When I saw DNAinfo’s Julie Shapiro tweet that the East River Waterfront’s Pier 15 was open (her article is here), I grabbed my pug and my camera and raced over. Alas, dogs aren’t allowed on the upper level, but I picked him up and did my best (only to get yelled at, understandably, on the way down).

The pier is pretty fierce, with lots of ramps, stairs, and cut-outs. On a gray morning with few people, it wasn’t the warmest place to be—I kept imagining I was in an Italian prison yard, aesthetically speaking, although that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I imagine the vibe will change in brighter weather, and as the two concessions (a café and a maritime educational center) open—depending on how upscale the café is, I suppose.

One question: You can see up through the slats on the upper-level ceiling; does that mean rain will drip through?

These photos are all of the lower level; I’ll run the upper-level ones in a separate post. (Update: Here it is.)