Riverside Park

Riverside Park

In its current state, Riverside Park reaches 18 acres from the banks of the Thames River upward towards the neighborhoods behind Hodges Square. The park’s dwindling attendance record and successive attempts to sell off the land to the neighboring Coast Guard Academy reveal deeper problems with New London’s historical development. In Riverside park’s heyday it was a celebration of New London’s affluence, featuring the Yale-Harvard Regatta and recreational all year round beginning in 1893. However following the segregation of the greater Hodges Square area by the construction of I-95, isolation caused neglect. New London citizens rescued the park in 2011, creating the Riverside Park Conservancy to ensure its survival.

Caitlin Teare

Caitlin Teare