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Day Tripper - Staten Island Ferry Adventure
04/30/2011 - By Christine Burke Eskwitt
The Staten Island Ferry is truly one of New York City’s best bargains. Hop on the big orange ferry and see the New York Harbor up-close, for free. Yes, free. No charge. Nada.
The Staten Island Ferry is truly one of New York City’s best bargains. Hop on the big orange ferry and see the New York Harbor up-close, for free. Yes, free. No charge. Nada.
Guide books call it a “no hassle, even romantic, boat ride,” plus “one of the world’s greatest (and shortest) water voyages.”
The trip connects Manhattan with Staten Island, offering majestic views of the skyscrapers in lower Manhattan as well as Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. The Staten Island Ferry serves an average of 70,000 commuters daily traveling between Staten Island and Lower Manhattan, but visitors from all over the world also enjoy the free trip across the New York Harbor. Ride the front or back of the ferry for picture perfect, unobstructed views.
Staten Island Ferry History
Ferry service between lower Manhattan and Staten Island began in the early 1700s. The original service was operated by sail-powered craft. Steam-powered ferries were not added until 1817. After several accidents, the city of New York acquired the ferry service in 1901, but kept the steam-powered ferries in service until the mid-1980s. The ferry fare, five cents for years, increased to 25 cents in the 1980s. After much debate, however, the fare was discontinued completely in 1997.
The ferry is the only non-vehicular mode of transportation between Staten Island and Manhattan. NYC’s Department of Transportation operates and maintains the ferries as well as the St. George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island, Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Manhattan, the City Island and Hart Island Facilities, The Battery Maritime Building and all floating dock building equipment.
A ten vessel ferry fleet currently rides back and forth across New York harbor. The newest ferry, the Spirit of America, was commissioned on December 18, 2004 and was built in Marinette, Wisconsin. The keel of this 310-foot long, 3,200- ton vessel is built with steel from the World Trade Center Towers. Its name commemorates the spirit and unity of America following the attacks on the World Trade Center Towers and honors those civil servants who died trying to save others.
Staten Island Ferry Facts
The Staten Island ferries transport over 20 million passengers each year, an average of 70,000 per day, 365 days per year, and make approximately 33,000 trips each year.
A true New York icon, Staten Island ferries feature in the opening credits of both “Late Night” and “The Late Show with David Letterman,” as well as in the movies “Working Girl” with Melanie Griffith, “Wall Street” with Michael Douglas, and "The Secret of My Success" with Michael J. Fox. Ferries have played a role in many TV shows, including Law and Order,” “Sex and the City,” and even a 1956 "I Love Lucy" episode.
Based upon the reference to the subway and the narrator’s ability to travel "back and forth all night" for a single fare, a Staten Island ferry is almost certainly the setting for Edna St. Vincent Millay’s well-known poem "Recuerdo," first published in 1919 when Millay was living in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village: “We were very tired, we were very merry - We had gone back and forth all night upon the ferry. It was bare and bright, and smelled like a stable - But we looked into a fire, we leaned across a table. We lay on the hill-top underneath the moon; And the whistles kept blowing, and the dawn came soon.”
The original ferries were painted white, but were changed to orange for better visibility in the rain and fog. Old ferry boats have found new life in and around New York City - one is a restaurant in New Jersey and two are used as prisoner dormitories at Riker’s Island.
Taking the Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry travels between NYC’s Whitehall Street, near Battery Park in Lower Manhattan, and the St. Georges Ferry Terminal at Richmond Terrace on Staten Island. From either direction, the 5.2-mile journey takes approximately 25 minutes each way (and again, it’s free!). Bicycles are permitted on the lower deck at no charge, but vehicles are no longer permitted on the ferry. The Staten Island Ferry operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Frequency varies with the time of day, but rarely do you have to wait more than 15 minutes for a ferry.
Parking facilities are available on Staten Island at the St. Georges Ferry Terminal. On the Manhattan side, the ferry docks near subway and bus transportation.
The official Staten Island Ferry web site has a boatload of information: www.siferry.com. Find out about special events that take place aboard the Staten Island ferries, such as an annual Tango on the Ferry, part of the annual 4-day New York Argentine Tango Festival, and the annual Pearl Harbor Commemoration; you can also find out how how to utilize the ferry for the 5-Boro Bike Tour and the New York City Marathon.
Visiting Staten Island
Staten Island, perhaps the least well known of the five New York City boroughs, has a wealth of museums, historic and recreational sites to interest visitors arriving on the ferry.
Right across from St. Georges Terminal is the Staten Island Museum. This comprehensive museum, founded in 1881, has a permanent collection including a large body of Italian Renaissance paintings; a section on the art and culture of the Lenape tribe, the first inhabitants of Staten Island; and an exhibit on the history of the Staten Island Ferry, among other things. Temporary exhibits, such as a recent display of historic baseball cards, augment the permanent collection. (www.statenislandmuseum.org) Adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal is the Richmond County Bank Ballpark, home to the Staten Island Yankees minor league baseball team. Located on the southern most tip of Staten Island, there’s not a bad seat in the house, plus great views of the Manhattan skyline. (www.minorleaguebaseball.com)
Also Adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry terminal, along the North Shore Waterfront Esplanade, is the Staten Island September 11 Memorial. Designed by Masayuki Sono, the solemn yet uplifting design features two thin structures resembling postcards, perhaps sent to lost loved ones. From afar, they appear to be outstretched wings or a flower about to blossom. Another highlight of Staten Island is Historic Richmond Town. This 100-acre living museum features 15 restored 18th and 19th century residential and commercial buildings, as well as a museum filled with objects from the island’s colorful past. Richmond Town was the site of one of the original Dutch settlements in the area and later became a British stronghold prior to the Revolutionary War. Historic Richmond Town is reached by a bus that leaves directly from the ferry terminal. Admission is modest and discounts are offered for students and seniors. (www.historicrichmondtown.org)
A less than 10-minute bus ride from the ferry terminal brings you to the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, a converted 19th century home for retired seamen, now a regional arts center and Smithsonian Institute Program Affiliate. This 83-acre property is home to New York’s first designated landmarks, considered the finest examples of Greek revival architecture in America, including a Greek Revival Music Hall. Surrounded by a tall iron fence, shaded by century-old Norwegian maples and Austrian pines, Snug Harbor is not only one of the most architecturally and historically significant sites in the country, it is a place where history, architecture, the visual and performing arts, and environmental science all come together to provide a rich and powerful learning experience for audiences young and old. (www.snug-harbor.org)
Taking the Staten Island Ferry is just a first stop for a day packed with fun, learning and an adventure following the footsteps of history. The views of the city and the Statue of Liberty – even for jaded New Jerseyans - are some of the best in the world. So, sightsee like a tourist and enjoy a day on Staten Island.
Staten Island Ferry
St. George Terminal
1 Bay Street
Staten Island, NY 10301
www.siferry.com
Admission:
OPEN YEAR ROUND!
Everyone rides for FREE!
Hours:
24 hours a day 7 days a week, every 15 or 20 minutes
Terminals:
Staten Island: St. George Terminal Manhattan: Whitehall Ferry Terminal
Parking:
North and South lots: $5.50 exact change or $5.00 per day if you purchase a $20 or $50 muni-card from the vending machine inside the terminal waiting room.
Getting There:
Take the Garden State Parkway North to exit 129 for I-95 North. Continue on the ramp and merge onto I-95 North to exit 13 to merge onto I-278 East toward Goethals Bridge/Verrazano Bridge. Take exit 12 toward Todt Hill Road/Slosson Avenue, merge onto Lortel Avenue. Turn left at Slosson Avenue. Take the second right onto Victory Boulevard. Turn left at Montgomery Avenue. Turn right at Fort Place. Turn right at St. Marks Place. Take the first left onto Hyatt Street.
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