Bush Terminal Park: A Brooklyn Waterfront Walk

Bush Terminal Park sits on the Sunset Park waterfront in Brooklyn, between 43rd and 50th Streets along Marginal Street. Its location ties an open public space to the former Bush Terminal industrial campus, once a center for manufacturing, warehousing and distribution.

The New York City Department of City Planning lists the park at 21.60 acres: 10.80 active acres and 10.80 passive acres. The scale gives the site room for both recreation and quieter waterfront areas. If you’re planning a wider neighborhood outing, pair the walk with this guide to Sunset Park.

Park amenities listed in the city’s open-space inventory include paths, benches and a rock jetty, alongside a bike path, soccer fields and baseball fields. Restored wetlands and tidal pools add natural features to the waterfront setting.

Comfort stations, water fountains, bike racks and night lighting are also listed among the amenities. The inventory doesn’t specify which features are open at any particular time, so treat it as a guide to what the park includes rather than a guarantee of current access to each facility. For another kind of Brooklyn outing, see this guide to choosing a museum visit.

Bush Terminal Park is about a 21-minute walk from The Vue Express @ 39th Street. It’s also in Sunset Park, so you can make the neighborhood part of the same outing; the park is about a seven-minute walk from Sunset Park.

The park’s listed site address is Marginal Street and 43rd Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232. For subway access, MADE Bush Terminal’s visitor directions point to the D, N or R trains at 36th Street, or the R at 45th Street, followed by a westbound walk of about 10 to 15 minutes to the campus.

These directions refer to the campus, so confirm the best approach to the park entrance before setting out.

NYC Ferry serves the Brooklyn Army Terminal/Sunset Park landing at 140 58th Street on its South Brooklyn and Rockaway routes. From the landing, the waterfront walk continues west along 58th Street.

The ferry operator also lists the N and R trains’ 59th Street stop as a short walk from the landing. If you’re considering ferry or bus connections, check their current service details before relying on them.

Current daily hours, seasonal access rules, park-specific restrictions and entrance details could not be confirmed from NYC Parks’ Bush Terminal Park page. For those practical details, check the official site before you go: NYC Parks. That’s especially useful if you’re planning around a particular facility or need to confirm access.

Allow time to walk the paths and take in the waterfront, then decide whether to spend more of the visit around the recreational facilities or the wetlands and tidal pools. The park inventory establishes that these features are present, but doesn’t give a suggested visit length or confirm which areas are accessible on a given day.

For a simple plan, start with the park’s waterfront setting and follow the paths, keeping time flexible until you’ve checked current access.

Its combination of active and passive areas makes Bush Terminal Park a distinct stop among parks in Brooklyn, with the former industrial campus as part of the surrounding story. You can also find details about staying at The Vue Express @ 39th Street as you plan your Brooklyn visit.