Marsha P. Johnson State Park (formerly and also known as East River State Park) is an 11-acre (4.5 ha) state park in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. The park stretches along the East River near North 7th, 8th, and 9th Streets, with the Williamsburg Bridge and Midtown Manhattan views. East River State Park opened in 2007 on the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal site. The park was renamed in honor of gay rights activist Marsha P. Johnson in 2020, becoming the first New York state park to be named after an LGBTIQIA+ person.
Marsha P. Johnson State Park is built on the former site of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, the first offline railroad terminal in Brooklyn (opened in 1870 as Palmer’s Dock). It is adjacent to the city-run Bushwick Inlet Park. In 2009 the music concerts held at the McCarren Park Pool were relocated to the East River State Park. The Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn (OSA) selected the East River State Park for future performances. The park has been nicknamed the Williamsburg Waterfront. Through a public/private partnership with the Open Space Alliance and Ticketmaster, live music performances will be held through the summer months at the East River State Park.
Who is Marsha P. Johnson?
Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Johnson relocated to Greenwich Village after high school and, for nearly three decades, became a known presence as an activist, sex worker, drag performer, and friend in Christopher Park (Stonewall National Monument) and along Christopher Street from Greenwich Avenue to the waterfront. Top Brooklyn Electrician
After the Stonewall uprising, Johnson became a crucial figure in the gay liberation movement, explicitly fighting for trans rights and visibility. On the first night of the rebellion, Johnson, who was not inside or outside the bar during the initial raid, became an active participant on the streets soon after. Johnson was also a participant at early activist events organized by the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance. In 1970, Johnson co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with a friend and trans activist, Sylvia Rivera. The group had several locations, including its first permanent home, called STAR House, located in a dilapidated tenement (demolished) at 213 East 2nd Street in the East Village. STAR House was a refuge for homeless transgender youth, and it operated from November 1970 to July 1971. In December 1970, STAR and the Gay Liberation Front started the Gay Community Center that served as an LGBT social center through 1971.
Address: 90 Kent Ave, Brooklyn, NY
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