North River (Hudson River) - North River Piers

North River Piers

Piers along the Hudson shore of Manhattan were formerly used for shipping and berthing ocean-going ships. In shipping notices, they were designated as, for example, "Pier 14, North River". Most of the piers that once existed in lower Manhattan fell into disuse or were destroyed in the last half of the 20th century, although a number have been adapted to new uses. As with the river, the name "North River piers" has largely been supplanted by "Hudson River piers", or just by a pier and number, e.g., "Pier 54".

The remaining piers range from Pier 25 at N. Moore Street, scheduled to be rebuilt in 2009, to Pier 99 at 59th Street, which houses the West 59th Street Marine Transfer Station, used by the New York City Sanitation Department. Many of these piers and the waterfront between them are part of the Hudson River Park which stretches from 59th Street to the Battery. The park, a joint project between New York City and New York State commenced in 1998, consists of several non-contiguous parcels of land and piers totaling 125 acres (0.51 km2), plus another 400 acres (1.6 km2) of the river itself. Several piers are being rebuilt as part of the park project, with approximately 40% of the planned work complete as of early 2009.

Piers above Pier 40 have addresses approximately that of Manhattan's numbered streets plus 40 – thus North River Pier 86 is at West 46th Street.