New York City's piers were once a hive of activityof the maritime kind. Lining the shores of the Hudson and East Rivers and New York Harbor in endless rows, they jutted out into the water to allow passenger ships, cargo-bearing goliaths, small vessels, and tons of other crafts to come and go, bringing both vital supplies and population-booming immigrants and tourists that keep the city ticking. Sure, there was an element of recreation, but their presence was an economic necessity.
Today, what's left ranges from decayed remnants of stumpy pilings to completely renovated complexesthink Chelsea Piers. Now that the city's business life no longer hinges on all things nautical, the reinvention and revitalization of our waterfront is a key goal for everyone from politicians to urban planners to joggers Kayakers, sunbathers, soccer players, and heliports have in many cases replaced the industrial piers of yore, soon to be joined by renovations-in-progress that promise, among other things, hip eateries (at Pier A) and a shopping mall made of shipping containers (at Pier 57). Don't even get us started on changes coming to the Seaport! Given the parking-lot status of some of southern Brooklyn's former piers, this evolution is another lens through which to track the city's gentrification. So dip into New York's past with these old photos of the city's shoreline mainstays, and what they look like now. And if we've missed any of your favorites, hit up the tipline and let us know.
Brooklyn Bridge Park Piers
Then...
... and Now
Bush Terminal
1917
Canarsie Pier
1958
Today
Chelsea Piers
1918
Today
Coney Island Pier
Way Back When
Today
58th Street Pier in Sunset Park
1937
Today
Pier 5 in Brooklyn
1936
Today
Pier 6 (East River)
1930
Today
Pier A
1900
1936
Today
Sheepshead Bay
1958
2010
South Street Seaport
1920
1935
1938
Today (at least, pre-Sandy)
Future
Piers 95-98
1937
Today (Pier 96, to be precise)
Pier 88
1937
Today
Piers 85 and 86
1930
Today (Pier 86, home of the Intrepid)
Pier 57
1931
Today
Future (made of shipping containers!)
Pier 46
1920
Brooklyn Navy Yard
1945 1959
Today
Brooklyn Heights Esplanade
1961
Today
· Museum of the City of New York Collections [official]
· Brooklyn Visual Heritage [official]
· Flashbacks archive [Curbed]
Loading comments...