New York City’s largest rooftop park — that’s completely free & open to the public — officially opened on NYC’s Pier 57 in Hudson River Park in Chelsea!
Both Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams announced the news in a press conference today, along with other local officials and Park leaders. The project has been over 12 years in the making.
In 2008, the Hudson River Park Trust put out an RFP (request for proposal) to renovate and redevelop the abandoned pier with a business partner. They were able to find that with both Google and RXR Realty.
The pier is mixed-use, meaning that it holds public and private spaces, but is not supported by any public funding. Instead, its maintenance and operations are paid for through the commercial use of its spaces, like in rent from its tenants.
In addition to the new rooftop park, Pier 57 is currently home to Google offices plus a a City Winery location. The pier will also boast a 16,000-square-foot food hall helmed by the prestigious James Beard Foundation, opening in fall 2022.
Pier 57 is rich in history, dating all the way back to 1952. Since its renovation and reconstruction began in 2013, they have taken care to “restore the building and adapt it for new uses while retaining its historic features.” It’s also on the National Register of Historic Places, so designs were always approved by the New York State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service.
The rooftop park is now open daily, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Find it on Pier 57 on the Hudson River Greenway/11th Ave at W. 15th St.
Since construction is ongoing on other parts of the pier, be sure to follow the signs from the south perimeter walkway to find your way up! You can find more info on their website here.