Pier 45

Pier 45 is a public pier in Hudson River Park at the foot of Christopher Street in the West Village, one of the most popular sunbathing, socializing, and relaxation spots along Manhattan's west side waterfront. The pier's large open lawn and unobstructed river views make it a warm-weather destination for thousands of New Yorkers.

The pier's location at Christopher Street connects it to the West Village's LGBTQ+ history and community. Christopher Street has been the symbolic heart of gay New York since well before the Stonewall uprising of 1969, and Pier 45 has long served as a gathering place for the neighborhood's LGBTQ+ residents and visitors.

Before its conversion to parkland, the pier and surrounding waterfront piers were among the most active sites of gay social life in New York during the 1970s and 1980s. The piers' transformation into public park space preserved the waterfront's connection to the LGBTQ+ community while making it accessible and welcoming to all.

The pier features a generous open lawn where sunbathers spread blankets on warm days, a paved perimeter for walking and jogging, benches and seating along the river's edge, and views across the Hudson to the New Jersey waterfront. Spectacular sunsets over the river are a regular attraction.

Pier 45 exemplifies the best of Hudson River Park: a former industrial pier reborn as democratic public space, where the diversity of New York City spreads out on a shared lawn and watches the sun go down over the river together.