2. Pier 57, Manhattan

Photo Courtesy of Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, LLC

Pier 57 has been shuttered for twenty years but will re-open this weekend! The pier that stands today was built in 1952 as a replacement for the terminal of the Grace Line which had burnt down in 1947. It was later used as a Hudson Pier Depot for the New York City Transit Authority, before closing in 2003.

Now, the pier building has been renovated as a mixed-use waterfront property that houses a new public rooftop park, office space, a performance venue, a food market, classrooms, and community spaces. The restoration has been a collaborative effort between the Hudson River Park Trust, RXR, Young Woo & Associates, and the pier’s tenants, Google, City Winery, Jamestown, and the James Beard Foundation. When the new facilities open in April 2023, it will mark the first time the general public will get to make use of this once-vacant structure.