Merchants Market Cafe At The New Amsterdam/Dutch Pavilion

The New Amsterdam/Dutch Pavilion that houses the organic Merchants Market Cafe recently opened  at Manhattan's southern tip near the Staten Island Ferry. The pavilion is part of the 1.3-acre Peter Minuit Plaza — named for the Dutch merchant who bought the island of Manhattan from the Lenape Indians — features curving benches, gardens and a pinwheel-shaped pavilion. In honor of the 400-year anniversary of Henry Hudson's arrival in New York, the Dutch donated the $2.3 million, 5,000-square-foot New Amsterdam Pavilion, which anchors the plaza and houses the organic Merchants Market cafe, along with visitor information. To commemorate Peter Minuit, whose name means "midnight," the pavilion lights up in different colors each evening. Dutch architect Ben van Berkel, who designed the pavilion, said he conceived its four curving arms to welcome in the 150,000 people who rush through the plaza in all directions every day. "We wanted to point to many locations — many locations from which people come, to bind the activity together," van Berkel said. "It's so inviting." Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan called the plaza "the most multi-modal acre in America" because it connects pedestrians to the Staten Island Ferry, the 1 and R trains, the M15 bus and the bikeway that rings lower Manhattan. The plaza will also host events, including performances, art exhibitions and weekend markets. "It's not just a place to pass through on the way to the ferry, but a real destination," Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said.