COVID-19 put a bit of a damper on my travel plans for 2020 and the early parts of 2021. But there are still ways to enjoy the city safely. This past week I checked out the widely talked about rooftop at pier 17 to experience a winter cabin getaway experience. The Greens at Pier 17 was quite the experience, and I’ll be sharing everything you should know about getting to experience this cabin getaway in NYC for yourself.
Reservations
Reservations at The Greens at Pier 17 are hard to come by. Cabins open up for booking each Monday around 10 am for the following week, but they come at a cost. For a midweek lunch reservation it’ll cost you $5 to reserve the cabin and on weekends the cost is $50. Keep in mind the cost of reserving the cabin is just that—the cost of reserving the cabin. It does not count towards the cost of food. The Greens at Pier 17 does offer walk in dining, and my friend and I were going to attempt to try that, but we luckily found an empty 12pm slot on a Wednesday, long after the Monday reservation day opened and cabins filled up. If your schedule is flexible, I’d suggest aiming for an afternoon time slot in the middle of the week.
The Atmosphere
The look and atmosphere of this location is the main reason you should check this spot out. I went on a beautifully sunny winter day which definitely helped, but the cabins are cute and thoughtfully put together. Each one has more than sufficient heating and we ended up turning off the heater and propping the door open because the sun shining through the glass cabin created more than enough heat. But even if you come on a colder or rainy day, I believe heating will not be a problem. The cabin is lovely for friend dates which is what I went on, romantic dates, family dates and more. In addition to a heater, each cabin has its own coat rack, TV screen displaying a virtual fireplace, and air purifier.
The Food
I’m sorry to say this but if you’re checking out The Greens at Pier 17 for the food, you will be disappointed. You can see for yourself on the menu that the options are fairly limited. I ordered the grilled cheese with fries because nothing else on the menu seemed appetizing enough to justify the price. I wasn’t blown away by the sandwich at all. My friend ordered their salad and asked for no bacon, which they mistakenly put in, in addition to a random bit of penne pasta that was presumably fall out from another person’s dish. Bottom line: if you’re coming here to be a food critic, don’t bother coming at all. Additionally, don’t count on getting an IG worthy picture of your food either. The food comes in to-go containers, which makes sense because of COVID, but it takes away from a fine dining experience one might look forward to.
COVID-19 and Safety
This is probably the only outdoor dining experience that I’d consider pursuing this winter. It is warm. You are not sharing a space with other people in the “restaurant” like you might in other outdoor environments. And of course it is scenic. There are minimal interactions with staff because to place an order you pay through the menu that you gain access to via QR code in the cabins. The downside about this however, is that every time you order an item off of the menu, it is considered a separate order with its own gratuity. In order to avoid multiple orders then, it is advised to place an order for everything at once. Obviously this isn’t ideal because it means you’ll receive your drinks, appetizer, entree, and dessert in one sitting. But in this way it’s safe because you interact with waiters less.
Overall
Overall The Greens at Pier 17 gets a 4 out of 5 for the day that I visited. I take a star away because of the food, which really could have brought them to a 3.5 for me, but the ambiance and cabin were just so beautiful and it really provided the “getaway” that I needed from being at home all day, even if it only lasted a few hours. If you can, definitely check this place out!
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
