Retain the Essence

The South Street Seaport’s streetscapes, human scale, location, variety of uses, and inclusiveness represent the essence of city life. These qualities should be respected and enhanced through sensitive design and the development of a fertile mix of housing, recreation, retailing, restaurants and entertainment that will do more to attract visitors than a contrived “festival marketplace.” 

How do we Promote the Urban Character?

Preserve Peck Slip as a majestic open space—a piazza surrounded by buildings with shops and cafes—with potential for changing community and citywide uses throughout the day and seasons:

• Don’t lose sight of its historical significance as an urban working space servicing ships for 300 years—where Manhattan’s maritime-industrial history can still be experienced
• Keep it simple, open and versatile with bollards separating pedestrians from cars and a textured surface of stone that’s unbroken by curbs, thru-traffic, or a large body of water

Create an all-new Burling Slip with a unique playground and designs that relate to the mission of the South Street Seaport Museum on its edge and keep sight lines open to the ships on the river

UPDATE: Burling Slip has been developed into a public play area, "Imagination Playground"

Tap into the Talent of the local creative population of artists, writers, architects, and performers

Build a Seaport for Residents, workers, and New Yorkers rather than for tourists, so that it thrives as “a New York experience” and finds its footing again