New York’s South Street Seaport

It’s hard to think of bustling, spire-jammed Manhattan as an island, with miles of river frontage. For centuries, the waterfront was meant for work, not pleasure. But in the last several decades that’s changed, and redevelopment is occuring all along the coasts, notably Battery Park and more recently, Hudson Yards. The South Street Seaport waterfront has undergone transformation as well, so I decided to spend a little time wandering the area recently to take a look.

Ferry Docking

I first walked along the waterfront under the FDR drive. There is a new (well, new to me) ferry docking area at Pier 11 that was busy with boats coming and going, while overhead a helicopter whirred. In the distance to the south, the Verrazano Bridge was visible, while to the north, the span of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Historic District

Nearby are the iconic ships that bring to mind New York’s shipbuilding past. The Seaport is now a historic district, and for me what stands out most are the distinctive red-brick buildings, all of modest scale, though a few shiny new buildings have cropped up nearby, providing textural contrast.

Shops and Museum

There were tempting stores and restaurants on every street, and an expanded and marvelous Seaport Museum https://southstreetseaportmuseum.org, with a wonderful permanent collection, an education program, and walking tours. Under the museum’s umbrella is Bowne Printers and Stationers at 209 Waters Street https://southstreetseaportmuseum.org/water-street/bowne-printers. The printers use historic presses from South Street Seaport Museum’s working collection. Visitors can take classes in letterpress techniques, or, in the Stationers, purchase hand-printed items or customs prints.

Nothing better than wandering – whether country or city!