South Street Seaport Opens

By Wolf Von Eckardt

A waterfront is restored with enterprise and taste

As Le Corbusier once observed, New York City appears as landlocked as Moscow. Through a combination of greed and neglect, the cityscape has steadily obscured the drama of ocean, port and rivers. Until last week, there was not one public place on the island of Manhattan where people could sit in sheltered and stimulating surroundings, to eat, drink and enjoy the life of their waterfront.

But that was before the South Street Seaport opened with a bash of festivities, celebrities and rush-hour crowds. In the shadow of the 100-year-old Brooklyn Bridge, the festival market now offers a trove of cultural attractions in a handsome historical resetting. A new Fulton Market is its centerpiece. Built of brick and granite with a hipped metal roof and wide-open entrances, the new market is just that: a bold, shirtsleeves kind of place for honest food without cellophane and a variety of eateries for all tastes and pocketbooks--some 40 establishments in all.

A tool shop, an English pub and other commercial ventures are moving into the restored Schermerhorn Row of counting houses, which dates from 1811 and shows off the simple charm of the period. The Museum Block, in contrast, includes 14 buildings in a medley of styles, all exuberantly restored. By next summer "Pier 17 Pavilion" will be installed. The Victorian-style steel-and-glass shopping arcade will jut into the East River alongside the four-masted sailing ship Peking and other craft in the museum's flotilla. Also to come are more outdoor cafes, commercial offices and an apartment house.

The new South Street revival is the result of a 16-year struggle by a persistent group of citizens. Out of a love of old ships and the gritty charm of old buildings and streets, they began a unique route to urban renewal. The first step, in 1967, was the establishment of the South Street Seaport Museum, led by Advertising Executive Peter Stanford, and supported by Shipping Magnate Jakob Isbrandtsen. The pooling of resources from the private sector helped make the institution more than a collection of artifacts. Among the principal contributors: Laurance Rockefeller, the Astor Foundation, RCA, Exxon and Time Inc. The museum, now headed by Christopher Lowery, began to acquire ancient real estate along with old vessels and naval paraphernalia.

Twelve years later a partnership was created among the museum, the Rouse Co., a real estate development firm, and the city and state of New York. The intention: to extend the museum's influence over the entire Seaport area, incorporating a marketplace that would pay the staggering cost of restoration and maintenance. It was rough going; the dream often threatened to capsize in the winds of New York bureaucracy. But four years later, a host of political figures and visitors gathered to ratify the occasion.

Nevertheless, the fresh blend of history and commerce has brought mixed reviews. The marketplace may "destroy the authentic character of this special place," complained Neighborhood Spokesman Iris Alex. South Street is picking up on traditional values "in a way that destroys history," asserted Historian Thomas Bender. The harrumphing seems a bit overstated. Would it have been more authentic to leave the special place to rats and rapists? Are the historic values better served if they are bulldozed for parking lots or office towers? What is wrong with turning a once rowdy commercial area into a less rowdy commercial area?

Moreover, from the first festivities, it was obvious that the developers and their principal architects, Benjamin Thompson & Associates, Inc., had overcome excessive commercialism with enterprising taste. Thompson is the creator of the festive markets in Boston, Baltimore and the Old Post Office Building in Washington, D.C., due to open in September. The success of these places derives mainly from the mix and quality of the products sold and the people who sell them. Says Thompson: "We try to make shopping pleasurable and personal again. People dealing with people, with smells, movement, things to touch and taste--a full and free exposure of foods, flowers, goods. For some that's almost a shock that brings the senses to a heightened awareness."

Like other celebrated markets, South Street Seaport is far more than a tourist attraction. In time it seems likely to become a habit for the region's residential and Manhattan's working populations, bringing a welcome new taste to the Big Apple.

--By Wolf Von Eckardt This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.