Karen’s Quirky New York Peers at Pier 57 with Rosé-Colored Glasses
Pier 57 offers City Winery’s flagship restaurant, a marketplace of restaurants and shops, environmental education programs, and glorious views of the Hudson River and downtown Manhattan from the public rooftop.
| 13 Aug 2025 | 05:13
Karen Rempel gazes at the Hudson River from Pier 57 rooftop. (
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Concierge Ashley Catano and host Tony Golden display the grab-and-go rosé at City Winery Pier 57. (
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Pier 57 marketplace and education center. (
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Karen Rempel’s all akimbo on battleship-like Pier 57 rooftop. (
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Pier 57 rooftop’s grassy lawn playground. (
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Spectacular view of Little Island and One World from Pier 57. (
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Karen Rempel and her new friend, Looper, at Pier 57. (
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Expansive view of Pier 57 from a riverboat. (
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Pier 57, jutting into the Hudson River between Chelsea Piers and Little Island, has an extensive outdoor public space, though it’s largely a City Winery affair. City Winery has their flagship restaurant and performance space on the main floor, with a wine-bottle-lined curving staircase leading up to the second level. They have grab-and-go vino (decorked, with a pair of branded wine cups) for about $20. They also have an outdoor order counter for takeaway, and “The Rooftop Shack” featuring wine, iced coffee, soft-serve ice cream, and assorted snacks.
Google has an office space on the north side of the pier. The large indoor market on the main level features close to 20 James Beard Foundation-curated restaurants and shops, with City Winery’s El Bar at the river end featuring 400 tequilas and mezcals. Designed to be community-focused and family friendly, there are a number of educational displays with information about the Hudson River Park and its Estuarine Sanctuary, as well as nearby feeder creeks and rivers.
The Saturday I visited with my crew was that perfect Manhattan August day—the heat wave had abated, but the pier seemed almost deserted since many residents had fled the city for cooler pastures. The lofty, multi-level Pier 57 had the feeling of a deserted battleship, with its spanking-clean floors, stairways, and railings leading up to the magnificent rooftop deck. Quite a contrast to the neighboring Little Island, which always seems to be jam-packed.
Both ends of the rooftop deck have wide bleached-wood steps to sit on and enjoy the spectacular river and city views. Of course we did so with a bottle of the aforementioned grab-and-go rosé. I couldn’t resist pairing it with the yummylicious soft-serve from The Rooftop Shack. If you sense a theme from last month’s column to this one, you’re right! I’ve decided 2025 is the summer of ice cream. I have been indulging myself at every opportunity!
In fact, after we left Pier 57, we wandered back toward my place along West 12th Street and had dinner at the charming Café Cluny, followed by more ice cream at my local Van Leeuwen’s on West 10th Street. It was a perfect Saturday in the city. I hope you, too, were inspired after last month’s paeon to ice cream to indulge in the sweet, cool delights of the summer of ice cream. Meet you in the parlor!
Style Notes
I paired this luscious popsicle-hued chartreuse double silk georgette blouse by Andrea T New York with a quirky peacock-patterned brocade skirt by Leifsdottir. These Jessica Simpson strappy platform sandals embellished with green glitter fitted the peacock theme splendidly.
Karen Rempel is a New York-based writer, model, and artist. Her Karen’s Quirky New York column illuminates quirky clothes and places in Manhattan. For past stories, see https://karenqs.nyc.