This walking tour through Long Island City explores the impacts of our delivery economy and the communities living and working at the center of it. As E-commerce has exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic, so has the rise of massive warehouses and the diesel truck traffic that serves them. What feels like everyday convenience like same-day shipping and doorstop delivery, has rapidly transformed neighborhoods like those surrounding Newtown Creek. On this tour, participants will trace the “last mile” of the delivery supply chain, seeing firsthand how these massive fulfillment centers and constant truck traffic shape the streets, air quality, and daily life of nearby residents.
Along the route, we will discuss how diesel delivery trucks release harmful pollutants like PM2.5 and NOx, contributing to asthma, heart disease, and other health risks. The tour highlights the growing movement for cleaner freight and introduces the proposed Clean Delivers Act, which would require large warehouses to reduce emissions and address their environmental impacts. By walking through LIC together, participants will better understand the connection between online shopping, environmental justice, and the policies that could help create cleaner and healthier neighborhoods.
A guided evening tour of existing and proposed waterfront access along the Queens shoreline.
Join Newtown Creek Alliance (NCA) for a unique walking tour to discover the lack of waterfront access along the Queens side of the waterway. The guided walk will begin at the Hunters Point Avenue 7 train station and head towards the Dutch Kills tributary before ending at the Kingsland Wildflowers green roof, where participants can join in NCA’s weekly Open Hours series to enjoy the sunset from the green roof meadows and redraw our walking path.
Along the way we will visit decommissioned rail lines, community gardens, fenced off shorelines, multiple bridge crossings, and discuss the various opportunities for creating access and environmental restoration along this long neglected and polluted waterbody. We ask that all attendees wear closed toe shoes and be prepared for walking on rugged industrial terrain.
In total, the walk is approx. 2.25 miles long. This tour is free, space is limited. We ask that attendees fill out a liability waiver and photo consent form prior to joining, found
Past Events
This 6-mile bike tour will follow the proposed route of the Department of Environmental Protection’s planned Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Storage Tunnel for Newtown Creek. Years in the making, this massive, multi-billion dollar infrastructure project will bring much needed relief and reduction to the repeated discharging of untreated sewage entering Newtown Creek during rain events. 2025 is a critical year for designing the tunnel and getting everything lined up to begin construction in the coming years (the project completion date is 2040).
Along the way, we’ll pass pump houses, sewer grates, and CSO discharge points, stopping frequently to point out existing infrastructure and talk about the DEP’s planned underground work.
Have you noticed how hot it can get in the city—especially around Newtown Creek?
Join artist DaeQuan Alexander Collier on Thursday, September 11th at 6:30PM at the Queens Landing Boathouse and Environmental Center for a film screening and workshop exploring how heat shapes our bodies, cities, and imaginations. The evening will feature clips from iconic portrayals of urban heat over time, followed by a participatory workshop inviting you to reflect and create together.
Free and open to the public; recommended for adults.
DaeQuan Collier is a Bronx-born interdisciplinary artist and writer whose practice weaves together moving image, sound, and experimental storytelling to examine how memory is shaped, held, and transmitted. Moving between physical objects and digital tools, his work conjures spaces for communion. Through installation, video, and text-based works, Collier explores how personal and collective histories are archived and mediated, often drawing on oral traditions, site-specific research, and found materials. His work is informed by how media, images, and space affect us, engaging storytelling as a mode of inquiry, healing, and reimagining. He holds a BFA from New York University and an MFA from Emerson College.
Come join NCA every Friday from September 5 to October 17 to see the green roofs at Kingsland Wildflowers and explore (and purchase) plants from our Native Plant Nursery.
The event’s allow the public to learn about the green roofs and native plants, as well as experiencing the Newtown Creek during the golden hour from our scenic wildflower meadows. This is a family friendly event, kindly keep in mind that we use our green roofs as an educational resource, we prefer that furry friends stay at home. NCA staff will be on hand to answer questions about the space, the ecological benefits of green roofs, and talk about our current activities around Newtown Creek!
Join Newtown Creek Alliance and Billion Oyster Project for Critters After Dark—an evening of hands-on marine science and nighttime waterfront discovery at the Queens Landing Boathouse in Hunters Point South Park. Taking place just after sunset and during high tide, this free event invites participants to explore the ecology of Newtown Creek after dark. The evening will kick off with a brief introduction to the creek’s unique environment, touching on topics like algal blooms and bioluminescence.
Particpants will rotate through interactive stations including live plankton tows and microscopy, flashlight waterside exploration, a hands-on critter ID challenge, and a deep dive into Billion Oyster Project’s restoration work. Educators and staff will be onsite to guide activities, answer questions, and share resources
Free and open to the public; recommended for adults and curious learners.
The 9th Annual Kingsland Wildflowers Festival returns Saturday, July 26! This free, family-friendly event will include exciting activities and the chance to explore our rooftop wildflower meadows; experience art installations, performances, & live music; learn about native wildlife & ecology, including Newtown Creek; meet local community & environmental organizations; buy native plants for your garden; and enjoy food & drinks with friends & family
Kingsland Wildflowers is a 25,000 sqft native pollinator garden nestled in Greenpoint, Brooklyn’s industrial business zone. The project partners include: Alive Structures, Broadway Stages, Newtown Creek Alliance, and NOoSPHERE Arts. Learn more about the project here.
Register for free at KWFestival2025.eventbrite.com.
Interested in Volunteering? We would love your help! Register as a volunteer through Eventbrite, and we will send an email with more information.