR BASE AT ROCKAWAY BEACH Navy Department Asks Bids for the Demolition of the War Time Plane Station SITE WILL BECOME A PARK Fifty one Buildings Will Be Removed and Property Will BeRestored to City Rockaway Hails Park Plan The New York Times October 12 1930 Retrieved September 4 2017 ROCKAWAY FERRY OPENED BY HYLAN The New York Times October 18 1925 Retrieved September 3 2017 Annual Report of the Department of Parks Borough of Queens City of New York for the year 1926 PDF Department of Parks Borough of Queens March 15 1929 Retrieved September 24 2017 a b Annual Report of the Department of Parks Borough of Queens City of New York for the years 1927 and 1928 PDF Department of Parks Borough of Queens March 15 1929 Retrieved September 24 2017 EXODUS TO ROCKAWAY FOR SUMMER BEGINS 150 000 Go by Auto and Truck to Cottages at Beaches Father and Son Rescued The New York Times June 29 1930 Retrieved September 4 2017 Duffus R L September 22 1929 OUR GREAT SUBWAY NETWORK SPREADS WIDER New Plans of Board of Transportation Involve the Building of More Than One Hundred Miles of Additional Rapid Transit Routes for New York The New York Times Retrieved August 19 2015 Board of Transportation of the City of New York Engineering Department Proposed Additional Rapid Transit Lines And Proposed Vehicular Tunnel dated August 23 1929 Raskin Joseph B 2013 The Routes Not Taken A Trip Through New York City s Unbuilt Subway System New York New York Fordham University Press doi 10 5422 fordham 9780823253692 001 0001 ISBN 978 0 82325 369 2 Jacob Riis Park Brooklyn Daily Eagle Newspapers com August 7 1932 p 24 Retrieved September 4 2017 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao Marsh John B Small Sally February 1986 Historic Structure Report Architectural Data Section Jacob Riis Bathhouse Exterior Jacob Riis Park Historic District Gateway National Recreation Area Internet Archive United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Retrieved September 4 2017 GETS 105 000 MORE FOR RIIS PARK WORK Benninger Obtains Estimate Board Approval to Spend 530 469 Instead of 425 000 The New York Times September 30 1931 Retrieved September 4 2017 Riis Park Pavilion Project Is to Get Under Way Today Brooklyn Daily Eagle Newspapers com November 23 1931 p 28 Retrieved September 4 2017 Work Of Constructing Bathing Pavilion In Riis Park Is Started PDF Wave of Long Island November 26 1931 p 5 Retrieved September 7 2017 via Fultonhistory com a b c RIIS PARK PAVILION TO OPEN TOMORROW Mayor Will Speak at Ceremony at New Bathing Centre Police Band to Play BUILDING WORK SPEEDED Benninger Says Structure Will Be Completed in Every Respect Despite Recent Delays The New York Times August 5 1932 Retrieved September 4 2017 a b Rockaways Get Hilly Pledge on Rapid Transit Brooklyn Daily Eagle Newspapers com August 7 1932 p 3 Retrieved September 4 2017 a b c Big Riis Park Solarium to Start in Spring Brooklyn Daily Eagle Newspapers com January 29 1933 p 48 Retrieved September 7 2017 a b Solarium to be Erected Work on New Feature at Riis Park Starts This Fall PDF Wave of Long Island September 22 1932 Retrieved September 7 2017 via Fultonhistory com a b c d e Moses to Develop Riis Park as Model Plans a Second Jones Beach on City Ocean Front Correcting Predecessor s Errors TO REMODEL BATHHOUSE Will Raze Part of It and Take Out Sea Wall to Quadruple Space for Bathers The New York Times Wantagh New York August 7 1934 Retrieved September 4 2017 a b Riis Park Brochure PDF Gateway National Recreation Area New York City Transit Authority 1985 Retrieved August 25 2018 a b c Would Add Ft Tilden To Riis Acreage Brooklyn Daily Eagle Newspapers com May 2 1932 p 25 Retrieved September 4 2017 TO WEIGH RIIS PARK PLANS Benninger Architects and Park Association Officers Meet Tomorrow The New York Times August 25 1931 Retrieved September 4 2017 Would Connect Riis Park Area With Brooklyn Brooklyn Daily Eagle Newspapers com May 2 1932 p 17 Retrieved September 4 2017 BEACH AT RIIS PARK TO OPEN ON JUNE 19 Attractive Seaside Resort Has Been Created on Former Waste of Sand Dunes The New York Times June 7 1937 Retrieved September 4 2017 Park Revenue Shows Gain Marked Increase Reported in Attendance Long Island Daily Press Fultonhistory com September 27 1937 p 2 Retrieved July 24 2018 a b c The City Opens Two New Bathing Areas on the Jones Beach Model The New York Times June 20 1937 Retrieved September 4 2017 a b Caro Robert 1974 The Power Broker Robert Moses and the Fall of New York New York Knopf ISBN 978 0 394 48076 3 OCLC 834874 RIIS PARK WORK BEGUN Beach Will Be Extended North of the Original Bulkhead The New York Times April 2 1936 Retrieved September 4 2017 New Bus Route Here Express Service Between Brooklyn Seaside and Riis Park Monday PDF Wave of Long Island June 11 1936 Retrieved January 12 2016 via Fultonhistory com Green Bus Lines Incorporated PDF Long Island Daily Press August 24 1936 p 13 Retrieved January 12 2016 via Fultonhistory com a b c d e TWO NEW BEACHES TO OPEN SATURDAY Orchard in Pelham Bay Park Although Not Completed Will Be Ready for Bathers The New York Times June 13 1937 Retrieved September 4 2017 City Beach Openings Put Off The New York Times June 16 1937 Retrieved September 4 2017 TWO CITY BEACHES OPEN FOR SEASON Jacob Riis Park on the Ocean Attracts 2 500 Few Bathers Brave the Chilly Water 3 000 AT ORCHARD BEACH At Least 1 000 Try Swimming in Long Island Sound Joint Capacity of 500 000 NEW YORK OPENS TWO NEW RECREATIONAL AREAS TO PUBLIC The New York Times June 26 1937 Retrieved September 4 2017 NEW RIIS PARK SPAN IS OPENED BY MAYOR He Pays High Tribute to Moses at Dedication of Bridge Over Rockaway Inlet The New York Times July 4 1937 Retrieved September 3 2017 MARINE BRIDGE IN PLACE Span Over Jamaica Inlet to Be Open to Public July 3 The New York Times May 26 1937 Retrieved September 4 2017 New York Times Rockaway Bus Line Extends Service July 3 1937 page 17 a b Crowds Set New Record at Rockaways 7 300 000 Visit Beaches in First 11 Days of July Long Island Daily Press Fultonhistory com July 15 1937 p 13 Retrieved July 23 2018 a b Sixteenth Annual Report For the Calendar Year 1936 Department of Public Service Metropolitan Division Transit Commission 1937 FIREWORKS AT RIIS PARK Displays Opening Tonight Will Take Place Each Friday in August The New York Times August 6 1937 Retrieved September 4 2017 Riis Park Opens Miniature Course Long Island Daily Press Fultonhistory com May 14 1938 p 2 Retrieved July 24 2018 Belt Road To Open to Traffic Today The New York Times June 29 1940 p 12 a b c d Famed Sidewalk Clock Is Moved to Riis Park Brooklyn Daily Eagle Newspapers com March 4 1941 p 3 Retrieved September 4 2017 a b c d e f g Freeman Ira Henry May 27 1955 2 Hospital Sites Sought for Parks The New York Times p 25 Retrieved August 30 2017 City Loses Appeal to Sell Land Around Old Neponsit Hospital New York Times July 10 1956 p 33 Retrieved October 9 2015 Neponsit Hospital Property To Be Used For New Homes PDF Wave of Long Island July 28 1955 p 1 Retrieved August 30 2017 via Fultonhistory com Neponsit Owners Fight Extension Of Riis Park Object To Adding Neponsit Hospital Grounds To The Park Area Say Extension Would Be Detrimental To Community And Nullify G I Zone Effect PDF Wave of Long Island June 2 1955 p 1 Retrieved August 30 2017 via Fultonhistory com a b The Hospital Story Court Says Return Land To the Department of Parks Board of Estimate And Gerosa Say Hands Off Rockawayites Have Some Ideas Also PDF Wave of Long Island May 31 1956 p 1 Retrieved August 29 2017 via Fultonhistory com Gerosa Doubts Tax Hike Need PDF Long Island Star Journal October 25 1955 p 9 Retrieved August 29 2017 via Fultonhistory com Neponsit Hospital Property Sale Favored By Park Assn PDF Wave of Long Island June 9 1955 Retrieved August 30 2017 via Fultonhistory com Bennett Charles G July 22 1955 MOSES PARK PLANN KILLED BY BOARD Estimate Unit Led by Gerosa Bars Conversion of Old Neponsit Hospital Site MOSES PARK PLAN KILLED BY BOARD The New York Times pp 25 43 Retrieved August 30 2017 GEROSA BELITTLES MOSES SEA PARKS In Letter Resenting Talk of Subdivision Boys He Credits Nature s Bounty DRIVE TO SAVE NEPONSIT Civic Group Opens It Today With Petitions to Estimate Body to Reconsider Vote The New York Times July 23 1955 p 19 Retrieved August 30 2017 MOSES STEPS UP NEPONSIT ATTACK He Charges Shenanigans in City s Plan to Sell Site He Wants for Park WAGNER WILL TOUR AREA Commissioner Will Conduct Mayor on Trip Monday to Stress Need for Land The New York Times August 6 1955 p 17 Retrieved August 30 2017 Bennett Charles G August 30 1955 MOSES IN RETORT BELABORS GEROSA Accuses Controller of Plan to Sell Off City Parks to Balance the Budget NOT SO SAYS OPPONENT Wagner to Ask That Board Reconsider Its 10 6 Vote to Sell Neponsit Site The New York Times p 29 Retrieved August 30 2017 a b Bennett Charles G October 16 1956 CITY MAY CONVERT NEPONSIT FACILITY Wagner and Stark Propose Abandoned Hospital Be Made Home for Aged PLAN WOULD END FEUD It Is Favored by Both Sides in the Court Fight Over Disposition of Site Park Development Planned The New York Times p 35 Retrieved August 30 2017 City Loses Appeal to Sell Land Around Old Neponsit Hospital The New York Times July 10 1956 p 33 Retrieved August 30 2017 CITY IS SET TO OPEN NEW HOME FOR AGED The New York Times August 2 1961 Retrieved August 28 2017 City to Build Home for Aged PDF Long Island Star Journal June 3 1958 p 2 Retrieved August 29 2017 via Fultonhistory com Neponsit Home For The Aged Gets Green Light By Board Of Estimate PDF Wave of Long Island February 19 1959 Retrieved August 29 2017 via Fultonhistory com Youth 18 Fatally Stabbed Friend Knifed at Riis Park The New York Times May 31 1962 Retrieved September 5 2017 a b c d e Lorch Donatella September 7 1991 Giving Riis the Forgotten Park a Better Image The New York Times Retrieved September 4 2017 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z National Register of Historic Inventory Nomination Form For Federal Properties Jacob Riis Park Historic District Gateway NRA United States Department of the Interior National Park Service June 17 1981 Retrieved September 3 2017 a b c d e f g h i j k l m Request for Proposals Jacob Riis Park PDF National Park Service 2016 Retrieved September 3 2017 Bird David February 3 1974 Gateway Planners Focus on Riis Park Vandallsm a Problem The New York Times p 77 Retrieved September 6 2017 Nudists in Riis Park Warned Of Closing by U S Magistrate The New York Times July 18 1974 Retrieved September 6 2017 Kaufman Michael T July 22 1974 It Was a Dayof Comfort In the Nude or Clothed The New York Times Retrieved September 6 2017 Council Bill Would Bar Sunbathing in the Nude The New York Times July 25 1974 Retrieved September 6 2017 Nude Sunbathing at Riis Park Is Banned by New State Law The New York Times June 27 1983 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved March 18 2021 Riis Park is Closed To Water Activities Because of Sewage The New York Times June 30 1976 Retrieved September 6 2017 Kihss Peter August 4 1978 Oil From a Sunken Barge Closes Coney Island and Other Beaches The New York Times Retrieved September 6 2017 Last 2 of 5 City Beaches That Were Closed by Oil Spill Are Reopened The New York Times August 8 1978 Retrieved September 6 2017 Marriott Michel July 18 1988 Medical Waste Shuts Jacob Riis Park Beach The New York Times Retrieved September 6 2017 Barron James July 19 1988 MEDICAL WASTE KEEPS 3 NEW YORK BEACHES SHUT The New York Times Retrieved September 6 2017 Verhover Sam Howe July 22 1988 New York Officials Disagree Over Beach Debris The New York Times Retrieved September 6 2017 a b Lyall Sarah September 11 1991 Beach Medical Waste Debris but No Panic The New York Times Retrieved September 6 2017 Fower Glen May 27 1979 Riis Park Bus Service Is Extended The New York Times Retrieved May 22 2017 6 Buses An Hour Tops Greeley Proposal OKd Wave of Long Island July 7 1979 p 5 Retrieved January 19 2016 via Fultonhistory com a b c NUDE SUNBATHING AT RIIS PARK IS BANNED BY NEW STATE LAW The New York Times June 27 1983 Retrieved August 30 2017 a b c Colangelo Lisa L June 17 2012 Rockaway residents fume over loss of Riis Park fence New York Daily News Retrieved August 29 2017 a b Development Concept Plan Environmental Assessment Jacob Riis Fort Tilden Gateway National Recreation Area New York New Jersey Internet Archive United States Department of the Interior National Park Service March 1988 Retrieved September 3 2017 a b c d Fried Joseph P May 17 1988 Environmental Fears Cast Pall Over Riis Park Project The New York Times Retrieved September 6 2017 deCourcy Hinds Michael May 4 1986 U S Offering Gateway Park Properties for Leasing The New York Times Retrieved September 6 2017 a b c d Fried Joseph P July 4 1989 Plan to Restore a Park in Queens Is Scaled Down The New York Times Retrieved September 6 2017 a b Fried Joseph P October 9 1989 Opponents of Queens Park Development Get Federal Money The New York Times Retrieved September 6 2017 Myers Steven Lee September 1 1991 RISS BEACH CLOSED BECAUSE OF WASTE The New York Times Retrieved September 6 2017 a b c d Foderaro Lisa W August 21 2012 A Promise Unfulfilled at an Art Deco Bathhouse in the Rockaways The New York Times Retrieved September 3 2017 a b Hays Elizabeth July 9 2006 Riis shore is in sorry state Park is crumbling from years of neglect by feds beachgoers gripe New York Daily News Retrieved September 6 2017 450G WILL HELP REFURBISH RIIS PARK IN THE ROCKAWAYS New York Daily News November 30 1999 Retrieved September 6 2017 Becker Maki July 2 2001 FEDS EYE 4M FOR RIIS FIXUP New York Daily News Retrieved September 6 2017 Woodberry Warren Jr March 17 2003 GATEWAY TO GET 3 6M SPRUCE UP Marina plans new showers docks pilings New York Daily News Retrieved September 6 2017 Woodberry Warren Jr August 11 2002 FLOATING THEIR PLAN FOR A RIIS PARK POOL New York Daily News Retrieved September 6 2017 Schwach Howard July 7 2001 4 Million Riis Pool Maybe Yes Maybe No Wave of Long Island Archived from the original on September 9 2017 Retrieved September 6 2017 Schwach Howard February 15 2003 Weiner Riis Pool Would Drown In Red Ink Wave of Long Island Archived from the original on September 9 2017 Retrieved September 6 2017 Woodberry Warren Jr November 2 2003 4 2M FACE LIFT FOR PARK Restoration amp renovation at Jacob Riis New York Daily News Retrieved September 6 2017 Lepeska David Son Hugh August 28 2005 SPRAY S A SIGHT FOR SHORE EYES Beachgoers rip 22M Riis fixup New York Daily News Retrieved September 6 2017 a b Remizowski Leigh April 11 2010 Students hired artist David Ostro to recreate lost Jacob Riis bust for Far Rockaway park New York Daily News Retrieved September 5 2017 a b He s Back Jacob Riis Returns National Park Service April 15 2010 Retrieved September 5 2017 a b Colangelo Lisa L February 8 2013 Bird s eye view of Sandy s fury New York Daily News Retrieved September 7 2017 a b Patrylo John Guarino Dan April 12 2013 Riis Clock Still Stands Wave of Long Island Archived from the original on September 9 2017 Retrieved September 4 2017 Colangelo Lisa L January 16 2013 Jacob Riis monument still stands despite a wallop from Superstorm Sandy New York Daily News Retrieved September 7 2017 a b Foderaro Lisa W January 10 2013 Before Rebuilding Beaches Plucking Debris From Storm Tossed Sand The New York Times Retrieved September 7 2017 Sand Pyramids Rise At Riis Park Wave of Long Island January 4 2013 Archived from the original on September 9 2017 Retrieved September 7 2017 Doherty John J October 25 2013 From The Sanitation Commissioner One Of DSNY s Strongest Challenges Wave of Long Island Archived from the original on September 9 2017 Retrieved September 8 2017 Tumola Cristabelle January 4 2013 PHOTOS Eerie sand dunes created in the Rockaways after Sandy Queens Chronicle Retrieved September 8 2017 Pesce Nicole Lyn May 22 2013 City s beaches to reopen after repairs from Hurricane Sandy New York Daily News Retrieved September 8 2017 Work Under Way To Restore Historic Jacob Riis Park Bathhouse WCBS TV New York City November 24 2016 Retrieved September 8 2017 HR 2606 CRS Summary of HR 2606 Library of Congress Retrieved February 6 2012 permanent dead link a b c Lesser Benjamin Gendar Alison February 9 2012 Rep Michael Grimm s campaign contributions from backers of proposed gas pipeline thru Riis Park draw criticism New York Daily News Retrieved September 6 2017 a b c Trapasso Claire June 13 2012 Plan to extend natural gas pipeline through Rockaways gets chilly reception New York Daily News Retrieved September 6 2017 Chan Melissa December 4 2012 Obama signs bill for gas pipeline under the Rockaways Queens Courier Retrieved September 8 2017 Riis Park Pipeline Approved By Obama Wave of Long Island November 30 2012 Archived from the original on September 9 2017 Retrieved September 8 2017 Williams Rockaway Delivery Lateral and Northeast Connector Pipeline Projects Complete Now Flowing Natural Gas to New York City Williams Companies Tulsa Oklahoma May 15 2015 Retrieved September 8 2017 Colyar Brock Nguyen Andrew August 18 2021 As Seen on Riis Beach Dancing smoking and playing all summer long at New York s queerest seashore The Cut Retrieved August 19 2023 Canavan Peter Bogg Vernon Handel Gerald Fleis Fava Sylvia 1984 The Gay Community at Jacob Riis Park The Apple Sliced Sociological Studies of New York City Praeger Publishers ISBN 978 0030632136 LGBTQ beach sanctum faces demolition in New York NBC News October 13 2022 Retrieved August 19 2023 a b Yakas Ben October 4 2018 Ms Colombia Beloved NYC LGBTQ Icon Found Dead At Jacob Riis Beach Gothamist Retrieved August 19 2023 a b Iezzi Annie August 29 2022 Queer Riis Beachgoers Celebrate Community as Demolition of Nearby Hospital Looms The City Demolition of Long Abandoned Medical Center Could Leave Queer Beachgoers Exposed The City May 9 2022 Retrieved October 26 2022 a b Otis John September 18 2022 A Time Capsule in Photos Just in Case a Beach Changes The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved October 26 2022 Kenlock Brienne March 24 2023 Saving The People s Beach The Wave The Wave Rockaway s Newspaper since 1893 Retrieved August 19 2023 a b c d e f Riis Park Beach NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project www nyclgbtsites org Retrieved August 19 2023 NUDE SUNBATHING AT RIIS PARK IS BANNED BY NEW STATE LAW Published 1983 The New York Times June 27 1983 Retrieved August 19 2023 Canavan P 1984 The Gay Community at Jacob Riis Park In The Apple Sliced Sociological Studies of New York City Praeger Publishers Joan Nestle Lesbian Memories I Riis Park 1960 in A Restricted Country p 37 Canavan P 1984 The Gay Community at Jacob Riis Park In The Apple Sliced Sociological Studies of New York City Praeger Publishers Kornblum W amp Williams T 1975 Segregation and use at Riis Park File Gateway D 134 C U N Y Cooperative Park Studies Unit Research Paper National Park Service National Park Service Library Osborne Duncan August 16 2006 Riis Pride in the City Bash Okayed Gay City News Yeager Nicky October 7 2022 The People s Beach is a Queer Landmark That Deserves to Live On The Indypendent Friedman Vanessa Pamela June 13 2023 Riis The People s Beach Is Under Threat 7 Queer People on Why That Matters Vogue Retrieved August 19 2023 McConnell Tatum January 7 2023 A Search for How Far the Light Reaches Sierra Club www sierraclub org Retrieved August 19 2023 a b Lorde Audre 2005 Zami a new spelling of my name Nachdr ed Berkeley Calif Crossing Press ISBN 978 0 89594 122 0 Peters Torrey 2021 Detransition baby New York One World ISBN 978 0 593 13337 8 Imbler Sabrina 2022 How Far the Light Reaches A Life in Ten Sea Creatures ISBN 9780316540537 Harvey Milk amp Joe Campbell Residence NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project www nyclgbtsites org Retrieved August 19 2023 The James C Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center San Francisco Public Library HARVEY MILK LETTERS to JOE CAMPBELL 1961 1971 Retrieved 19 August 2023 from https sfpl org pdf main glc GLC20 Milk Campbell Letters pdf Powerful and Dangerous The Alice Austen House Museum July 7 2020 Retrieved August 19 2023 Don t Stop Talking 2 joannestle2 blogspot com Retrieved August 19 2023 Waters Michael October 26 2022 The Uncertain Future of the Queer Beach The Baffler Retrieved August 19 2023 a b c d e f U S Department of the Interior National Park Service And U S Federal Highway Administration Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division Gateway National Recreation Area Jamaica Bay Unit New York City New York Jamaica Bay Transportation Studies Development Concept Plan Environmental Assessment Assessment of Effect United States Department of the Interior National Park Service May 5 2006 Retrieved September 3 2017 a b c d e Rockaway Parks Conceptual Plan PDF New York City Department of Parks and Recreation New York City Economic Development Corporation 2014 Retrieved September 3 2017 New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor 1910 Annual Report of the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor Retrieved August 29 2017 History of City Owned Beaches New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Retrieved September 3 2017 Gateway National Recreation Area Jamaica Bay Unit Jamaica Bay Greenway Missing Links Study PDF United States Department of the Interior National Park Service United States Department of Transportation 2010 Retrieved September 3 2017 a b Bathing Pavilion Proposed for Jacob Riis Park in Rockaways Brooklyn Daily Eagle Newspapers com August 24 1930 p 22 Retrieved September 4 2017 a b New Pavilion Dedicated Saturday Absence Of Walker Disappointing PDF Wave of Long Island August 11 1932 Retrieved September 6 2017 via Fultonhistory com Gateway National Recreation Area Bay 9 East Mall Building 2014 Request for Proposals PDF United States Department of the Interior National Park Service 2014 Retrieved September 3 2017 a b c Locker Rooms at Riis Park Made Larger Facilities at Queens Beach PDF Long Island Daily Press November 13 1936 p 23 Retrieved September 4 2017 via Fultonhistory com MTA s Bridge To The Beach Metropolitan Transportation Authority June 4 2014 Retrieved September 4 2017 Marine Parkway Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge Metropolitan Transportation Authority Retrieved September 4 2017 New Riis Park At Rockaway Opens on 19th PDF Brooklyn Daily Eagle June 7 1937 p 7 Retrieved September 4 2017 via Fultonhistory com Improved Fire Protection For West End Wave of Long Island Fultonhistory com April 18 1057 Retrieved August 13 2018 City To Build New Fire House Land Obtained From Park Department Will Serve West End Of Peninsula Wave of Long Island Fultonhistory com July 25 1957 p 5 Retrieved August 13 2018 Rockaways Newest Fire Station Protects Homes And Important Military Facilities Wave of Long Island Fultonhistory com January 3 1963 Retrieved August 13 2018 City CLosing Three Sr Citizen Centers Area Losing Fire Unit Too Wave of Long Island Fultonhistory com November 13 1975 p 1 Retrieved August 13 2018 Ladder Co 171 In Neponsit Shut Wave of Long Island Fultonhistory com November 27 1975 p 1 Retrieved August 13 2018 Kilgannon Corey November 30 2006 In Queens Closed Nursing Home Still Open to Controversy The New York Times Retrieved August 28 2017 Gearty Robert June 3 2003 CITY TO PAY IN AGE OLD SUIT 5M deal for nursing home shutdown New York Daily News Retrieved August 28 2017 Malka Yael Hannaham James Guerrero Melissa Furticella Jeffrey Curtis Tanner Lieberman Rebecca September 16 2022 Is This the End of the People s Beach The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved March 9 2023 LGBTQ beach sanctum faces demolition in New York NBC News October 13 2022 Retrieved October 26 2022 a b Gateway National Recreation Area Maps National Park Service Retrieved September 3 2017 a b Neighborhood Report Riis Park Claiming Their Patches of Sand The New York Times August 11 2002 Retrieved August 29 2017 a b William Terry Komblum William Segregation and Use at Riis Park PDF National Park Service Retrieved August 29 2017 Yakas Ben October 14 2018 Ms Colombia Beloved NYC LGBTQ Icon Found Dead At Jacob Riis Beach Gothamist Retrieved June 25 2023 Iezzi Annie August 29 2022 Queer Riis Beachgoers Celebrate Community as Demolition of Nearby Hospital Looms The City Retrieved June 25 2023 a b c MTA Bus Time Q22 Rockaway Beach Blvd Beach Channel Dr mta info MTA Bus Time a b c MTA Bus Time Q35 Rockaway Park Brooklyn College mta info MTA Bus Time a b c Planned Service Changes Summer service to and from Jacob Riis Park Metropolitan Transportation Authority 2015 Retrieved September 3 2017 a b c Queens Bus Map PDF Metropolitan Transportation Authority August 2022 Retrieved September 29 2022 McCarthy Ellen December 16 2011 Move QM 16 Back Wave of Long Island Archived from the original on October 7 2015 Retrieved October 6 2015 Goldfeder Improves Morning Commute For QM16 Riders Queens Gazette January 13 2016 Archived from the original on January 16 2016 Retrieved September 3 2017 a b MTA Neighborhood Maps neighborhood Metropolitan Transportation Authority 2018 Retrieved October 1 2018 Ferry New York Beach New York Whale Watching Whale Dolphin Bird Turtle Watching NY July 4th Fireworks New York Retrieved July 28 2016 Brosh Brendan May 12 2008 New Rockaway ferry route to Wall Street awash in funding brouhaha New York Daily News Retrieved September 6 2017 Warerkar Tanay November 11 2016 Ferry service to the Rockaways will get a boost from bus service Two free shuttle buses will run to and from the ferry terminal Curbed Retrieved September 4 2017 Fees amp Passes Gateway National Recreation Area U S National Park Service Retrieved July 28 2016 Looking Backward What The Wave Said 20 Years Ago Wave of Long Island March 11 2011 Archived from the original on September 9 2017 Retrieved September 4 2017 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jacob Riis Park Jacob Riis Park Visitor information Gateway National Recreation Area Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jacob Riis Park amp oldid 1171236698 Historic district, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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