Abandoned Tip of Hunter's Point

East River and Manhattan Skyline from Hunter's Point

Hunter’s Point is the land mass of Long Island City bordered by Newtown Creek, the East River and Queens Plaza. Hunter’s Point South is a development along the East River. A friend and I recently paid a visit to the abandoned southwestern tip of the Point at the mouth of Newtown Creek to see what’s left of the old East River waterfront. If you want to get an idea of what parts of the Brooklyn and Queens waterfronts were once like, I recommend taking a trip over the Pulaski Bridge into Long Island City to check it out before it’s gone for good.

Looking South Across the Abandoned Tip of Hunter's Point

Burned Out Construction Trailer

Looking North Across the Abandoned Tip of Hunter's Point

The name Hunters Point comes from Captain George Hunter who maintained a “low island farm” on the banks of Newtown Creek with his wife Ann.[1][2] Their estate was comprised of 210 acres.  By 1833 the captain and Ann had passed away leaving their estate to be sold by there three sons.[2] The land was sold for 100,000 in 1835 to Jeremiah Johnson who resold the land two years later for $200,000.[1][2] Between 1852 and 1853 the estate’s hills were removed and used as fill between present day 5th Street and the bulkhead along the east river.[1] In addition, streets and adjacent building lots were parsed out for sale to home buyers.[2]

1994 Aerial of Abandoned Tip of Hunter's Point

2001 Aerial of Abandoned Tip of Hunter's Point

2004 Aerial of Abandoned Tip of Hunter's Point

2014 Aerial of Abandoned Tip of Hunter's Point

There used to be a large industrial building on the eastern portion of the site. That building was demolished sometime around 2004 and all that remains of the facility is a small parking lot used by contractors. Since 2004 most of the site has been used for construction staging and stock piling. The trailer that burned down sometime within the last several months was once a construction field office. Other construction equipment and materials can be found scattered throughout the weeds. The area looks as though it has recently been cleared, although most of the site has been kept devoid of large trees since at least the 1990s. Much of the larger vegetation that has been allowed to remain is along the water and is made up of fast growing weed trees, like Cottonwood and Ailanthus. 

The area is frequented by visitors. Urban explorers, squatters, graffiti artists, dog walkers high school students and others have made this patch of Hunter’s Point their playground, or in some cases their temporary home.[3] There is evidence of people using the abandoned construction trailer as a crash pad and in the woods along the river is a sturdy makeshift tent with a skyline view. Although, it did not appear as though either shelter was inhabited.

Backhoe Near Tree Line

All good things must come to an end. There have been plans to develop this piece of land since 1983 and while it remains undeveloped, the expansion of Gantry State Park and addition of another gated community in the sky will soon transform this landscape into a formal urban space. According to Curbed, a request for proposal was let in May of 2014 for the final phase of construction of the Hunter’s Point South development.[3] So, act quickly if you wish to see this relic the of New York City waterfront.

Looking Across Newtown Creek to the Future Site of Greenpoint Landing

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Sources:

1. "Hunter's Point" Brooklyn / Queens Waterfront
2. "History of Long Island City" Queens West Villager
3. "Exploring One of the East River's Disappearing Untamed Spaces" Curbed