QUEENS — One of the hottest tickets in town on the Fourth of July is a 12-acre state park with stunning views of the midtown Manhattan skyline.
Alexis Bell, a state park maintenance supervisor, and a hearty team of workers make sure Gantry Plaza State Park is clean, maintained and ready for the throngs of people who arrive to watch the annual Macy’s Fireworks Show on the East River.
From left, Alexis Bell, maintenance supervisor at Gantry Plaza State Park, speaks with visitors and keeps the park clean for everyone.
And they keep it looking just as good the rest of the year.
“It’s a little stressful,” Bell said of dealing with the large crowds. “But it’s beautiful to see so many people, from different countries, races and ages coming together here and getting along. It’s amazing.”
Bell has worked at Fulton Ferry and the Roberto Clemente State Parks, but he’s developed an affinity to Gantry.
“The view is amazing,” he said.
With breathtaking views of the Empire State Building and the United Nations, it’s a backdrop that never gets old.
The park also features four piers, gardens meticulously maintained by park workers and a unique mist fountain for kids and families.
“In this job, you really need to love nature and love communicating with people,” Bell said.
The park’s restored gantries, industrial monuments that were once used to load and unload rail car floats and barges remind visitors of the city’s once thriving commercial waterfront history.
Most days, thousands of local residents and tourists use the park’s recreational facilities including basketball courts, playgrounds, handball courts and a fishing pier with its own cleaning table.
Whether it’s trash disposal, weed whacking, painting, carpentry, cutting grass, blowing leaves or snow removal, our members at Gantry are constantly working to keep the image of the park as sparkling as the view that draws visitors there.
“We work really hard to maintain this park to make sure it’s always presentable,” Bell said. “This park is free and we really need the public to appreciate it. They don’t know what they have until they lose it.”
— David Galarza
