Address: 353 West St, New York, NY 10014
Website: Pier 40 Page
Hours Of Operation:
6 am to midnight, 7 days a week
Thereâs nothing quite like soccer in the Big Apple. Thatâs why weâve partnered with multiple pickup leagues across New York City to bring you all more field options! These leagues host their matches year-round on dozens of unique pitches across NYC, and as part of this partnership, we are bringing Plei App games to their spaces in order to fill in on days that the leagues arenât running.
That being said, these blogs will answer all the questions that you usually ask before you head out to play some ball, likeâŚ
Is it a 6v6, 7v7, 8v8 or 9v9 field? Artificial grass or natural? What are the exact measurements? Where should I park? What subway train do I take and where do I get off? Are there good food/drink options nearby? Are there any other cool things to do or see in the surrounding area?
Fear not: all these questions and more will be answered within each blog, so you can confidently suit up, head out and have fun playing some pickup footy, New York style. đ˝đ
Open from 6am to midnight, the turf fields at Pier 40 are used for a wide range of sports, including soccer, football, rugby, baseball and lacrosse. While these outdoor fields are an iconic feature of the park, the Chelsea Waterside, Pier 40 Rooftop and Pier 40 Indoor fields are all equally valued by the more than two hundred thousand children and adults visiting throughout the year.
Keep reading to learn more about this West Village field, and some important tips that youâll want to keep in mind before you pull up. Click below to navigate to any particular section that youâre interested in! đ
Pier 40âs athletic turf field is home to a number of different sports, but weâre totally biased when we say that youâll enjoy playing the beautiful game here more than anything else.
With views of the Hudson River and the Jersey City skyline to the west, youâll be able to play on one of two (2) full-size, 11v11 fields, as seen in the photo above. The best part is that both Courtyard East and Courtyard West are fully customizable; they can each be divided into four (4) smaller 7v7 fields, giving a total of eight (8) 7v7 fields playable all at once, and a grand total of 10 field size options!
Although not available for use via the Plei App, another soccer field is actually available on the rooftop level of Pier 40, which measures 120 by 210 feet.
The Plei App first hosted a pickup game at Pier 40 at Hudson River Park on August 15, 2023, and we continue to play here today.
Youâre in luck if youâre arriving by car, because Pier 40 is quite literally famous for its parking accessibility. The entire outer deck acts as a parking garage capable of fitting up to 1,700 cars. The best part is that Pier 40 offers both daily and monthly parking, if you ever need to leave your car here for a longer period of time.
If youâre a subway goer, you donât have much to worry about, either. The closest station to Pier 40 is the Houston Street station, which is just a 0.3 mile, 7 minute walk away. Be sure to take the 1 service to get here.
Once you arrive, just walk straight down West Houston Street; itâll bring you directly in front of Pier 40.
Closest bus stops are located at W Houston St/Washington St (SIM7, SIM9) and W Houston St/Hudson St (M21).
For bicyclists, youâll find the closest Citi Bike docking station here.
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Pedestrian entrance into Pier 40 can be found directly out front of the pier, immediately west of the intersection of West Houston Street and West Street. Just make your way to the opening that has a âPier 40 Athletic Fieldsâ sign in orange above it, as shown in the photo above.
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Pier 40 has so much to offer that you may not even have to leave this particular area, but if you choose to do so, weâre here to give you a few options.
Your best bet in terms of killing time will be walking along the waterfront path and visiting some of the other nearby piers that make up Hudson River Park. If you head up north for about 6 minutes, youâll eventually hit Pier 45, an 850 ft. pier that offers green spaces, New Jersey vistas, shaded areas and plenty of seating. You can get some nice pictures here, so we highly recommend making this stroll.
Youâll find another similar situation over at Pier 46, just a quick stroll up from Pier 45. Itâs a little less than half the size, but it also has plenty of green space and spots to relax in some shade.
If you head south of Pier 40, thereâs plenty to see as well. After walking for about 5 minutes, youâll run into Pier 34, a pair of finger piers that link to the Holland Tunnel Ventilation Shaft. You can walk along these finger paths, which are fully equipped with benches all the way down. These piers also make a great place to fish.
Keep going south and youâll come across Piers 25 and 26, which offer athletic fields/courts, mini golf and plenty of green scenery.
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Youâre bound to get hungry after an hour or so of footy, we understand. Here are a few recommendations if youâre looking to grab something before or after you play at the Pier 40 fields.
Just Salad (A 9 minute walk from Pier 40. Just take West Houston Street, make a right onto Hudson Street and walk for another three blocks. Youâll find it just before hitting Vandam Street.) - If you prefer to keep your diet on the healthy side, this spot is the place for you. Just Salad has, you guessed it, salads, but thatâs actually not all they have! Look forward to warm bowls, wraps, avocado toast, soups and smoothies in a versatile menu.
Drift In (Located on East Houston Street. Just take a left from the north end of the park, crossing Chrystie Street, itâs on your first left.) - A little bit on the pricey side, but a good pick nonetheless if you donât mind spending a little bit extra cash for a high quality experience. Drift In is an open-air waterfront restaurant that serves oysters, seafood dishes & burgers, and also has a solid cocktail, wine & beer menu. They offer takeout, so donât worry about having to dine in. We highly recommend it, especially around sunset time.
Hudson Food Court (Located on Hudson Street, immediately to the right of Just Salad.) - This spot is exactly what it says it is: a food court with a number of different cuisines available. Grab a poke bowl at Shaka Poke, some wings from Crispy Rooster, a bowl of mac & cheese or some delicious gyoza; thereâs something for everyone. Take out, dine in and delivery available.
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Built in 1962 for the Holland America Cruise Line, Pier 40 fulfills many functions within Hudson River Park. The enormous pier, spanning over 15 acres along the stunning Hudson River, generates necessary revenue for the Parkâs ongoing maintenance via a large public parking garage and excursion vessels.
Beyond commercial purposes, Pier 40 is a giant when it comes to serving the public and offering recreational functions. At this pier youâll find a large athletic field complex for soccer, baseball, football, rugby and lacrosse, which opened in May of 2005. Other amenities include a mooring field, community boating program and tennis courts.
Thereâs also a Trapeze School located on the rooftop, New York Cityâs only outdoor flying trapeze school. Located on this rooftop is another soccer field, which was actually constructed before the ground level fields in 1998.
The fields at Pier 40 are open from 6am to midnight, and open recreational play is permitted depending on when permitted groups are not scheduled.
Thanks for reading Pitchside by Plei, a blog series highlighting the best field spaces in your city! â˝
If you want to get familiar with other unique soccer fields from the Lower East Side all the way up to Washington Heights and beyond, donât hesitate to click the following links below! đ
