NEW YORK—Tribeca just scored two more luxury features: a lawn and a dog park with water fountains, both on the waterfront.
The new lawn and the Tribeca Dog Run cost $6.4 million to build. Congressman Jerry Nadler secured $4.8 million of the sum from the U.S. Department of Transportation, while the rest of the funds came from New York City and state.
The new area is an addition to Hudson River Park, the nation’s longest waterfront park. It lies between North Moore St. and Hubert St. with the manicured lawn to the north and the dog run to the south.
Diana Taylor of Hudson River Park Trust and the city’s unofficial first lady and chair, brought her two yellow Labrador Retrievers, Bonnie and Clyde, to the opening ceremony.
“Bonnie and Clyde just wanted to say that they are so happy that this dog run is opening now for their friends on the Lower West Side and they are looking forward to sharing it with them,” Taylor said.
The labs splashed around in the fountains with a motley crew of other dogs. The fountains pump out fresh, uncirculated water, good for drinking and playing, a first for Hudson River Park. The simple space is broken up by a row of rough-cut stones. Several auburn umbrellas cast a cool shade over a row of benches for the dog owners.
The dog park is separated into two spaces: one for dogs over 23 pounds and the other for the smaller pooches. No enforcement is in place for the rule. Owners of smaller dogs brought them in to the big dog side, saying that they prefer to play with the big guys.
The dog park has a cement floor that is painted beige and dark blue. The contrasting colors were selected because dogs can only see black, white, and shades of grey, said Signe Nielsen, the principal of Mathews Nielsen, the firm that designed the space. The designers were limited to a small space and sought to maximize the length of a single stretch that dogs could gain some speed on, resulting in the space’s elongated shape.
The solid flooring was selected for ease of cleaning, which is done twice a day, according to posted schedules. The cleanliness works both ways because it keeps the dogs clean too, according to Anne Brenner, owner of Lucy, a Chihuahua and Terrier mix adopted from Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue about a year and a half ago. The solid flooring keeps the dogs clean, said Brenner, compared to that in the bigger Washington Square dog park, which is made of small pebbles and stones.
“We’re excited. It’s just great for them to socialize. I like the fact that there are fountains for them to play in,” Ritu Singh, 35, said.
Across the footpath, a restaurant and a boat launch are nearly finished as well. The park’s trust has a request for proposals for a tenant for the restaurant. The opening is expected in 2014.
Hudson River Park has been upgraded in sections over the course of several years and now links the entire length of western Manhattan with a continuous bike and foot path. The Tribeca Dog Run is the fourth park for dogs to open in Hudson River Park.
Tribeca is one of Manhattan’s priciest neighborhoods, where the median rental cost of a two-bedroom apartment is currently $9,000, according to StreetEasy. The area adjacent to the park is paved with cobblestone and lined with luxury developments, rooftop gardens, boutique shops, and high-end coffee shops.
