South Street Seaport: Not Just for Tourists Anymore

Depending on how long you’ve lived in New York City, one of two things probably comes to mind when you hear “South Street Seaport”.

The older incarnation of the neighborhood–defined as the historic district, about 13 blocks in all, bordered to the north by Dover Street and the Brooklyn Bridge, to the east by the East River, to the south by John Street, and to the west by Pearl Street–calls to mind memories of the Fulton Street fish market, and all of its attendant odors and trucks and pre-dawn noise and activity. Not exactly appealing as a place to live.

More recently, “South Street Seaport” would conjure up images of living in what is, essentially, a touristy shopping mall (albeit with cool tall sailing ships docked nearby); Abercrombie and Fitch, Sephora, and the Gap for some reason wowing the out-of-towners in the cobblestone square.

Thing is, as a recent piece in the New York Times makes clear, in the northern half of the neighborhood, neither of those characterizations apply any more. In fact, the north end of the South Street Seaport has become a thriving residential community-within-a-community, with new shops and cafes opening up to serve the locals, the continued development of the waterfront esplanade (connecting to the East River Park), the opening of two new schools, and lots of brand spanking-new rental apartments recently offered or coming to the market in the near future.

Among them: Historic Front Street, a 14-building complex with nearly a hundred rental apartments and a whole lot of great old-school New York City character; and the eight-story 254 Front Street, which, if all goes according to plan, will put its 40 rental apartments on the market in January.

Also, just outside the seaport neighborhood (but drawing residents to the shops and services), is the recently opened New York by Gehry building, with over 900 luxury apartments and 40 Gold Street, a smaller building with 56 units.

Of course, all of this residential resurgence comes with a price: namely, an average rent in the neighborhood of $3,775. But for those NYC apartment seekers who can afford it, the South Street Seaport neighborhood is more and more often rising near the top of people’s list of neighborhoods to check out.

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