New York City's piers have served important roles in New York City's history, including as a major element of the city's industrial activity as well as the primary area where immigrants were received by the city. Over time, and with the city's de-instrialization, many of the remaining piers have been converted into public parks.

History As of the 1860s, New York City's piers and wharves were the city government's most valuable assets, valued at $15.8 million in 1867, despite in many cases, badly needing repair. Due to the piers' poor state of repair, steamboat companies left to other nearby cities such as Hoboken and Jersey City. As of 1866, the New York State Legislature appropriated funds to repair and maintain the piers, but the appropriations failed to receive the Governor's approval and the piers were left to decay and pier and tenants of other port structures began withholding rents, estimated at $100,000 as 1867, due to the city's negligence in keeping the structures in repair. A report ordered by the city government subsequent to such development found that several of the piers owned by the city had been claimed to be under private ownership. At some point, the piers in Manhattan along both the North and East rivers were renumbered and rebuilt as part of a modernization scheme.

By the 1980s, Manhattan's Hudson River waterfront had become deindustrialized and largely derelict. Established in 1998, Hudson River Park, absorbed direction of numerous of the river's piers.

List of North River Piers Pre-Renumbering

Piers of the North River by number, location, key dates, and notesNumberLocationOpenedRebuiltClosedNotesABattery Park18861West St. and Battery Pl.2West St. north of Battery Pl.Redeveloped into Battery Park City3West St. south of Morris St.Redeveloped into Battery Park City4West St. and Morris St.Former Pennsylvania Railroad pier. Redeveloped into Battery Park City5West St. north of Morris St.Former Pennsylvania Railroad pier. Redeveloped into Battery Park City6West St. south of Rector St.Redeveloped into Battery Park City7West St. south of Rector St.Redeveloped into Battery Park City8West St. and Rector St.Redeveloped into Battery Park City9West St. north of Rector St.Redeveloped into Battery Park City10West St. south of Carlisle St.Redeveloped into Battery Park City11West St. and Carlisle StRedeveloped into Battery Park City12West St. south of Albany St.Redeveloped into Battery Park City13West St. north of Albany St.Redeveloped into Battery Park City14West St. and Cedar St.Redeveloped into Battery Park City15West St. north of Cedar StRump barge dock pier connected to and to the north of pier 14. Redeveloped into Battery Park City16West St. north of Liberty StRedeveloped into Battery Park City17West St. south of Cortlandt St.Rump barge dock pier between and connected to piers 16 and 18. Redeveloped into Battery Park City18West St. and Cortlandt St.Redeveloped into Battery Park City19West St. south of Dey St.Redeveloped into Battery Park City20Southwest corner of West Washington MarketUsed to serve the West Washington Market. Redeveloped into Battery Park City21West edge of West Washington MarketUsed to serve the West Washington Market. Redeveloped into Battery Park City22West side of West Washington MarketPier designation for the west waterfront side of the West Washington Market between piers 21 and 23. Redeveloped into Battery Park City23Northwest corner of West Washington MarketUsed to serve the West Washington Market. Redeveloped into Battery Park City24West St. between Vesey and Barclay St.Used to serve the West Washington Market. Redeveloped into Battery Park City25West St. and Barclay St.Redeveloped into Battery Park City26West St. north of Barclay St.Rump pier between piers 25 and 27. Redeveloped into Battery Park City27West St. and Park Pl.Redeveloped into Battery Park City28West St. and Murray St.Redeveloped into Battery Park City29West St. and Warren St.Redeveloped into Battery Park City31West St. between Reade and Duane Sts.Redeveloped into Battery Park City32West St. North of Duane St.Demolished33West St. and Jay St.34West St. and Harrison St.35West St. and Franklin St.36West St. and N. Moore St.37West St. and Beach St.38West St. and Hubert St.39West St. and Vestry St.40West St. and Watts St.41West St. south of Canal St.42West St. south of Spring St.43West St. north of Spring St.44West St. south of Charlton St.45West St. and Charlton St.46West St. and King St.47West St. and Houston St.48West St. and Clarkson St.49West St. and Leroy St.50West St. and Morton St.51West St. and Barrow St.52West St. and Christopher St.53West St. and W. 10th St.Used by the White Star Line at one point54West St. and Charles St.

List of North River Piers Post-Renumbering

Piers of the North River by number, location, key dates, and notesNumberLocationOpenedRebuiltClosedNotesABattery Park18861West St. and Battery Pl.2West St. north of Battery Pl.Between 1923 and 1930Rebuilt into new PRR pier complex3West St. north of Battery Pl.Between 1923 and 1930Rebuilt into new PRR pier complex4West St. south of Morris St.Between 1923 and 1930Rebuilt into new PRR pier complex5West St. and Morris St.Between 1923 and 1930Rebuilt into new PRR pier complex6West St. north of Morris St.Between 1923 and 1930Rebuilt into new PRR pier complex7West St. south of Rector St.8West St. and Rector St.9West St. south of Carlisle St.10West St. and Albany St.11West St. and Cedar St.13West St. south of Dey St.14West St. and Fulton St.15West St. north of Vesey St.16West St. and Barclay St.17West St. and Park Pl.18West St. and Murray St.19West St. and Warren St.20West St. and Chambers St.21West St. and Duane St.22West St. north of Jay St.23West St. north of Harrison St.24West St. and Franklin St.25West St. and N. Moore St.Currently part of Hudson River Park26West St. and N. Moore St.Currently part of Hudson River Park27West St. and Hubert St.28West St. and Laight St.29West St. and Vestry St.31West St. and Watts St.32West St. and Hubert St.33West St. and Canal St.34West St. and Spring St.1927Part of Hudson River Park, connects to Holland Tunnel ventilation shaft.35West St. north of Spring St.36West St. south of Charlton St.37West St. and Charlton St.38West St. and King St.39West St. and W Houston St.40West St. and Houston Street1962Parking garage and sports facility. Original Pier 40 located at Clarkson St.41West St. and Leroy St.42West St. and Morton St.43West St. and Barrow St.44West St. and Christopher St.45West St. and W. 10th St.46West St. and Charles St.51West St. and Jane St.52West St. and Gansevoort St.Deteriorated and demolished. Site now location of Gansevoort Peninsula beach53Bloomfield St.Now forms northern bound of Gansevoort Peninsula. Home of FDNY Marine Company 1.54Deteriorated and demolished. Site now part of Little Island at Pier 5555Deteriorated and demolished. Now site of Little Island at Pier 5557West 15th Street19071954Replaced a wooden pier #57 that stood from 1907 to 1947. Current structure built in 1954 for Grace Line, converted to a bus garage in 1969. Currently part of the Hudson River Park59Currently part of Chelsea Piers60West 20th StreetCurrently part of Chelsea Piers61Currently part of Chelsea Piers63West St. and W. 23rd St.64West St. and W. 24th St.65West St. north of W. 25th St.66West St. north of W. 26th St.67West St. north of W. 27th St.68West St. north of W. 28th St.69West St. and W. 29th St.70West St. and W. 30th St.71West St. and W. 31st St.72West St. and W. 32nd St.Wooden posts remain in the river73West St. and W. 33rd St.7412th Ave and W. 34th St.Demolished. Former mixed-use pier for France & Canada Steamship Corporation7512th Ave and W. 35th St.Demolished7612th Ave and W. 36th St.Original rail-ship transloading pier for the New York Central Railroad demolished. Current pier formerly industrial space and then used as an NYPD tow pound; now part of Hudson River Park.7712th Ave and W. 37th St.Demolished. Former Pennsylvania Railroad freight pier7812th Ave and W. 38th St.Partially demolished. Former Pennsylvania Railroad freight pier7912th Ave and W. 39th St.Demolished8012th Ave and W. 40th St.Demolished8112th Ave and W. 41st St.8312th Ave and W. 43rd St.Former New York Central Railroad freight pier. Currently hosts Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises8412th Ave and W. 44th St.Former Cunard Line pier. Currently part of Hudson River Park8612th Ave and W. 46th St.2006Former freight pier demolished in 2006. New pier hosts the Intrepid Museum8712th Ave and W. 47th St.Demolished8812th Ave and W. 48th St.1937Original pier demolished for New York Passenger Ship Terminal expansion in the 1930s. Currently one of two remaining operational Manhattan Cruise Terminal piers.8912th Ave and W. 49th St.1930sDemolished for New York Passenger Ship Terminal expansion9012th Ave and W. 50th St.1937Original pier demolished for New York Passenger Ship Terminal expansion. Currently part of Manhattan Cruise Terminal9112th Ave and W. 51st St.1930sDemolished for New York Passenger Ship Terminal expansion9212th Ave and W. 52nd St.1937Original pier demolished for New York Passenger Ship Terminal expansion. Subsequently used as exhibition space, but declared structurally unsafe in 2019.9312th Ave and W. 53rd St.9412th Ave and W. 54th St.Reconstructed and opened as Sunset Pier 94 Studios in 20269512th Ave and W. 55th St.9612th Ave and W. 56th St.9712th Ave and W. 57th St.1921-1934use as Former Swedish American Line. Reconstructed for recreational use as part of Hudson River Park98 12th Ave and W. 58th St.Currently a Consolidated Edison fuel transfer facility9912th Ave and W. 59th St.Currently a DSNY freight pierBWest 63rd StreetFormerly a car float pier for the New York Central RailroadDWest 64th Street1880s2011Formerly a car float pier for the New York Central Railroad, dismantled in 2011EWest 65th StreetFormerly a car float pier for the New York Central RailroadFWest 66th StreetFormerly a car float pier for the New York Central RailroadGWest 67th StreetFormerly a car float pier for the New York Central RailroadIWest 70th Street2001Formerly a car float pier for the New York Central Railroad. Currently part of Riverside Park

List of East River Piers in Manhattan Pre-Renumbering