2. Stuyvesant Cove Park has become a symbol of local victory over City Hall and big industry

In the 1980s, the Related Company proposed a plan to build Riverwalk, a development that would include 1,800 luxury residential units, 22,000 feet of commercial space, a hotel and a 220-foot marina. Local residents, fearing they would lose all access to the waterfront and also concerned for the aquatic and natural life there, banded together to form a movement called Citizens United Against Riverwalk. In 1992, the plans for Riverwalk were tabled for good.

Following this, the Stuyvesant Cove Park Association, Inc. was founded. Today, the park prides itself on maintaining a green, open space for New York City residents to explore the East River.