The South Street Seaport District, a historic area located in Downtown Manhattan, adjacent to the Financial District and centered where Fulton Street meets the East River, is currently undergoing redevelopment in order to usher the dynamic area into the 21st Century.
Stewarded by the Howard Hughes Corporation, South Street Seaport is being transformed into a celebration of history, a dining and retail anchor, and a center for entertainment, culture and creative arts, establishing an unparalleled New York City experience. With "an eye toward the future, the organization is helping the District reclaim its role as the heart of Lower Manhattan and the city as a whole" (South Street Seaport).
The revitalization of the Seaport District begins on the piers of the port themselves. Seaport's Pier 15 is a 2-story structure on the water with observation decks on each floor, seats and benches, along with a grassy area meant for picnics and basking beside the East River. It houses the Watermark Bar, a riverfront bar/restaurant with a sleek design, as well as Hornblower Cruises & Events. Exceptionally, this past Friday, September 16th, 2016, singer/songwriter Usher celebrated his iHeartRadio album release party and gave an exclusive performance on Seaport's Pier 15.
Pier 16 serves as a dock for many tours, including the New York Water Taxi, Fall Foliage Cruises, Statue of Liberty Express tour, ZEPHYR Cruises, Yachtoberfest, and more (NY Water Taxi). This pier also docks historic ships available for guided tours and public visits as part of the South Street Seaport Museum, including the Lightship Ambrose, the Wavertree, and the schooner Pioneer (South Street Seaport Museum).
During the refurbishment, Pier 16 presents a timeline of the Seaport's history and transition as well as a glimpse of the development of the new cultural, commercial and open-space project on Pier 17 entitled Seaport Past & Future. From its start as a forest of masts, to a street of ships, to a port into market, its decline and rebirth, and its challenges and changes, the timeline presents the Seaport's historical shift into its futuristic rebirth - a transformation that "seeks to present a portrait of the city across time, through the story of a single legendary district: a place whose history reaches back to the early days of the republic, whose changes reveal many of the larger forces at work beneath the modern world, and whose own crucial innovations - in transportation, in commerce, and in urban life itself - have helped shaped the way we live today."
Opening in 2017 and currently under construction, Pier 17 will host the new outdoor cultural, commercial and open-space exhibit that is Seaport Past & Future, which offers a portrait of two centuries of growth and history of one of the most richly historic, yet dynamically modern places in the world. The exhibit will include 365,000 square feet of retail, cuisine, and offers its rooftop as a multifunctional space, previewing weddings, Independence Day festivities, fashion shows, and music events in its promotional video.
"What we have tried to do, simply is bring the city onto the pier - and connect the pier back to the city." - Gregg Pasquarelli, SHoP Architects.
In companionship to the history and retail being brought to life, South Street hosts a plethora of eateries along the water as well, including Industry Kitchen, Paris Cafe, and El Luchador NYC.
The redevelopment, however, delves deeper than the waterfront. Within the Seaport District, through its historic streets including Fulton Street, Front Street, Water Street, and more - right off of FDR drive - a hub for culture, cuisine, retail, entertainment and creativity is growing, welcoming residents and visitors alike. These streets are home to local artist stores, the South Street Seaport Museum, and a variety of retail stores such as GUESS, Abercrombie & Fitch, William Okpo, Gilded Age and more. The selection of cuisine is even more vast, varying from Italian restaurants like Barbalu and ACQUA, to neighborhood wine bars like Bin no. 220, to cultural and creative restaurants like the Artists Loft Bar and Restaurant. Furthermore, from May to December, the Fulton Market Building at 11 Fulton Street presents the Seaport Smorg, where visitors can "Eat. Drink. Hang." The Seaport Smorg offers unique dining options like Hornitos, Lumpia Shack Snack Bar, Fletcher's Brooklyn Barbecue, and many others.
Additionally, opening October 2016, South Street Seaport is welcoming iPic Theaters at 11 Fulton Street, a luxury dine-in theatre featuring high-level comfort push reclining chairs, gourmet food, and "ninja-trained waitresses" who will silently deliver food and drink during movie-watching (Patch).
The "Seaport of Tomorrow" allows for its visitors and residents to experience the city and the Seaport like never before. Along with its shopping selections and dining options, there are an abundance of activities that one can take part in, like going to an outdoor movie night on Fulton Street, renting a bike to ride across the waterfront of South Street or across the Brooklyn Bridge, visiting an outdoor market, an outdoor festival, or any of the other activities and events that the Seaport District has to offer.
The Seaport District's revitalization is an exciting, progressive addition to both the residential and tourist atmosphere of Lower Manhattan. “On the historic blocks of the Seaport - the very blocks where two centuries ago, New York’s great commercial engine first roared to life, and the modern forces of globalization, innovation, and diversity first made themselves felt..." says James Sanders, a Curator within the project, "...a new kind of urban crossroads will now emerge, compressing into the space of a few blocks some of the city’s most creative and talented individuals, most engaging cultural conversations, and most exciting environments and experiences."
