Tag: Little Island Park

Pier 57 on Manhattan’s West Side

Published on by juliebrannan2 Comments

The piers along the Hudson River have a long history of adaptation, from being a major series of docks for commercial and passenger ships (the survivors of the Titanic were brought to Pier 54 where Little Island Park is now rather than the Cunard-owned Pier 59 where the ill-fated vessel was intended to conclude its journey – and Pier 59 itself is now part of Chelsea Piers Sports and Entertainment Complex), to rundown areas to avoid, to the current series of vibrantly reimagined public places (Chelsea Piers was first, but see my previous posts on the more recently opened Little Island Park and Pier 26 ). I recently checked out Pier 57, next to Little Island, which has been in the process of transformation since the fabulous City Winery (terrific food and wine – and concerts!) moved there from farther downtown but now is completely finished, with a fantastic Market 57 area for food and drink, and a two-acre rooftop park with spectacular views.

You find Pier 57 by going to West 15th Street and heading west – if you go past it, you will find yourself in the Hudson River! Close to Chelsea Market, The High Line Park, and Little Island, and also part of the wonderful walkable and bike-friendly Hudson River Park, Pier 57 is unassuming on the outside.

As you enter, with one of Google’s NYC offices on your right and City Winery to your left, if you proceed forward you will enter Market 57, an eclectic group of food and drink vendors.

Eclectic and bustling, the choices are varied and there is plenty of seating with great views of Little Island Park and the view south down the Hudson River. The largest seating area, in keeping with the community feel of Pier 57, is called the “Living Room” (but 7400 square feet of living room!).

Market 57 was curated and developed by the James Beard Foundation, and there are daily cooking demonstrations, culinary arts programming, and classes led by experts (see their schedule here).

Heading back past Market 57, you can either take stairs or an elevator up to the public rooftop, free of charge and open from 6am-1am every day. You can see up to Hudson Yards, west to the Empire State Building, and south to One World Trade and even the Statue of Liberty.

Pier 57 has ten bookable, tech-enabled spaces which can be reserved at no cost thanks to Google (see here for booking information) and an educational interactive exhibit about the Hudson River and the animals that live in it, called The Discovery Tank. As part of the ongoing development of Hudson River Park led by the nonprofit Hudson Park Trust, Pier 57 adds to the series of wonderful public spaces along Manhattan’s far West Side. I say it constantly, but one of the most wonderful things about New York City is that it is constantly evolving. The phrase may be “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere,” but I will add emphatically to that “If you are bored here, you will be bored everywhere!” Come and check out this new addition to the city I love, whether you are a resident or a visitor – New York City, in all its ever-adapting glory, is here for everyone.

Little Island Park

Published on by juliebrannan3 Comments

During New York City’s lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, I took up bike riding, primarily along the Hudson River Greenway (see more detail about my perspective on biking in NYC here). Although I had previously noticed the odd constellation of what looked like concrete mushrooms blooming in the Hudson River just south of Chelsea Piers at Pier 55, on my nearly-daily rides past the construction area I watched with interest the development of the city’s newest park. I was thrilled to visit Little Island Park on its first day open to the public, May 21, have been back recently, and have another visit booked (more on the need to book timed tickets later).

Enter where 13th Street meets the Hudson River, walking over a bridge to get to this park built over the water. One of the first things you see is a series of food trucks with an area to eat in the shade. There are a variety of wines, beers, and cocktails available in addition to food, coffee, pastries, and non-alcoholic beverages.

Flowers and other lush landscaping bloom atop the concrete petals. Once in the park, you barely notice the structure that is so striking from a distance – unless you happen to be walking under a few of them, as the park has many different elevations.

There are numerous whimsical touches – music you can create by jumping on tiles or pulling levers, and a few spinning devices for fun (or perhaps to hypnotize yourself or others).

The views are spectacular as you wind your way around the park, and there are multiple places to sit – some intimate, and others grand (like the amphitheatre that will soon begin hosting performances).

On opening day, they were giving out packets of seeds and colored pencils. Little Island also has large and very clean bathrooms, which is greatly appreciated.

When I went on opening day, I was there in the morning. At that point, they had a policy of requiring free timed tickets from 12-8 (reserve them here), but since then the park has been so popular that they require the tickets from noon until closing. Little Island is open every day from 6AM to 1AM, and if you can’t get a timed reservation, you could try going in the morning. I was just there on a timed ticket on a weekend afternoon, and the need for a reservation kept the park from feeling crowded. The next time I have planned, it will be to meet someone for lunch there (and we have reservations already). I think the park is still working out when they release reservations and for how long in advance, so keep checking if you are looking for a reservation and at first they are all sold out.

I will never forget my first time on the High Line Park (see an old blog post here and another when they expanded the park here). I was charmed, and also exhilarated with the feeling of experiencing something completely new. In our concrete jungle here in NYC, it is all the more important that we find these places to experience nature and feel a sense of integration between artificial and natural worlds that we strive to bridge. Going to Little Island Park has given me that same sense of wonder and appreciation. New York City is constantly evolving, and after a year or more of pandemic hardship and isolation, gathering together in this innovative new space feels like a wonderful way in which change can also heal.