Hello, Big Apple

Connecting through community in NYC and beyond

By Rivian

July 24^th, 2023

As more and more people experience our vehicles firsthand, Rivian Spaces provide a special opportunity to connect with our growing community.

Our opening month in New York City inspired us to keep meeting new friends, trading stories and ideas, and applying what we learn to what we’re building together.

With our next space in Vancouver opening July 28th and many more spaces coming soon, we're just getting started.

“I dropped it off at a parking garage and I hear the guy say, ‘That’s a Rivian!’ It’s a privilege to be able to drive one of the first.”

Since opening our NYC space under the High Line last month, we've also been exploring neighborhoods across the city – striking up conversations, answering questions about our vehicles, and hanging out while people get to know the R1T.

And so far, whether we’re meeting super-enthusiast R1 owners with 30k miles on the odometer, fielding questions about EV life, or playing chess on the Gear Tunnel door, our team has felt a tremendous welcome from everyone.

We invited local friends and partners to put R1T to work in new ways – not only as a vehicle, but also as a basecamp and springboard for life in and around the city.

We served free cold brew and spun vinyl out of the R1T with For The Record, attended the opening of a new art installation at Marcus Garvey Park with Harlem Grown, hosted an impromptu chess tournament at Washington Square Park, and handed out flowers at the Park Slope farmers market on Father's Day.

To explore how the R1T can help unlock short hops and quick adventures near the city, we joined some friends for an afternoon fly fishing trip to Croton Falls, where small streams flow from local reservoirs and the trout are known to bite (with a little skill, patience and luck).

Beyond the joy of finding new ways to pack in and load up (which is always an adventure in itself with the R1T), we continue to discover new examples of how our vehicles can coexist with city life in all its forms, and support the myriad hobbies and interests that New Yorkers hold dear.

“Dream adventure-mobile. What a Sunday treat!”

Meanwhile, the first of our new spaces is brimming with energy in Lower Manhattan, enabling anyone – including many young Rivian experts – to hop in and experience our vehicles firsthand.

“The part of Rivian that I love so much is the community aspect. And the amount of people we’ve met and the friends we’ve made.”

With our NYC opening as their spark, the passionate members of the Northeast Rivian Club arranged a meetup for 40+ R1 owners and their friends. After a spirited morning hang with coffee and doughnuts at Pier 4 in Brooklyn, the group caravanned to our new spaceat 60 10th Avenue in Manhattan.

“It’s so amazing that you would travel from Maine, from Maryland, from all over to be here with us.”

“The team has been totally awesome. I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. It’s all of you who make this community what it is.”

Rivian exists in large part to inspire and protect access to the natural world in all its forms – way out there, and also in cities, neighborhoods, and even our own backyards. With more Rivian spaces opening soon, we're incredibly excited to make new connections and continue the conversation.

From questions about our vehicles or simply experiencing them firsthand, to exploring why we're making them and what they might unlock for you, or exchanging ideas for how we can all adventure responsibly and love the world more – we're here for all of it.