South Street Seaport's Pier 17 reborn after Superstorm Sandy devastation
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Just beyond the Brooklyn Bridge lies the best evidence of a neighborhood re-born. At the South Street Seaport, new construction has followed unprecedented destruction.
Half a dozen years after Superstorm Sandy caused so much damage to Lower Manhattan, a new concert venue is opening this week. And on Wednesday night, Amy Schumer becomes the first headliner to play Pier 17.
A few weeks ago, my wife Eileen and I were out and about near the South Street Seaport and came upon construction crews putting the finishing touches on a beautiful new building. When I went to take a closer look inside, it looked even better.
My guide was Saul Scherl, New York tri-state region president for the Howard Hughes Corporation.
"Hurricane Sandy really provided us an opportunity to look at the entire site and the whole historic district and redevelop it," Scherl said.
He has spent almost three years developing Pier 17 and rebuilding it, from the pilings of the old the pier all the way up to the new building.
The idea is to stay true to the area's past while looking to the future.
"It's astonishing what it has become," said Mike Greenberg, one of the hosts of ESPN's "Get Up!" Morning show.
Greenberg grew up 15 minutes away in the Village and has been on the air from a brand new studio on the third floor of Pier 17 since April.
"If you look around, not only at the facility we have, which is sensational, but what they've done down here with this neighborhood with the restaurants and the condos, it's really becoming a destination in this city," he said. "Which I think is fabulous."
The city's newest concert venue is located on the roof of Pier 17.
"The thinking behind it was to create diversity on what we have on the rooftop at our summer concert series," Scherl said. "We're hoping to get people down from all over New York to this spectacular rooftop."
Amy Schumer is the first big name to play the big stage, followed by the Kings of Leon. Later, Diana Ross will be here, and so will Shaggy and Sting.
And even on a cloudy day, the view is impressive. If you can't get there to enjoy the view in person right away, just "Get Up!" with ESPN every weekday morning.
ESPN is owned by the same parent company as WABC.
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