March 30, 2011
Only two Water Taxi Beaches set to open for summer
Only two of the three Water Taxi Beaches are on track to open this summer as the original Long Island City location is on the rocks due to a city construction project, Michael Fox, the corporate sales and government relations manager for Water Taxi Beach told NewYorkology in an interview today.
The Long Island City location — in Queens on the waterfront across from Midtown Manhattan — has operated on city land from the start in 2005. “We’re trying to negotiate … to keep that space” or one nearby, Fox said. Hopefully within a month they’ll know if they’ll be able to open in Queens later this summer. (See update below.)
The good news is that the Governors Island Water Taxi Beach will open Memorial Day weekend, most likely with a food, drink and entertainment lineup like last year. They’ll also again host corporate events - and possibly more weddings. (There was one Governors Island beach wedding last year, Fox said.)
Governors Island this year opens for the season on May 27, the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. The beach, like the rest of the island, will be open Fridays, weekends and new for this summer - holiday Mondays, according to the Governors Island Alliance.
The South Street Seaport Water Taxi Beach will open May 5, Fox said, at the same location as in the past, the north side of Pier 17 facing the Brooklyn Bridge.
Details of the food and drink offerings are still up in the air, but they will still have alcohol, and possibly open more weekday afternoons, instead of only Wednesdays through Sundays in the past. (See update below.)
Updated story: Seaport’s Water Taxi Beach plans soft open next week.
The Water Taxi Beaches are no longer affiliated with the New York Water Taxi, which is now wholly owned by the Durst Organization.
Update as of 8 p.m.: Curbed reports the project planned for the Long Island City site is “Hunters Point South, the massive middle-income community and waterfront park project officially unveiled last month.”
Update as of April 5: Upscale Beer Garden Will Replace Seaport’s Water Taxi Beach reports DNAinfo.com. And Gothamist has a letter from Water Taxi Beach owner Tom Fox confirming “we will not be able to open for our sixth season this year” at Long Island City.
Update on April 6: The NY Post says the South Street Seaport location will require a new liquor license and approval from Community Board 1 at its April 26 meeting.
 Update as of April 7: In a telephone interview with NewYorkology, Tom Fox today said not all of the sand will disappear from his South Street Seaport location. “They’ll be a little less sand,” he said. “But it’ll be with a beer garden.”
Fox said he’s bringing in Telly Hatzigeorgiou to run the bar and restaurant operations at both the Seaport and Governors Island locations. The Seaport location, which already has its alcohol license, could open later hours than in the past if it gets approval from Community Board 1, which earlier voiced concerns about noise.
The opening for the Seaport location will probably be delayed past the May 5 target date, but Governors Island is still on track to open for Memorial Day weekend, Fox said.
In a letter on the Water Taxi beach website, Fox confirms the Long Island City location will not open this summer. However, he told NewYorkology today that if the city’s Economic Development Corp. changed its decision, he could open the site by July 4.
April 27 update: The beer garden at the South Street Seaport might not open this summer because Community Board 1 voted against late-night music for the location, DNAinfo reports.
Picture credits: Water Taxi beaches at Governors Island (top) and the (middle) South Street Seaport, plus the current off-season view of the Seaport location as seen from the Brooklyn Bridge. By Amy Langfield/NewYorkology.
Earlier:
All three NYC Water Taxi Beaches to reopen in spring (2010)
New Water Taxi Beach location: Governors Island (2009)
March 30, 2011 11:06 AM in Downtown, Drinkology, Kids, Out of Manhattan, Sightsology
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