The Real Deal New York

From the March issue: The eastern section of Ferry Point Park, located at a bend of the East River next to the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, is one of the bleakest sites in New York City. The former municipal landfill is marked by bulldozer tracks and large hills of grayish dirt. In recent years, residents of the adjacent Throgs Neck neighborhood heard repeated promises that this 222-acre wasteland would be transformed into the city’s first luxury golf course, complete with a new 20-acre waterfront park and a 7-acre community park. A decade ago, the prospect of that golf course, along with an anticipated downzoning of the area, helped spark a housing boom on undeveloped lots adjacent to the park. Dirt streets were paved, sewers were installed, and hundreds of two- and three-family homes were erected.