New York City

Soccer is thriving in Manhattan at Pier 40

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The borough of Manhattan is a concrete jungle which makes finding a place to play soccer difficult. There are parks and fields within the city where games are played, but at the present time, one of the best spots has is at Pier 40 along the Hudson River.

Looking at Pier 40 from the outside, you wouldn’t suspect that this was the home to numerous leagues and clubs throughout the city. That’s because Pier 40 was built in 1962 for the Holland America Cruise Line. The complex also includes a large public parking lot which is what you see when looking at the facility from street level.

Inside Pier 40 it’s a different story. The rooftop and lower courtyard areas are covered with artificial turf and are used for both youth and adult soccer leagues. It’s estimated that over 200,000 people use the fields each year. The area is also used for recreational summer camps and year round instructional programs.

One league that calls Pier 40 Home is Downtown United Soccer Club. They recently announced the kick off to their new season with a tribute to Pier 40:

Pier 40 does have its problems, however. The building is an eyesore and is falling apart in some areas. For these reasons Pier 40 For All has been created by members of the community and those that use the fields at Pier 40. It’s mission states:

Pier 40 For All is a coalition for neighbors and community groups who are working together to make sure that as Hudson River Park is finished, Pier 40 is transformed into a beautiful, environmentally conscious space that fits the needs of our local community, expands and improves our sports fields, and supports the park with appropriately scaled commercial uses.

We’ll follow any developments on the future of soccer at Pier 40.

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Pelé Soccer opens in Times Square

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After the colossal failure that was the NFL Experience in Times Square (it lasted only ten months), I was somewhat surprised to read about the recent opening of Pelé Soccer in Times Square.

According to a press release from SGB Media, “Pelé Soccer Times Square is a destination retail experience that puts Pelé’s legacy and love for the game front and center.”

Of course, the name Pelé needs no introduction to soccer fans, especially here in New York. It’s been over 40 years but Pelé helped raise the profile of soccer in the city and throughout the country when he played for the New York Cosmos from 1975 to 1977.

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Pelé Soccer Times Square is located at 1560 Broadway and is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Soccer fans will love the in store experience as it features a stadium-inspired design concept. Visitors will enter the store by walking through a tunnel-like hallway lined with memorabilia. The main floor resembles an actual soccer field with stadium-style floodlights and interactive areas. One area will have bleachers with large screens so visitors can watch matches while they shop.

Pelé himself spoke of the opening of the shop in New York.

I am thrilled that Pelé Soccer has come to New York City, a place where soccer fans from all walks of life can come together to share their love for the game. New York was once my home, and I still think of those memories fondly. I cannot tell you how much it means to me to have a place in the Big Apple once again.

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Pelé Soccer will also sell gear and merchandise online. In checking out the site I was impressed by the extensive inventory available for sale. For example, under “countries” you can find shirts and kits from all over the globe. For fun I clicked on Estonia, and sure enough there was merchandise.

Pelé Soccer opened its first location in Orlando in 2017 followed by Miami Beach this past summer. There are plans for future store locations in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, London, Paris, Dubai, Shanghai, Tokyo, and more.