Long-hidden space under Brooklyn Bridge reopens after 15 years — and public is in awe

A long-closed plot of land under the Brooklyn Bridge has reopened to the public after 15 years — restoring another slice of greenspace for one of the city’s most crowded neighborhoods.

The 15,000-square-foot tract in Lower Manhattan is part of a wider area known as “The Arches,” which the city’s transportation department has been renovating and restoring following its prior assignment as a yard for crews cleaning the Brooklyn Bridge.

“Public space in Manhattan is precious — every acre counts for the people who live, work in, and visit our bustling metropolis,” Meera Joshi, the city’s deputy mayor for operations, said in a Monday statement.

“While we have miles to go to complete our whole vision for this area, we are also grateful to be able to celebrate the wins and welcome New York to an area too long cordoned off, a new refuge for fun and relaxation.”

Other sections of the space — which connects the bridge to nearby Chinatown — were opened last year to honor the legendary span’s 140^th anniversary.

The newest section, which is about a third of an acre between Park Row and Rose Street, had long been used as a construction staging site and gives locals access to shade trees such as oaks, elms and Japanese pagoda trees, the city said.

It will also feature 16 park benches, many of which will have sweeping views of the bridge.

Barricades still closed off about half the area on Monday but those who remained said they were ecstatic about the plan.

“I remember when this place was open before — before it was shut down, before 9/11 – it’s now an enormous barrier for people getting across this part of town,” said Roman Vinoly, 53, who lives in Tribeca but works at an architecture firm next door.

“For it to be reopened and re-injected with life, for it to have the kind of vibrancy this neighborhood used to have historically, for that to be restored — it’s going to be an enormous tonic for Chinatown, the Financial District, the City Center area and for South Street Seaport.

“It’s huge for the community.”

Another resident who lives four blocks away echoed Vinoly’s words.

“It would be great for the community,” she said. “It will bring unity. There are so many different cultures. It will bring togetherness.” 

Rosa Chang, president and co-founder of nonprofit Gotham Park, which takes care of the area, said the new spot will bring some much-needed green to an area swamped with cement.

“We’ve been advocating to open this space up — really hard,” Chang said, as she and other volunteers planted daffodils in the dirt. “And the city agreed and moved shockingly fast.

“We’re really thankful because the city — once we were able to get in touch with them — did acknowledge the total lack of open space here,” she continued. “And they have worked really, really fast.”

“Now instead of going around and around — you’ll now be able to cut through [the park],” she said.

“The whole point is to stitch back our community which has been long separated.”