- Rivian opened its first concept experience in Manhattan's Meatpacking District.
- The space had a relaxing, laid-back, and earthy atmosphere.
- I also tried an "adventure drive" to The Met Cloisters, which customers can now sign up for quarterly.
Rivian's first-ever concept experience takes its luxurious boho vibe to another level.
Located under the High Line, the store revolves around themes that roll out annually, with the current one being "Adventure Is In Us."
That theme is on display in the store's design and also embedded in new offerings like "adventure drives," which I got to try out for myself. The program allows customers to sign up quarterly for small group drives to local day trip spots like the Met Cloisters or Storm King Art Center. The space will also continue to offer standard demo drives.
Rivian's director of regional marketing, Sara Webster Wylie, told BI that the concept experience is designed to broaden the brand's reach. While Rivian scores highly in customer satisfaction among its current owners, it's still in the process of gaining wider recognition as an EV maker.
A Rivian spokesperson told BI that the Brooklyn space typically draws visitors who are already familiar with the brand. The new space, which launched in 2023 as a showroom and is centered in a tourist hub, has the potential to introduce more people to the brand.
Similar to its Brooklyn showroom, Rivian is also trying to embed the local community into its concept experience. The company said that the new space will also host events like community gatherings and panel conversations.
The space had a "soft" open on May 2, and it hosted a series of events the weekend after. I went to its first launch event on Friday, which included breakfast, a sustainable activity, and an adventure ride to The Met Cloisters.
Keep reading to see what it was like.
I arrived at Rivian's concept space on a gloomy Friday morning.
The concept space is located right around the High Line park on 461 W 14th Street. While the area is usually a hot spot for tourists, the vibes that day were dark and gloomy in the city.
Rivian's warm, laid-back atmosphere made the rainy day feel like part of the experience.
Rivian's floor-to-ceiling windows and warm design made the space feel like a green oasis on a rainy day.
The design felt like an amplified version of the Rivian showroom in Brooklyn.
Rivian's Brooklyn showroom had similar design aspects, like ambient lighting, wood accents, and greenery. However, the concept space felt like a more refined version. It was slightly less colorful and busy, leaning more into a luxurious and minimalist vibe.
The space itself was impressive.
The Brooklyn showroom had a more neighborhood, small-town feel, while this space felt a bit more expansive and showy.
I helped myself to an Apollo bagel and fruit.
Apollo Bagels is currently one of the hot bagel spots in New York City. It didn't disappoint.
Rivian also had coffee, orange juice, Boxed Water, and a small assortment of pastries that looked delicious.
There was also a coffee station.
The automaker offered hot tea, hot chocolate, lattes, cappuccinos, and cortados.
Rivian said that it expanded food and beverage service for visitors, including coffee from local purveyor Don Carvajal, and tea from Harney & Sons.
There were three Rivians stationed in the store.
Rivian had the storm blue R1S in the front of the space, the glacier white R1T in the middle, and the Rivian blue R1S in the back of the space.
The adventure theme was highlighted throughout the space.
There were camping stations and accessories strategically placed throughout the store.
My favorite part of the location was the sound immersion room.
Rivian had a sound immersion room with a video display on the wall that showed different city landscapes and other scenes.
Wylie said that the experience is designed to immerse visitors in a sensory experience. The website describes it as more of a "playground" than a "showroom." Visitors can drink coffee or tea, explore displays, step into a sound immersion room, and discover new experiences through the adventure ride.
"Ultimately, we want to inspire a sense of adventure in anyone who visits," Wylie said.
I stayed in the sound immersion room for about 10 minutes. It was very relaxing.
The pillows and seats were comfortable, and the room was dimly lit and cozy. As someone who pays for meditation classes in the city, it was nice to experience a similar experience at no cost.
The space had child-friendly activities, like Rivian's Brooklyn showroom.
Similar to Rivian's Brooklyn location, which had a lot of kid-friendly characteristics, the concept experience had kids' books and interactive activities, like listening to sounds and touching the material of the cars.
Rivian partnered with a plastic-recycling company, allowing visitors to make keychains out of recycled plastic.
Rivian stationed a waste design studio called Are You Mad at the space. The studio showed attendees how plastic is turned into other materials and had a table for making keychains.
I'm not particularly artistic, and my keychain did fall apart shortly after I finished (my fault), but I found the process surprisingly cathartic.
Rivian had a digital display showing the stories of owners.
The regional marketing director told me that Rivian added sensory elements to the space to connect visitors to the brand on a deeper level. That includes digital displays to listen to owner stories and sound experiences for kids to guess sounds around the city.
There were lots of interactive activities throughout the store.
This photo shows an interactive experience that allowed visitors to vote for their favorite color with cork balls. It was one of several creative interactive elements placed throughout the store.
You could map out what an upstate trip would look like.
The display allowed users to choose preselected choices, including Arcadia National Park, Montauk, the Outer Banks, or their own pick. I chose Mauntauk, and it showed me how long it would take from the Meatpacking District concept space and the charging hubs along the way.
I went on an adventure drive
I opted not to drive in the rain, so one of the employees took the wheel. It's not necessarily easy to go on a roughly hourlong drive with people you just met, but the employees were down-to-earth and easy to get along with.
It was my first time spending extended time in a car in months, and it felt like I was on a road trip.
Rivian's director of regional marketing told me its vehicles were designed to feel like you're in a living room — and that's what it felt like
Rivian's vehicles have a modern and comfortable feel, with functional features like floor storage and ample space between the seats and the cabin. They also have a minimalist aesthetic, and materials like vegan leather add to the soft and earthy vibe.
A tour guide took the launch event attendees on a private tour of the museum.
The tour lasted about 45 minutes.
It was a peaceful break from the city.
The Met Cloisters were a nice break from the city, and the ability to go with a car made the experience feel easy and comfortable instead of stressful with planning.
I decided to try the backseat on the way back to the concept store. It was comfortable and spacious, but I felt a bit car sick.
I get carsick from time to time, and I did feel a bit nauseous on the way back.
I loved that Rivian made the city a focal part of the experience, but also made it feel like an escape.
While living and touring New York City can be exciting, it can also feel overstimulating. I admired Rivian's ability to curate a space that highlighted aspects of city living and connected with the local community and lifestyle while also offering a break from some of the parts of it that can feel overwhelming.
I thought the "adventure drives" offering was also a clever move. While standard demo drives can be cool to experience, most people aren't likely to sign up for one unless they're actively shopping for a car, especially if the brand isn't widely popular.
I also thought it was a smart way to show a wider aspect of ownership. By offering an opportunity to explore outside the streets of New York, customers may be more incentivized to experience the brand for a longer duration and get a real taste of ownership.
Many people, like myself, enjoy a break from the city from time to time. Taking an SUV to a more secluded area definitely captured that sense of escape — and the rain added to the feeling of adventure.
