Harlem Meer Shoreline Restoration & Boardwalk

Restoring the Harlem Meer Shoreline

The Harlem Meer shoreline restoration project builds upon the Central Park Conservancy's work at and around the Park's north end, including our 1990 restoration of the Meer, the East 108th Street and East 110th Street Playground projects, and construction of the Davis Center, which opened in 2025.

The project naturalizes the Meer's shoreline and expands the water body surface to improve habitat, create a more visually appealing edge, and restore its original 19th-century character. Through the restoration of the shoreline path system, we will improve accessibility along the south shoreline and between the Lenox Avenue entrance, the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, and Davis Center. Plus, construction is currently underway to connect the Davis Center to the Conservatory Garden.

Both the restoration of the Meer’s iconic shoreline and the North End Recirculation System are helping to shape a vibrant future for the Park’s north end.

History of the Harlem Meer

The Harlem Meer was first completed in 1866 in the northeast corner of the Park. The area from 106th Street to 110th Street was added to the Park's original footprint through the advocacy of Park co-designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.

In the first half of the 20th century, the character of the Meer changed considerably through a series of projects, including the addition of a shoreline perimeter path, a concrete perimeter wall, and perimeter fencing.

In the mid-1960s, the Lasker Rink and Pool facility was constructed, reducing the footprint of the Meer and severing the connection between the Loch and Ravine and the Meer.

In the 1980s, the newly formed Central Park Conservancy began a series of projects to restore the Meer, including the removal of fencing, selective removal of the concrete perimeter wall, and naturalization of the shoreline. The center island was constructed, and the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center replaced the former boathouse structure.

In 2025, the Conservancy opened the Davis Center at the Harlem Meer, replacing the former Lasker Rink and Pool with a four-season recreation center integrated into the Park’s landscape and re-establishing the historic watercourse running from the Ravine into the Meer.

Construction of the Davis Center also expanded the footprint of the Meer, removing the remaining concrete perimeter wall and reconnecting the Loch and the Meer via a newly constructed stream corridor (replacing the Lasker-era culvert).

Scope of Work

• Continued restoration of the Harlem Meer to its historic character
• Expand waterbody for improved habitat and public access and naturalize the shoreline
• Improve accessibility to the water and facilities and playgrounds in the Meer landscape
• Shoreline stabilization and reconstruction to expand the Meer surface, including changes to the location of the shoreline in some areas
• Path reconstruction for sections of the shoreline path that have not been recently rebuilt, including associated infrastructure, utilities, and site furnishings
• Replacement of two sections of the south shoreline path by a boardwalk, following the same detailing as the new Davis Center boardwalk
• Addition of upland, riparian, and aquatic plantings