Hi friends, welcome back! Today I’m taking you on a tour of the Seaport District in Lower Manhattan along the East River. This area is a few blocks away from our apartment, so Jon and I frequently come here for coffee and treats. Along with being a designated historic district, this neighborhood also has restaurants, dessert shops, coffee shops, art galleries, a few clothing stores, a book shop, boxing studio, museums, a movie theater, and it hosts many events throughout the year. Another draw to this area is its excellent location along the East River with incredible views of the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge. There’s something for everyone in the Seaport District making it a popular destination in NYC! (The Seaport District is rich in history, but I’m saving that for a separate post, todays post will focus on the current happenings in this unique area.)
One of the things I love most about the Seaport District is that it feels like you’re transported back in time to the 1800s. The cobblestone streets and well maintained/restored historic buildings are such a contrast to the skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan. The Seaport District has been around since the 17th Century and I’m happy they’ve left the area looking historic and charming.
The Seaport is also fun to check out at Halloween and Christmas! In Home Alone 2, Marv and Harry made an appearance in the area, but it looks pretty different nowadays.
There’s no shortage of ice cream in the Seaport District, my favorite ice cream shops are Mister Dips (their cones change every month), Van Leeuwen, and Big Gay Ice Cream (pictured in order below).
We haven’t explored many of the restaurants down here, but they always seem to be packed. We’ve tried sushi before from SUteiShi and I LOVED the popup restaurant Sunday in Brooklyn. Some of the other restaurants get average Yelp reviews, so we haven’t tried them, but I’d love to try Barbalu, Il Brigante, and Carne Mare.
Some of the best cookies in NYC can be found at Funny Face Bakery.
I haven’t done much shopping in the area or checked out the art galleries, but the Seaport District seems like a great spot if you’re into those activities.
Our favorite spot in the Seaport District is Pier 17. We love sitting here and taking in the Manhattan Skyline. In the summer there are farmers markets and food festivals on the pier that are fun to check out.
Walking around the pier you’re greeted with, in my opinion, the best views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridge. We like to sit on one of the benches with our coffee on the weekends when the weather is nice. There’s something about being by the water that’s a calming way to start the day.
In 2012, Hurricane Sandy absolutely devastated the Seaport District. Pier 17 was essentially rebuilt from the ground up and reopened to the public in 2018. I moved to NYC in 2018, so this beautiful area is all I’ve known and I had no idea the resiliency of this neighborhood until I started reading more.
In the summer there are concerts on top of the building on Pier 17, but we haven’t been to one yet. They also put little green houses and a skating rink on top in the winter and little “yards” up there in the summer you can rent with friends. I think they’ve done a great job of making the whole pier a desired spot to hang out.
ESPN has offices and studios here and they film some of their shows including “First Take,” Around the Horn” and “Get Up!”. In the summer of 2021, the ESPY Awards were held on top of the building.
I believe the Seaport District is a hidden gem, and I feel so fortunate to live only a few blocks away! This small area has almost everything you could possibly need along with great spaces to relax and hang out. The Seaport District is out of the way from most major sites in NYC, so it doesn’t get overcrowded or feel draining after spending too long here like some other places. It has the perfect balance of liveliness and relaxing, which is why I enjoy this area so much! Stay tuned for another Seaport District post featuring the museum and two ships that we toured. Have you checked out the Seaport District yet?
We loved our visits to this area on both our trips to NYC. Great city and river views. That is some serious ice cream on display there Lyssy. Thanks for sharing. Allan
Glad you guys made it to the Seaport, it’s such a great area! Haha I don’t mess around when it comes to ice cream 🙂 Thanks for reading Allan.
Went there many years ago but it looks unnaturally quiet in your gorgeous photos.
Thank you! I took most of the pictures during the week to avoid having people in them, but then it does take away from the lively vibe.
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Love your photos of Seaport District. We were there five years ago and can’t wait to return after seeing those pictures, ooh and all that yummy food and ice cream!
Thank you! You’ll have such a great time returning to the Seaport, but you may have a hard time deciding which ice cream shop to go to 🙂
Looks like a cool area, and I’m loving all the icecream! 🙂
It’s a very cool spot to have so close! We like to walk around the neighborhood and reward ourselves with ice cream haha 🙂
Looks so charming and quaint. Such a contrast to concrete and steel skyscrapers that dominate the NYC skyline. I am looking forward to learning more about the history of the Seaport District. The food is amazing, as always in your posts.
Thank you! It is a charming and quaint area, it’s cool to see aerial pictures of it because the buildings all look so tiny compared to the skyscrapers. I went down a history rabbit hole that I still haven’t gotten out of haha
It would be interesting to see the “little greenhouses, the skating rink, and the yards to rent” on top of the pier. It certainly sounds like they are very resilient like you said.
The greens/yards are a bit expensive to rent, but they would be fun with a group of friends 🙂
The Seaport District looks very charming and beautiful!
Such a cute and charming area!
NYC has many interesting districts with entirely different characters. It would be fun to visit the Seaport District for the views and ice cream.
It is interesting how each neighborhood is so different. I love walking through and just seeing where my walk takes me. No shortage of good ice cream or views 🙂
Some of those buildings almost look like they could be in London. Oh, that food! I’m hungry now! 😀 Thanks for sharing your trip with us 🙂
Isolating the architecture of the district from the distant skyscrapers, I’d have no idea this area was a part of NYC. I’d sooner guess Philadelphia or some small New England town. Even Seattle. The view of the Brooklyn Bridge and the historical look of the district reminded me of the rom-com, “Kate & Leopold”, which was set in this part of the city. Ever see it? It’s a good watch.
There are some really cool aerial shots of the Seaport District that show how tiny it is compared to the surrounding skyscrapers. It does look like Philly! I haven’t seen “Kate & Leopold” but I do love Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman. I watched When Harry Met Sally for the first time on our flight back from Christmas, and Jon was glancing over so much he started the movie himself haha
Ah, promise me you’ll watch “Kate & Leopold” one of these days. It’s a really good time-travel rom-com. The whole story takes place in NYC, and it’s Meg Ryan at the top of her game and Hugh Jackman before Marvel. You and Jon will love it.
I love this district! Your story has made me wanna go back there.
It’s a good idea to show Seaport, a part of New York I haven’t explored too much, just walked through. I also like these brick streets, it forms a homogeneous whole with its own atmosphere. Nowadays this kind of place is more used for entertainment but there is a historical background that I’m curious to know more about in a future article.
Thoes ice creams are so beautiful 😍 🤩
You always have the best photos!
Thank you so much!