Our goal is to restore and enhance Riverside Park, in partnership with the public and local government, for the enjoyment of present and future generations, and improve the quality of open space in New London. Created in 1893, Riverside Park was a popular recreation spot for picnicking, swimming, and viewing the annual Yale-Harvard Regatta. Isolated by I-95 construction and urban renewal, the park gradually fell into disrepair, its unique landscape and sweeping river views largely forgotten outside of its East New London neighborhood. In 2011, the City considered selling a large portion of the park to the Federal Government, but citizens rejected the plan. After the referendum, Riverside Park Conservancy was founded by a group of citizens determined to restore the park to its former splendor and popularity. The conservancy has hosted park clean-ups and events, established a community garden, planted native vegetation, and implemented facilities improvements. Riverside Park Conservancy also works in cooperation with the Hodges Square Village Association, an organization created to improve the streetscape, economic conditions, and quality of life in the East New London neighborhood and commercial zone adjacent to Riverside Park.