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For several years, anybody who has walked, run, or biked along the Hudson River trail in Hell’s Kitchen has had to squeeze past barriers and a shrouded fence. At last, the barriers are starting to come down as the park at Pier 97 progresses.
Though it's not complete yet, parts of the park are now open for visitors. The Pier 97 park, located across from West 57th Street, has been a long time coming. Empty since its reconstruction in 2013, renderings were unveiled in 2019, with plans to open the park in 2022. Obviously, that didn’t happen, but signs at the site say it should fully open in spring 2024. In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek.
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The park currently features a blue turf field where people can already be seen playing soccer. There’s also a shaded pergola area with benches, which looks like a perfect lunch break spot. At the end of the pier, a variety of chairs and loungers offer a chance to relax while gazing out at the water or with skyline views. Given the park’s western Manhattan location, it boasts excellent sunset views.
Pier 97's upgrade will significantly increase waterfront access and public open space in the area.
As for what's yet to come: Expect a playground with water spray features, an all-ages slide, a bike repair station, a small concession stand, restrooms, flowers, and plants. A misting station will be added to the activity field area to help cool down players on warm days. The park's website also mentions that it'll host a historic vessel, so we'll keep you posted if we hear more about that.
There are a few cool environmental features, too. A maintenance area for Hudson River Park staff will include a special distinctive metal louver system with an iridescent finish to reflect light. It'll also have solar panels to feed electricity back into the power grid, along with a hot water heating system to reduce natural gas consumption. Given its riverfront location, the design includes flood-proofing measures to help protect the structure during storm surges.
The park at Pier 97 is an expansion of the Clinton Cove Park area. It's the northernmost pier considered a part of Hudson River Park. The pier was built between 1921 and 1934, then served for decades as the hub for the Swedish America Line. It even has some exciting movie credits to its name. The old Pier 97 terminal building was seen in the opening sequence of "Taxi Driver."