Pier 57: A New York ‘Love’ Story Told With Global Food And City Views

When the ribbon was cut on the $410M redevelopment of Manhattan’s historic Pier 57, the event was described as a “love letter to New York City.”

And what better way to express love than with food? 

Working with real estate investment and management firm Jamestown, Google announced the opening of the Market 57 food hall in April 2023. The space is open to the public and available for private events as well.

“We always say food is the foundation of all communities,” said Claire Bernard, a Jamestown leasing manager for Market 57. “It is central to most major life events, and people often experience new cultures through food.”

A former marine terminal, Pier 57 today serves as an important link in the Hudson River Park system. Market 57 is a major addition to the list of amenities the building offers to the community, said Bernard, who specializes in food and beverage curation. 

In addition to being open to the public, businesses can host events such as holiday parties at Market 57, with the option of renting out the entire food hall.

“Market 57 has hosted event dinners where anywhere from 12 to 300 people eat what they want, drink what they want and sit where they want,” Bernard said. “Guests have a lot of freedom to roam and try new things.”

The approximately 12K SF space on the first floor of Pier 57 serves as a dining destination for locals and tourists alike. It is also home to Platform by the James Beard Foundation, known as Platform by JBF, a state-of-the-art show kitchen, event space and educational hub for outstanding culinary arts programming.

Bernard described the food hall as a platform for people who have been historically underrepresented in the culinary industry.

“Market 57’s vendors are aligned with the James Beard Foundation’s mission of championing a standard of good food anchored in talent, equity and sustainability,” she said. 

More than a dozen women- and BIPOC-owned food concepts are represented in kiosks at the hall. Reflecting the polyglot nature of New York City, the cuisines represented include Northeastern Thai, Indian homestyle, Japanese karaage and traditional Mexican. A craft beer bar and specialty coffee shop are also on hand.

Nearby at the pier, JBF operates its Good To Go incubator to nurture new fast-casual concepts. Bernard described this as a place “where innovation from emerging talent meets sustainable, ethically sourced and accessible food.”

Market 57 is also home to the Platform showcase kitchen and education space, where JBF curates culinary arts programming and events. Platform will also feature a rotating chefs-in-residence program.

Food is the major draw, but Bernard predicts people will visit Market 57 to experience a unique perspective on the city, similar to the vibe at Chelsea Market, a popular Manhattan food hall also curated and operated by Jamestown.

“You come for the food, but you will want to keep exploring what else is there to see and do at the pier,” she said. “You can take your meal up to a beautiful, nearly 2-acre rooftop park on Pier 57 that overlooks Little Island and provides stunning views of Lower Manhattan and New York Harbor. The food at Market 57 is what gets you in the door, but there's plenty more to experience.”

The pier also offers views of the Hudson River from The Living Room, a 7,400 SF indoor public gathering place with seating and tables. Other Pier 57 amenities include three technology-enabled community classrooms available for nonprofits to book free of charge, with programming that ranges from yoga classes to coding or STEM instruction.

The modern Pier 57, where people can enjoy city views and try global cuisines, has come a long way from the shipping terminal originally built on the site in 1907. The wooden structure was destroyed by fire in 1947 and replaced by a modern concrete structure, nicknamed “Superpier” in the press for its size and innovative design, to service passenger ships. 

By the new century, the more than 600K SF building was largely unused until the city, real estate investors, and developers and stakeholders began to think about how the pier could be repurposed to serve modern New York. The result is a free public space that is unlike anything else in the city, Bernard said.

Thanks to the joint efforts between Google, Jamestown, Hudson River Park Trust, The James Beard Foundation, RXR, YoungWoo & Associates, and Baupost Group, Pier 57 has become a diverse community destination with public spaces, a rooftop park and a vibrant culinary scene that offers a truly unique experience for New Yorkers and visitors alike, she said.

This article was produced in collaboration between Jamestown and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to [email protected].