South Street Seaport, Manhattan's old port
i24NEWS ·
The 3 Minutes POP at the very south of Manhattan, in a neighborhood "that has truly kept an original charm for centuries": South Street Seaport, the city's first pier, which saw ships arrive as early as 1625. A place of trade and exchange, it went from selling goods to the fish market, and has kept its cobblestones and 19th-century buildings. The South Street Seaport Museum offers guided tours and access to the Bowne & Co. print shop, which keeps period printing alive with original typefaces; its manager explains that the house has existed since 1775, "before the country even existed," and that every letter, in metal or wood, is set by hand, one by one. Another attraction, five legendary ships moored year-round, including the Wavertree, built 132 years ago in Britain, which sailed around the world four times, and the Pioneer, an 1885 cargo schooner on which you can sail all summer "to feel what the pioneers of the time felt." Neglected after September 11, the neighborhood suffered the worst damage of Hurricane Sandy in Manhattan in October 2012: the water rose up to 2 meters, forcing businesses to close for months, or for good. But thanks to the breathtaking view of the Brooklyn Bridge, the waterfront walks and a brand-new shopping center, it has become again "one of the city's hidden treasures, not to be missed if you pass through New York." David Benaym's 3 Minutes POP in Benjamin Petrover's “C'été l'info”, i24NEWS in French, July 25, 2018.