New Dog Run Announced for Neglected Lower East Side Park

Woof woof, lick lick: these were the sounds and gestures of gratitude offered by the canine constituents of Christopher Marte, District 1 City Council Member, on the morning of June 5, 2025.

We were gathered here this morning outside Captain Jacob Joseph Park—dogs, humans and journalists alike—to Rutgers Street near the corner of Henry Street, to hear an announcement so momentous that even the bipeds would soon want a slobber bone to celebrate with. Following a community petition, Marte had secured the money to build a modern dog run inside the park.

This was good news on a number of levels. First is for the health and happiness of our four-legged friends and their owners, a dozen of which were present for Marte’s announcement. While this part of the Lower East Side has two other dog runs, they both have their issues.

The dog run at nearby Coleman Oval Playground just south of the Manhattan Bridge is a disgrace, consisting only of rough pavement, chain link fence and a couple of benches. While the skateboarders under the bridge are interesting to see, the junkies elsewhere in the park are less fetching. Lest any pooches or their people wish to “touch grass” and run around the park’s not-artificial turf baseball field when it’s not in use, such activity is prohibited and the gate to the field is locked just in case anyone thinks they’re the exception.

A bit further away, the dog run at Corlears Hook Park is actually pretty decent. While the park as a whole remains a work in progress due to the ongoing East Side Resiliency Project, the dog run is open and features a smooth concrete surface, fake fire hydrants, fake tree stumps, and even a fake tree tunnel to romp through. For people who prefer a non-dirt dog run, Corlears Hook is a good choice, with a clean, modern restroom and an adjacent patch of nice real grass for children to play on.

The second reason to hail Marte’s announcement is that Captain Jacob Joseph Park as it exists today is a grave dishonor to its namesake hero.

Born in 1920, Captain Jacob Joseph was the grandson of the eminent Vilna, Poland-born Rabbi Jacob Joseph (1840-1902), who emigrated to New York in 1888. When the Rabbi died, thousands attended his funeral procession. Somewhat oddly, this was also the occasion for a massive anti-Jewish riot, when the mourners were attacked by R. Hoe printing press workers at Grand and Sherriff Streets. In the ensuing fracas, more than 200 mourners were injured, some beaten by cops, and many arrested. Though little recalled, the riot was a watershed political event for both New York Jews and reform Mayor Seth Low.

Born in 1920, Captain Jacob Joseph dropped out of Columbia University in 1938 and joined the United States Marine Corps. He was killed in action on Guadalcanal on October 22, 1942. The park— the land for which was acquired during construction of the IND East Broadway subway complex in the 1930s—was dedicated to Joseph in 1947, with Mayor William O’Dwyer in attendance.

In recent years, the park has fallen on hard times. While its swings and its small jungle gym are sometimes still used by kids, the frequent presence of drug addicts, homeless and weed smokers discourages many visitors. With the bustling Seward Park only steps away, it’s an easy choice to leave.

But Seward Park, for all its abundant virtues— including play equipment, calistenics, Chinese volleyball and an excellent library branch— doesn’t have a dog run, and Captain Joseph, USMC, deserves better.

Christopher Marte seemed to think so too.

“Whether that’s additional shade, or a fountain, or grass, or anything you can imagine for dogs to have a really good time, this isn’t just creating tarmac, it’s creating what you want to see from the best dog runs around the city,” Marte enthused. “Whether it’s Madison Square Park or Tompkins Square Park. It’s really going to have the best features of every single dog run across the city.”

“People have asked what’s the time line,” he continued. “A typical parks project, once the money is set aside, once it gets approval from the community board and the elected official, there’s a three-to-six month procurement process. That’s where they bid out the contracts, and typically, an average dog run, from beginning to end, it takes a year. So our hope is that within a year and half, we’ll have this dog run completed!” Loud clapping followed.

“And so I want to thank guys again for being out there, for organizing, for advocating for your kids to have a beautiful place to breathe, play, relax and have a good time.”

Or as the sign affixed to one woman’s shirt this morning read “Paws up for a new dog run!”