Photo of East River Waterfront Esplanade shows a wooden boardwalk with circular black seats overlooking a river. People are walking along the path, with a ship on the left and a New York City skyline in the distance under a partly cloudy sky.

Waterfront Infrastructure & Transportation

NYC Public Piers

Location: Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island

Project Status: Ongoing

NYCEDC manages New York City’s public piers, docks, and wharves, supporting a wide range of water‑dependent uses across the harbor, including increasing waterfront access for all.

Public Pier use is licensed through a centralized service that enables vessels—including those used for tug-and-barge operations; excursions; recreational outings; cultural, historic, educational trips; naval purposes; and offshore construction—to access pier locations throughout the city. Across the harbor, public piers offer a variety of amenities and utilities designed to accommodate diverse operational needs.

Berthing Permits and Departure Information

For information on obtaining a berthing license, please visit DockNYC and be sure to check the information on vessel departures.

A large hybrid ship named CALYPSO docked at an NYC public pier under a clear blue sky, with two workers in orange safety gear walking nearby. The New York City skyline is visible in the distant background.

Berthing Sites and Uses

NYCEDC manages numerous piers, wharves, and docks citywide and works to streamline the permitting and licensing process. Across more than a dozen sites, NYCEDC accommodates a broad mix of vessel uses, including:

Waterborne transportation
Recreational and excursion vessels
Educational and cultural programming
Commercial and nonprofit operations
Historic and heritage vessels
Naval vessels
Offshore construction vessels

These sites support safe, efficient, and equitable access to New York City’s waterfront and maritime infrastructure.

A person sits on a stool fishing on a blue metal pier under a clear sky. Nearby, people walk along the pier lined with vintage-style street lamps. Industrial buildings and parked cars can be seen in the background.

Public Piers

Brooklyn

Atlantic Basin, Brooklyn Marine Terminal
23rd Street Gowanus Basin
29th Street Pier
Brooklyn Army Terminal Pier 4
Mill Basin Wharf
North Henry Marginal Street

Manhattan

Pier 15 Seaport
East 23rd Street Skyport Marina
East 23rd Skyport Seaplane Base
Pier 36
125th Street West Harlem Pier

Staten Island

Sullivans Homeport Pier
Pier 1
Port Richmond Marginal Street

Community Events

Community events at New York City’s public piers take place throughout the year. These include community-oriented vessel excursions and educational workshops on the pier. Please be sure to review the event calendar. To request information or propose a community event, please reach out to [email protected].