Enough art galleries have relocated or launched in Tribeca during the past few years for the New York Times to have dubbed the neighborhood “New York’s hottest new gallery district.” But Tribeca offers plenty of alfresco pleasures as well, thanks in large part to the Hudson River Park along its western border. Given that Tribeca is home to a number of sights on the National Register of Historic Places, even a stroll around the neighborhood is a cultural delight. Some notable places to check out include the Art Moderne post office at Canal and Church Streets and the Cary Building, with its stunning cast-iron facade, at Chambers and Church Streets.
Photo credit: Loving New York
Walker Street
Galleries are generously dotted throughout Tribeca, with nearly a dozen congregated on the block of Walker Street between Broadway and Church Street alone. These include the George Adams Gallery, which moved here from Chelsea in September 2021 and represents contemporary artists such as Chris Ballantyne and Tony May as well as the estates of Jack Beal and Joan Brown, among others. Iconic ceramicist Magdalena Suarez Frimkess, the late photographer/designer Carlo Mollino, and sculptor Eva Rothschild are on the artist roster of Kaufman Repetto. At the same time, those represented by Chapter NY include activist/artist Tourmaline and Stella Zhong, who creates finely detailed collages. Other famous galleries on the block include Alexander and Bonin, James Cohan, and David Lewis Gallery.
Children’s Museum of the Arts
A family-friendly way to get your art fix, the Children’s Museum of the Arts enables toddlers and older kids alike to get hands-on with clay, markers, and other materials. You’ll also find labs where junior film directors and music producers can follow their muse, themed exhibitions of emerging and established artists, and the Swirl Room, where visitors can have a spin on top-like swivel chairs.
Children’s Museum of the Arts. Photo credit: Children’s Museum of the Arts
Pier 25
Part of the Hudson River Park, which runs along the Hudson River from Battery Park to 59th Street, Pier 25 has everything you need for a day of fun in the sun. In addition to Manhattan’s only 18-hole miniature golf course, there’s a skate park, a playground, beach volleyball courts, and a retired steamship open for tours on weekends. Also docked at the pier is the retired Fireboat McKean and the largest wooden vessel in the city, which has been transformed into the Grand Banks restaurant.
Pier 25. Photo credit: Pier 25 Marina
Pier 26
Just a five-minute walk from Pier 25 and also part of the Hudson River Park, Pier 26 is a more tranquil experience. It opened in September 2020 as a tribute to the area’s native ecosystems. The Tide Deck, an engineered salt marsh, is submerged during high tide but reveals tide pools—and their flora and fauna—during low tide. The boardwalk is surrounded by indigenous trees, grasses, and flowers. There are also dog runs for small and large canines, a boathouse that periodically offers kayaking lessons, and plenty of chaises and benches where you can simply savor the view.
Pier 26. Photo credit: Hudson River Park
Washington Market Park
With a gazebo, expanses of green lawns, community garden allotments, and a playground with a sandpit, Washington Market Park has a friendly, small-town vibe. It hosts events that reinforce the neighborly feel: pumpkin-carving contests, days where visitors are encouraged to plant alongside the pro gardeners, Christmas parties with a jolly bearded special guest. Among the park’s other amenities include tennis and basketball courts for the sporty folk.
Washington Market Park. Photo credit: Weekend Notes
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