South Street Seaport, New York

...thanks to one of hers, South Street Seaport was on my list. It’s not that bad really (you can tell that from the star rating alone) but it was no where wonderful as she and the New York Tourist Board make out, even if it is free.


What Is It?
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It’s marketed as a “Dining, Shopping and entertainment Extravaganza”. The Zoë translation is that it’s a bunch of shops ...
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South Street Seaport
South Street (duh!)
New York

Nearest subway is Fulton Street which is only and short walk away, and is served by lines 2,3,4,5,J,Z and M. Bus M15 is also a good option, leading from 2nd Avenue down to the centre of the Seaport. If you're driving (and just why, may I ask, are you?) you need to head for FDR drive which bisects the area, leaving you smack bang whallop in the middle. ... more

Doesn’t quite have the same ring, does it?

Ann M Martin really does have a lot to answer for. If you don’t know who she is that doesn’t really matter, just take it from me, this woman is evil. Well maybe that’s a little harsh, after all I loved her books when I was younger, but did she really have to write so many set in New York City? That’s the problem, you see – before I left for the States I re-read lots of books set there for ideas of things to see, and thanks to one of hers, South Street Seaport was on my list. It’s not that bad really (you can tell that from the star rating alone) but it was no where wonderful as she and the New York Tourist Board make out, even if it is free.

What Is It?
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It’s marketed as a “Dining, Shopping and entertainment Extravaganza”. The Zoë translation is that it’s a bunch of shops situated by the water’s edge with a few old ships thrown in to give it a quaint little feel. There are restaurants but none for what I would call fine dining, and if there’s an entertainment program then they either kept it well hidden or it only operates in mid summer. There are a couple of museums but for once I avoided them, so uninteresting did they sound.

You Said Shops Though, Right?
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Yep, lots of these. There are clothes shops and sports shops and jewellers and book shops and gift shops and speciality food shops and more besides. Lots of the large names have branches here, like GAP, Footlocker, Benetton, The Body Shop and Claire’s Accessories, but there are also some smaller unique to this place (or to New York at least) establishments great for unusual gifts and so on. They have a branch of The Strand which was much better than the flagship store further uptown - again all the books were at least half off, but this place seemed much more organised, and quieter, which is always a bonus when you want to browse for a few hours (it's a Bookshop, ok?)

And Eating - There Are Food Places, Right?
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Americans love their food, so what would a place like this be without at least, oh, 30 different places to get stuffed (in the literal sense, of course). These range from Seafood (carrying on the Maratime theme) and Italian restaurants to a food court offering everything from Pizza to Chinese food to typical Bugers. I got my lunch from a pasta place and both the food and the price were ok if not outstanding. There are lots of places to sit although the view of, erm, shops leaves a little to be desired.

Any Extra Service Things?
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Yes, she says, reading directly from the leaflet in front of her – there are ATMs, telephones, toilets (quite nice ones at that – no where near as over-enthusiastic as the JFK ones), water fountains, stairs (wow, what a service!), diaper changing (where you can exchange your nappies but not your kids as in English "Baby changing" places)

How Big Are We Talking?
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The whole area spans 12 sq blocks, so it is pretty big. The main food court, facilities and shops are located in the huge Pier 17 Pavillion, right on the water's edge, but the rest of the "port" is really just streets of shops bordering cobbled streets to give it an Old World Theme.

Where Is It, And How Do We Get There?
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Address :

South Street Seaport
South Street (duh!)
New York

Nearest subway is Fulton Street which is only and short walk away, and is served by lines 2,3,4,5,J,Z and M. Bus M15 is also a good option, leading from 2nd Avenue down to the centre of the Seaport. If you're driving (and just why, may I ask, are you?) you need to head for FDR drive which bisects the area, leaving you smack bang whallop in the middle. There are over 3000 car parking spaces within 6 blocks of the area which is most bon, non?

More Info?
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That's all I know, I swear - I only spent 3 hours there in between doing the Statue of Liberty and Bloomingdales. Check out www.southstreetseaport.com though if you're desperate to know more. It is supposed to be *the* place to take kids, but I can’t see why as there isn’t much for them to do there. I’m glad I went, but certainly wouldn’t bother again.

** I've put "don't know" in response to disabled-suitable because the "sort of" I wanted doesn't exist. The bulidings have lifts and wide doorways, but the cobbled streets could make wheelchair / walking stick navigation a little tricky.
 

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