Make a Day of it in Downtown Manhattan: The Staten Island Ferry
Last week I brought you a blog about the Brooklyn Bridge but now I would like to take you to a different borough, Staten Island. Did you know that there is a free, hour long cruise waiting for you every day of the week right here in Downtown Manhattan? That’s right, for the reasonable price of zero U.S. dollars you can have your very own cruise in the New York Harbor, complete with breath taking views of Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty and the new Freedom Tower!
A view of one of the Ferry vessels from another ferry vessel, taken from this blogger’s iphone!
The Staten Island Ferry wasn’t always the free trip it is today. In 1871, a trip across the harbor would have cost you 25 cents. Over the course of the twentieth century the price had been as low as 5 cents and as high as 50 cents. In 1997, the fare was abolished completely, making the ferry ride New York’s only free mode of transportation. There is nothing like being on a boat in the middle of the New York Harbor on a hot, sunny day; the feel of the sea breeze, the salty spray of cool mist, the panoramic views all around you. While one could certainly enjoy the ride as a pleasure cruise, many use this as their only means of transportation to and from Manhattan. The system carries over 60,000 passengers a day making 109 trips every day of the week. The trip, one way, is 5 miles and 25 minutes long.
Even if you don’t want to spend a day on the small island borough, there will be another ferry waiting to take you back to Manhattan as soon as you arrive. The Ferry is actually an entire fleet of nine vessels which ensures that the system is kept running every half hour on the dot. If you should miss the next ferry out, there is a variety of lunch options right in the St. James terminal.
For the first time voyager, the excursion to the Manhattan Ferry terminal may seem a bit daunting. Be sure to follow these tips:
- · Don’t look for a ticket booth, just get settled on the line forming at the large doors in the rear of the terminal
- · Don’t worry about being on the front of the line, there is plenty of room on board the vessel.
- · When the doors open make your way to the right side of the boat for your clear views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
- · When coming back, be sure to make your way to the left side for another view of the Statue of Liberty.
- · Manny of the vessels have a third level deck. Do take advantage of this tier to get the best vantage point possible.
- · Do bring a camera to take pictures of the stunning views.
- · Be sure to check out the beautiful aquarium style fish tanks at the St James Terminal (Staten Island)
- · Do not make your voyage during rush hour on a week day.
A View of the Statue of Liberty taken from the Ferry on this blogger’s iphone!
The Manhattan terminal’s close proximity to the Schimmel Center makes it another perfect activity to take advantage of before attending one of our performances. Just make sure you give yourself at least an hour and a half before our doors open to avoid missing the performance. The Manhattan Whitehall Terminal can be found at the southern tip of Manhattan on Whitehall Street. You can take the R or the 1 train and exit at South Ferry Station. It is my sincerest hope that you do take advantage of this unique Metropolitan offering.
See You at the Schimmel!
Michael Torbet
Pace Presents 2013-14 Blogger
