Fireboat at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6, NYC: A Retired FDNY Fireboat Turned Floating Bar

Fireboat, a floating bar built on a retired FDNY fireboat, has opened at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Time Out New York, The Infatuation, Secret NYC and News 12 all covered it after its debut in June.

The vessel dates to the 1960s and spent years on active firefighting duty. According to News 12, the goal was to keep the boat almost entirely as it was while making it work as a bar. The clearest example is the hose fittings, which have been turned into taps for wine and beer. Secret NYC likewise describes draft drinks flowing from fire-hose-turned-taps.

Fireboat comes from Crew, the hospitality team behind the popular floating restaurant Grand Banks. Lars Viola, who heads oysters for Crew, told News 12 the team wanted to keep the boat's history alive while keeping it functional, and described the result as a bar and short-order restaurant that has no plans to leave the dock.

The boat is docked where the schooner Pilot used to operate. Secret NYC notes that Fireboat is temporarily taking Pilot's place while that vessel is restored.

The food leans Caribbean. News 12 and Secret NYC both mention ceviche with chips and BBQ prawn skewers. The drinks list covers cocktails, spritzes, sparkling wine, wine and beer. Seating is open-air on deck, with views of the East River and the harbor. The Infatuation calls it a lovely outdoor bar, but warns that the deck can feel wobbly even when you are seated, so it suits people who don't get seasick.

Secret NYC reports that the bar is entirely outdoors and closes in bad weather, and that its season was set to run through October. The location is the northwest end of Pier 6, near Columbia Street. No prices were given in the coverage.

(Details are drawn from points that agree across reports by Time Out New York, The Infatuation, Secret NYC, News 12 New York.)