Founded in 1977, it is housed on a converted coffee barge moored at Fulton Ferry Landing on the East River near the Brooklyn Bridge.

[2] Olga Bloom founded Bargemusic in 1977, following the transformation of the coffee barge into a music hall in that same year, and the programming has evolved over time while not losing the intimacy of the performance space,[3] which some compare to a floating living room.

[1] Despite some uncertainties as to their location with all the redevelopment in Brooklyn Bridge Park and DUMBO, including the new NYC Ferry service, Bargemusic received word in June 2017 that their bid for a twenty-year lease was approved.

[8] Like many organizations in Lower Manhattan and throughout New York City, Bargemusic's attendance suffered after 9/11 and that caused questions about its continued existence.

[9] To make money, Bloom and Bargemusic have rented the barge out for weddings and solicited donations from foundations, corporations, and individuals.