March 10, 2009

Water Taxi Beach approved for South Street Seaport

An 18,000 square foot Water Taxi Beach will open at the South Street Seaport as of Memorial Day weekend with sand, a 9-hole miniature golf course, ping-pong tables, skeeball and a fish shack serving fish and chips, steamers and clams, the Harbor Experience Companies announced tonight.

Although the company previously said it planned to open two new beaches this summer, it had thus far only confirmed the existing location at Long Island City and a new one at Governors Island, which will open July 4. Tonight, Community Board No. 1 gave the OK for a liquor license at the Seaport location, a company spokesperson said.

There will be music at the Seaport’s Water Taxi Beach on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and an evening Water Taxi will connect to the Fulton Ferry Landing at the brooklyn side of the Brooklyn bridge and Governors Island, the company said in a statement.

The company said the South Street Seaport location will “cater to families in search of reasonably priced food and outdoor entertainment.”

“Lower Manhattan is increasingly a family oriented neighborhood and Water Taxi Beach / South Street Seaport will be an exciting new venue New Yorkers can take their family and friends to for some relaxation on the waterfront. We hope that linking South Street, Governors Island and Fulton Ferry Landing with waterborne transport on weekend evenings will help make the waterfront a more popular recreational amenity,” Tom Fox, president of Harbor Experience Companies, said in a statement. HEC is the parent company of New York Water Taxi and Circle Line Downtown, which both use the docks at the South Street Seaport.

Update: In response to a question we got via Twitter, a Harbor Experience spokesperson said the South Street Seaport Water Taxi beach will have porta potties as well as regular bathrooms.

Also, she confirmed the beach will take over the location previously used by the Spiegelworld Tent. Spiegelworld’s website lists New York shows at Pier 17 from June 2 through June 21.

Earlier: So. Street Seaport could get Water Taxi Beach - Eater
Two Water Taxi beaches in the works for Manhattan

March 10, 2009 7:56 PM in Cheap Stuff, Downtown, Drinkology, Foodology, Kids, Transportology

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