"With heavy hearts, we're sharing that Mezze on the River will close due to upcoming Battery Park City waterfront construction." Merchants Hospitality posted that on the restaurant's website this summer, and Mezze served its last day on September 7. The spot in Gateway, just south of North Cove Marina, had been a waterfront restaurant since 2011. It opened as Merchants River House and reopened as Mezze on the River in June 2022.
The closure explains a lot about the waterfront this fall. For decades the Esplanade worked as one continuous path: you got on anywhere and walked until you felt like stopping. In October 2026 it works more like a building with a few open entrances. One end is finished and open again. The middle and the north are fenced in sections. Getting to the water now depends on knowing which entry points are open.
The South Tip Is the Only Stretch That Runs Straight Through
The finished piece is at the bottom of the island. The Battery Bikeway reopened on September 24 and links the Hudson River Greenway to the East River Esplanade. It runs past the Museum of Jewish Heritage and Pier A Plaza and along the northern edge of the Battery. It was the last piece of the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project.
It had been closed a long time. The Wagner Park section had been shut since November 2022 and the Battery section since October 2023. Anyone who moved to Battery Park City in the last three years has never biked this route. With it open, the path around Manhattan's waterfront runs about 31 miles without a break.
Wagner Park itself reopened in July 2025 after two years of work. Much of its 3.5 acres now sits 10 feet higher than before. The Wagner Park Pavilion's Classroom opened in March 2026. It's a 1,200-square-foot room used for public programs and rentals. The Battery Park City Authority still says a dining venue in the pavilion will launch in 2026, but it hasn't named the venue or given a date. Tribeca Citizen reported in September 2025 that JD Enterprises had been picked as the operator and was aiming for the second half of 2026. As of early October, no opening has been announced.
North of Wagner, Pick Your Entry Point First
Head north from Wagner Park and things change. Construction for the North/West Battery Park City Resiliency Project began in late 2025, and the Authority expects to finish in late 2030. The project's fall 2026 wayfinding guide lists where you can still reach the Esplanade from the street and where you can't.
| Esplanade access this fall | Status |
|---|---|
| Wagner Park | Open |
| Albany Street | Open |
| Rector Place | Open |
| West Thames Street | Open |
| River Terrace | Open |
| Rockefeller Park | Open |
| 2nd Place | No access |
| 3rd Place | No access |
| South End Avenue | No access |
| North Esplanade | No access |
The blocked streets are the ones closest to South Cove. If you live on South End Avenue, you used to walk straight to the water. This fall you'll need to walk to Albany Street or down to Wagner Park first. Construction on the South Cove stretch is scheduled through summer 2028.
For a straight north-south trip, the Authority recommends West Street and the Hudson River Greenway over the Esplanade. For commuting, the inland route is now the faster one, and the waterfront is something you get onto at a specific entrance.
North Cove and Brookfield Place
Mezze's closing shows how much the area around North Cove has changed. Tribeca Citizen reported that the walkway between North Cove Marina and Brookfield Place is closed, and that the restaurant's stretch of the bulkhead will be under construction for about two and a half years. At its October 1 Construction Advisory Committee meeting, the Authority said crews were set up on the west side of Gateway Plaza. It expects the South Esplanade work to be phased through summer 2030.
The Authority's September 16 board update gives the details around North Cove:
- The west side of Brookfield Place is open, except directly in front of the Winter Garden.
- Liberty Street access is closed until construction ends.
- Kowsky Playground, Sirius Dog Run and the New York City Police Memorial are closed until construction ends. NYPD members can still reach the memorial.
North Cove is scheduled to stay under construction through late 2030. Of all the project's zones, it has the longest stretch left.
The Chambers Street Detour
At the north end, the Esplanade is closed along Tribeca Pointe and Stuyvesant High School. To get between Rockefeller Park and Stuyvesant Plaza, the Authority sends pedestrians along Chambers Street. The Hurricane Maria Memorial ramp is also closed, so for an accessible route, use the Warren Street ramp.
Tribeca Citizen's July 20 progress report described fencing along the bike path and on the north side of Stuyvesant High School. It noted that the main work inside Rockefeller Park is a later phase. Sources disagree on when the North Esplanade reopens. The Authority's October 1 presentation says early 2030. The project's website says through 2029. Plan on the detour for several more years.
Dog Runs: Two Open, One Closed
Sirius Dog Run is closed. Two other runs are open this fall:
- West Thames Dog Run
- North End Dog Run
The same fall list says these are also open: Wagner Park, West Thames Park, the Lily Pond, Teardrop Park, the Rockefeller Park playground and basketball courts, and the BPC Ball Fields.
The Next Work Zones and Their Start Dates
The rest of the project's calendar matters as much as what's closed now. The Authority's October 1 presentation, the most recent schedule available, gives these start dates and expected durations for the zones still ahead:
| Work zone | Scheduled start | Expected duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Street Crossing / Tribeca | 4th quarter 2026 | 48 months |
| Ferry Terminal | 1st quarter 2027 | 43 months |
| Rockefeller Park | 2nd quarter 2028 | 28 months |
The ferry terminal is the one most likely to affect daily routines soon. Right now you can reach it from Vesey Street, from River Terrace and from the Esplanade. The October 1 presentation schedules work there to start in early 2027, though the project website still shows the first quarter of 2028, and either way those routes may change. Ferry riders can sign up for the project's building-specific email alerts. The Authority calls the whole schedule subject to change, depending on agency approvals and construction logistics.
Rockefeller Park's playground and courts stay open until the work there begins. The Authority expects that the ballcourts and playground may close or be reconfigured once that phase starts.
October Events at the Open South End
With the north end fenced, most of this month's waterfront programming is on the reopened south end. The Battery Park City Authority's October calendar includes:
- "250 Years of America" walking tours: October 8, meeting at 200 Vesey Street; October 13, at the Wagner Pavilion Classroom; and October 20, at Pier A Plaza.
- The Lovestruck Balladeers at Wagner Park: October 8, with a DJ set at 6 p.m. and the band at 7 p.m.
Two of the three tour starting points, the Pavilion Classroom and Pier A Plaza, sit on the newly reopened stretch. The same Pier A Plaza the bikeway now runs through is the starting point for the October 20 tour.
Two other events are nearby. The Downtown Alliance's Lunch Box food fair comes to Fosun Plaza tomorrow, October 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with $10 lunch boxes from newer downtown restaurants. Over on the East River, the Seaport hosts Taste of the Seaport on Saturday, October 24, with a free KidsZone. With the Battery Bikeway open again, you can ride the waterfront from Battery Park City to the Seaport without the old detour.
On South End Avenue, where you can't get onto the Esplanade this fall, the restaurant row near the blocked access points is changing too. Maison Madison, a French-inspired restaurant and cocktail spot, has taken over the former Black Hound space at 301 South End Avenue. At the same address, Treadwell Park is becoming Casa Oaxaca with a larger bar. Tribeca Citizen said on September 5 that it "should open soon," but no opening date has been published. Loong Ramen, at the south end of South End Avenue, has applied for a wine, beer and cider license.
Construction this long affects more than walks. It shapes which buildings sit near open entry points and how close a given apartment is to the reopened south end. It also determines which blocks will be next to active work zones through 2030. If you're weighing a lease renewal, a purchase or a sale in Battery Park City, Piere Michel can walk you through the construction schedule block by block for the buildings you're considering. Book an Appointment, and we'll map out which work zones will be near your address and when.
