South Street Seaport Historic District

South Street Seaport Historic District Review

Had this charming cobblestone corner of the city not been declared a historic district in 1977, the city's largest concentration of early-19th-century commercial buildings would have been destroyed. But take note that this area is mobbed with tourists, and if you've been to Boston's Quincy Market or Baltimore's Harborplace, you may feel a flash of déjà vu—the same company leased, restored, and adapted the existing buildings, preserving the commercial feel of centuries past. The result blends a quasi-authentic historic district with a homogenous shopping mall.

The Fulton Fish Market first opened in South Manhattan in 1807. Starting in 1939 it was housed in the New Market Building, just north of the Seaport. But that closed in 2005 when operations were moved to a new 400,000-square-foot facility in Hunt's Point in the Bronx.

At the intersection of Fulton and Water streets, the gateway to the seaport, is the Titanic Memorial, a small white lighthouse that commemorates the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. Beyond the lighthouse, Fulton Street turns into a busy pedestrian mall. On the south side of Fulton is the seaport's architectural centerpiece, Schermerhorn Row, a redbrick terrace of Georgian- and Federal-style warehouses and countinghouses built from 1811 to 1812. Some upper floors house gallery space, and the ground floors are occupied by upscale shops, bars, and restaurants. Cross South Street, once known as the Street of Ships, under an elevated stretch of FDR Drive to Pier 16, where historic ships are docked, including the Pioneer, a 102-foot schooner built in 1885; the Peking, the second-largest sailing bark in existence; the iron-hulled Wavertree; and the lightship Ambrose. The Pier 16 ticket booth provides information and sells tickets to the museum, ships, tours, and exhibits. Pier 16 is the departure point for various seasonal cruises.

To the north is Pier 17, a multilevel dockside shopping mall filled mostly with national chain retailers. The weathered-wood decks at the rear of the pier are a choice spot from which to catch sight of the river, with views as far north as Midtown Manhattan and as far south as the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

Also at 12 Fulton Street is the main lobby of the South Street Seaport Museum, which hosts walking tours, hands-on exhibits, and fantastic creative programs for children, all with a nautical theme. You can purchase tickets at either 12 Fulton Street or Pier 16 Visitors Center ($15). 12 Fulton St., 10038. 212/748-8600. www.seany.org. $10. Apr.-Dec., Tues.-Sun. 10-6; Jan.-Mar., Fri.-Mon. 10-5 [all galleries open; ships open noon-4, weather permitting].