Upper Manhattan’s Beloved Dolphin Park Remains Closed, Leaving Community in Limbo

Amid the steady flow of pedestrians and cyclists crossing the George Washington Bridge, a small park in Upper Manhattan named after the bridge stands frozen in time.

The playground’s bright yellow and red slide is coated in dirt and encircled by dry, fallen leaves. Nearby, a faded blue dolphin sculpture and a sandbox marked with a warning sign that reads “Do Not Stand” hint at the park’s former vibrancy. Planters shaped like boats hold only unopened bags of soil.

This once-treasured community spot, located on the western fringe of Washington Heights, remains inaccessible behind locked wrought-iron gates that have barred public entry for years.

“Everyone loved that park,” said Elizabeth Lorris Ritter, 62, who chaired the local community board’s parks committee for many years. “Many residents keep asking, ‘When will it open again?’”

The park, affectionately called Dolphin Park because of its iconic water-spouting dolphin feature, was where Cecilia Nucci, 51, watched her children play. Her kids, supervised by older neighborhood children who volunteered for a small stipend, enjoyed running through the water jets and exploring the playground. It was also the place where her 9-year-old daughter, Marcela, learned to creatively bend the rules while playing Candy Land.

“I didn’t cheat,” Marcela said recently outside the locked park gates. “I just didn’t want to play the usual way.”