Take a New York ferry, and get a free boat ride, and a view of the Big Apple from the water. The Staten Island ferry in New York City is great at any time of day, but try to catch a ride at dusk or dawn, to see the true splendor of the NY skyline. Avoid taking this free New York ferry at rush hour when it is packed with commuters.
Where Does the Free New York Ferry Go?
The Staten Island ferry runs from Lower Manhattan’s Whitehall Terminal (also called South Ferry Terminal) to St. George Ferry Terminal on the northern shore of Staten Island. The free New York ferry operates 24/7! As seen in many T.V. programs and films: Sex and the City, I Love Lucy and Working Girl to name but a few. 20 million working New Yorkers and tourists make the 25-minute journey each year, and the ferries have been running since 1898. So if you are traveling in rush hour(06:20-08:25, from Staten Island, 16:20-19:40 from Manhattan ) and want to get a place on a bench near the side of the ferry, in order to get a good view of the sights, you better grab your seat quickly.
Can You See the Statue of Liberty from the Staten Island Ferry?
Talking of sites, on the way over you will see The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Brooklyn Bridge, the Verrazano Narrows Bridge connecting Staten Island to Brooklyn, and the Manhattan and wall Street skyline. When approaching Manhattan stand at the front of the ferry to get the best skyline view. And stand/sit on different sides of the ferry on each leg of your journey, to take in all the sights.
There is no need to book as the ferries leave every 15 minutes in rush hour, every half hour on weekend mornings and mid-week days, and during the midnight hours every hour. Once you reach the Island, you have to disembark even if you want to return straight away. Then you can just re-board.
Practical Details
Where:
Manhattan:
Whitehall and Water St
Reached by bus (M1, M6, M9, M15, X90) and subway (1, 4, 5, R, W) connections.
Staten Island:
1 Bay Street
Staten Island, NY 10301
Cost:
Free
Open Hours:
24 hours a day(every 15 min- 60 min depending on time of day)
Website:
