about gotham park
Gotham Park is organized by Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan, a New York State not-for-profit founded in 2021, with the goal of establishing and supporting a new kind of hyper-urban public park at the Manhattan landing of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge.
As civic activists and advocates, we came together at a Community Board 1 - Waterfront, Parks and Cultural Committee meeting in late 2020, hearing from community members on the importance and impact of public space, and specifically this place, which has now been closed to public access for over a decade. In a neighborhood with pitifully little public recreation space, surrounded by communities of color, our goal is to provide access to world class public indoor and outdoor civic spaces where we can share, learn and celebrate our communities. We have come to the conclusion that without strong directed advocacy, funding and a plan to reopen, build and protect this park, another decade or more could pass with little change.
Our stakeholders are neighborhood residents, businesses, schools and their families, tourists, sports enthusiasts and fluffy friends.
Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan is a 501(c)3.
Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan Cofounders
Rosa Chang
Steve Rodriguez
Steve Rodriguez
Rosa Chang loves cities, and has had the privilege of calling New York City home for over 20 years. Having also lived in London, Paris, Helsinki, Milan, Rome, Tokyo and Toronto - she is naturally drawn to the energy, diversity and celebration of urban environments. As cofounder and board member of Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan, Rosa hopes t
Rosa Chang loves cities, and has had the privilege of calling New York City home for over 20 years. Having also lived in London, Paris, Helsinki, Milan, Rome, Tokyo and Toronto - she is naturally drawn to the energy, diversity and celebration of urban environments. As cofounder and board member of Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan, Rosa hopes to unlock a singular space where we can all share, learn, grow and thrive. description.
Steve Rodriguez
Steve Rodriguez
Steve Rodriguez
Steve Rodriguez has been a dedicated skateboarder for over 3 decades. Residing in NYC with his wife and son, Steve is widely recognized as the "Mayor" of NYC's tight-knit skateboarding community. In 1996, Steve's unwavering passion for skateboarding and the surrounding lifestyle inspired him to launch 5boro Skateboards and advocate for
Steve Rodriguez has been a dedicated skateboarder for over 3 decades. Residing in NYC with his wife and son, Steve is widely recognized as the "Mayor" of NYC's tight-knit skateboarding community. In 1996, Steve's unwavering passion for skateboarding and the surrounding lifestyle inspired him to launch 5boro Skateboards and advocate for all NY skaters by volunteering his time, expertise and resources to plan and execute a variety of skateboarding-related initiatives. With NYC's Parks Department and DOT, he has fundraised and designed numerous skateparks and plazas throughout NYC. He also sits on the Board of Directors for the non-profit Harold Hunter Foundation
Rob Magliaro
Steve Rodriguez
Rob Magliaro
Rob Magliaro is the co-founder and former Principal of the Urban Assembly School for Emergency Management, a public high school across the street from Gotham Park. As a lifelong skateboarder - his family opened and operated Boarderline Skatepark in his hometown of West Chester, Pennsylvania - he has a deep belief in spaces that connect
Rob Magliaro is the co-founder and former Principal of the Urban Assembly School for Emergency Management, a public high school across the street from Gotham Park. As a lifelong skateboarder - his family opened and operated Boarderline Skatepark in his hometown of West Chester, Pennsylvania - he has a deep belief in spaces that connect communities and an affinity for the Brooklyn Banks. He is currently the Education Lead at Grow with Google where he focuses on economic opportunity by partnering with education institutions across the country to build alternate pathways to great jobs.
Rob is an alum of CUNY Lehman College and Syracuse University where he was a university scholar.
Supporting Partners
Support Our Vision
We're a nonprofit organization working to reopen the park below the Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan anchorage.
We need your financial help to realize our community's vision.
Support Gotham Park
We're a nonprofit organization working to reopen the park below the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan.
We need your help to realize our vision.