Two new waterside attractions are coming this summer to West Harlem Piers, the sunny park stretching from W 125th to W 135th Streets along the Hudson River: a floating cafe and boat tours of Upper Manhattan.
The Baylander Cafe, opening on the deck of the Baylander IX-514, a decommissioned U.S. Navy vessel moored at the piers, is set to debut in the next month and a half. The casual spot will feature picnic tables with umbrellas and recycled military equipment–the bar box was last used in Afghanistan–and will be run by Michael Trenk, owner of Prohibition on the Upper West Side. In the meantime, you can visit the ship's Billion Oyster Project research station, part of a plan to restore New York's waterways, every other Saturday.
The Harlem Rocket, offering boat tours of the Upper Manhattan waterfront, also has plans to debut soon. Billed as an "exhilarating sight-seeing adventure on the Hudson River," the powerboat ride will offer both thrills and a unique way to see the area's bridges, architecture and state and national parks. Tickets go on sale in June.
