Head west along 23rd Street and brave crossing the West Side Highway to one of Manhattan's most ambitious waterfront projects, Chelsea Piers ( www.chelseapiers.com ), a $100 million, 1.7-million-square-foot development along four Hudson River piers. Opened in 1910, this was the place where the great transatlantic liners would disembark their passengers - the Titanic was en route when it sank in 1912. In the 1960s, the piers fell into disuse and decay, but a recent infusion of money has transformed them into a thriving sports complex, with ice rinks and a landscaped golf driving range. Perhaps the best part of the development is its emphasis on public spaces , including a waterfront walkway of over a mile, and the pleasant park at the end of Pier 62.

Chelsea Piers

• Chelsea Piers

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