Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

The 79th Street Boat Basin is the marina on the Hudson River that is accessible through Riverside Park at 79th Street.  Click through to read about the basin and restaurant’s history and current information. 

Constructed in 1937, the boat basin is the only facility in the city that allows year-round residency in boats.  The marina is bordered by a multilevel structure originally titled the “79th Street Grade Crossing Elimination Structure” that was designed by Gilmore David Clarke and now features not only the original underground parking garage but also a restaurant, the West 79th Street Boat Basin Café.  Out of the 116 slips in the marina, there are currently 52 slips that allow for year-round residency, with the fee for a year-round slip starting at $5000 per year.  In May 2009, the city began requiring that all boats in the marina be seaworthy for emergency evacuation purposes, causing some of the more residential-looking houseboats to be eliminated.  Famous basin tenants in the past have included Forbes publisher Malcom Forbes, The Godfather author Mario Puzo, and the legendary Frank Sinatra, while Mad Magazine writer Dick DeBartolo currently keeps his office in his boat, occupying a year-round spot.

The West 79th Street Boat Basin Café is the outdoor restaurant that is adjacent to the marina, serving up cold beer, frozen drinks, and tasty casual American food in the summer months.  The restaurant’s location offers amazing views of the Hudson River and the sun setting over New Jersey, and its partially covered design in the rotunda of the original structure is a great atmosphere to hang out, with limestone arches, a patio, and Gustavino tile ceilings.  The restaurant’s hours are weather permitting, but include a weekday 4-7 pm happy hour at the bar with $2 off any drink.  The café does not accept reservations, so get there before you are too hungry if you are looking for a table during busy hours (such as sunny Saturday and Sunday afternoons).

West 79th Street Boat Basin and Boat Basin Café

Restaurant open daily during summer months, weather permitting

Riverside Park at 79th and the Hudson River

Filed under: Food & Drink, Upper West Side, Upper West Side Blog