Anchors away

On Sunday, Cecil Scheib shared this photo of the anchor in East River Park, noting that the 10th Street pedestrian bridge would be closing today as the demolition and rebuilding of the park expanded alongside the East Village. 

We know very little about the anchor's history. One Flickr user stated: "Pulled from the East River, the origins of this anchor are unclear. When it was placed on the site in 1970, the plaque stated that the piece was donated by the F&M Schaefer Brewing Co. in memory of the William H. Brown shipyard." 

We also don't know what its future status is. 

Some precedent. Further south, workers removed the East River Park seals, housed near the former Fireboat House, in 2022 when construction began in that area. 

According to Sculpture House Casting, the spray fountain designed by Gerry Augustine is temporarily residing in their factory. The seals "will be cast in bronze and returned to the East River Park," the site states. 

We'll see if we can get a line on the anchor. 

Starting earlier today, the 10th Street pedestrian bridge is now shuttered, along with the adjacent playground, BBQ area, and basketball courts — marking the next phase of park shutdowns tied to the East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) Project. 

In addition, the northern esplanade with access to Stuyvesant Cove Park (through 18th Street) is closed.

Despite the closure of the "Con Ed lemon squeezer section," Edmund John Dunn noted that even with the signs and traffic cones, "bike riders and runners were still entering and leaving ..."

By the end of the summer, the track located off of the Sixth Street pedestrian bridge will shut down, at which point the complete north end of East River Park will be shuttered. 

When this takes place, East Village-based park-goers must head south to access any East River Park amenities. (BTW, a new track is in the works for the same space.) 

This PDF provides more background on the timing. 

As we previously mentioned, several refurbished East River Park areas around the Williamsburg Bridge reopened yesterday on Memorial Day, including the south tennis courts. 

We'll have photos of that area on Thursday. (If you follow EVG on Instagram, you can find some pics there.) 

 Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Park access shifts again: What's open and closed in East River Park starting Memorial Day as construction moves to the north