Oct 25

Building of the Week - 35th Ed.

 
Pier 17
89 South St, New York, NY 10038

Guys, I got called into jury duty this week. I don’t know what it is about me, but the Manhattan courtrooms have been on their hands and knees begging me to serve (as if I don’t already day in and day out!!). So I did. And I got pulled in to be evaluated for the jury of a high-profile homicide trial. Riiiiight. Right right right. Fortunately, I got dismissed on account of “having a really cool newsletter to write”. Their words, not mine.

This week, I’m bending the nonexistent rules once again and writing about a pier! Not just any pier, but my favorite one! (did I say that about the last one..?) Pier 17 is located in the Seaport district of Manhattan just east of Wall Street. I could probably write a whole newsletter just about the Seaport District but I’ll sum it up as this: amazing yet historically accurate vibes.

Seaport today is a commercial and entertainment hotspot. Walking around its cobblestone streets, you’ll find a collection of cute shops, cafes, and restaurants. During the pandemic, this place was the only safe outdoor refuge for me and Parker. In our masks with hand sanitizer at the ready, we would peruse around McNally Jackson, examine the historical boats, and bask in the sun at one of the MANY seating opportunities at Pier 17.  

To this day, I love to sit on this pier and admire the bridges. There is a stunning view of both the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge from the north side of the pier. Fun fact: the Brooklyn Bridge is made of Brick and the Manhattan Bridge is made of Metal. You might think that’s a coincidence but I choose to believe it was on purpose to help people like me remember which is which! Speaking of coincidences, the number 17 sure does come up a lot in Seaport’s history.

In the 17th century, the Seaport was primarily a port for the Dutch West India Company. You might be thinking “Whoa wait, weren’t those the bad guys from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies??” To which I reply, “Don’t be ridiculous. That was the Dutch East India Company.” Anyway, the Seaport helped boost New York City’s economy to become one of the most robust in the world. This area became one of the nation’s busiest commercial hubs, home to pillars of trade such as the Fulton Fish Market. However, on the night of December 17, 1835, a large fire in New York City destroyed 17 blocks, and many buildings in the South Street Seaport burned to the ground.

Pier 17 before 2012

Speaking of tragedies, Hurricane Sandy (2012) flooded the Seaport District and destroyed Pier 17. It’s said the water reached up to 11 feet!! Yikes! Worry not friends, because the district was historically restored, and in 2017 the new and improved pier reopened. The renovation, led by SHoP architects, transformed the space from grungy to gorgeous. 

The new pier has fancy restaurants & aforementioned ample seating on the ground floor. Five stories up, you’ll find the Rooftop - sometimes an amazing concert venue, sometimes an ice skating rink, and sometimes a pumpkin patch! The views up there are insane - you can see everything from the World Trade Center to the Empire State Building. 

Another notable mention is the new Tin Building! This is somewhere between a food hall and an Erewhon -- but without the Hailey Bieber smoothies :(. There are several restaurants to try as well as an impressive collection of olive oils. Personally, I love this building because of this serendipitous interaction I had the other week:

Every year a light-up pumpkin arch is installed to act as the backdrop for influencers and tourists alike. Here is a picture of me in 2019 posing my heart out! 

Speaking of pumpkins, I made a book! Parker and I wrote this a few months back and I’ve been doodling my heart out ever since. If you have noticed these newsletters declining in frequency (and quality, eek!), that would be because all of my time has been devoted to Autumn. If you want to buy a copy for yourself, here is the link <3

Fun Facts

The building atop Pier 17 is 300,000 square feet!

Before the hurricane, Pier 17 was considered a tacky tourist trap with surprisingly delicious food. 

The two boats permanently docked here are the Ambrose and the Wavertree. The Ambrose was built in 1908 to be used as a lightship (boats that act as lighthouses). The Wavertree, built in 1885, is a 19th-century cargo sailing ship! You can get a tour of both of them! 

I am so very excited and deeply scared to release this book out into the world! I hope you like it and if you don’t PLEASE keep that to yourself <3

Shout out to my forever co-writer, Parker, for helping with this week’s newsletter and for being married to me for a whole year (technically a whole year on Monday). 

Anyways… see you next week! Toodaloo!
 
Want to make a building suggestion? Go here! 

Here’s a sign-up link for this newsletter to send to anyone your heart desires! Send it to your friends, enemies, government officials, etc.!

sign up