Last summer, when I spent a day criss-crossing New York’s East River on New York Ferry’s small catamaran ferries, I promised myself I’d be back for more, taking the ferries out into the harbor and more sights to see.
In mid-September, I headed out again, realizing that mild weather for riding on open-top ferries would soon come to an end. This time I started on the Hudson River, from the West Side of Manhattan, anchor point for the route that heads to St George, Staten Island.
Early morning light and experiments with a polarizing filter yielded this interesting shot of Manhattan’s new skyline, complete with some oddly-sculpted facades.
On the New Jersey side, the historic Lackawanna Railroad ferry terminal is busy these days with commuter ferries; before the railroad tunnel under the river opened in 1910, all passengers for New York coming from the south had to switch to ferries; each railroad had its own.
On a Jersey City pier, Water’s Soul, by Jaume Plensa, appears to be asking silence. It’s a permanent resident in Jersey; another Plensa work, Silent Hortense, spent several months in Naples earlier this year.
After a brief stop at the World Trade Center pier, some more glimpses of history on the Jersey side, including the Colgate clock. The Colgate factory is long gone, but like the Pepsi and Domino signs on the East River, the clock was saved for historic memory.
The Jersey Central ferry terminal is now part of Liberty State Park; for many immigrants passing through Ellis Island, whose buildings are under repair again, it was the next stop on their way to new homes in America.
A cohort of cranes appear to be channeling the Statue of Liberty’s posture… Most of the cargo ships these days head for the forests of cranes on the New Jersey side of the harbor.
There’s a cruise ship terminal on the Brooklyn side, but we were headed past it to our next stop, on the northern tip of Staten Island—but not at the terminal used by the iconic Staten Island Ferry, a separate service.
A short walk across the waterfront took me to that terminal, and a crowd boarding the ferry Sandy Ground, named for a historic African-American community on Staten Island. Unlike the New York Ferry’s 150-seat boats, Sandy Ground can take 6,000 at a time and sometimes does.
I was headed back to Manhattan, to walk up to the Wall Street pier to catch the New York Ferry route to Governor’s Island and the Brooklyn waterfront. Along the way, the iconic views of Manhattan and a sister ferry.
On the outer deck, some were taking pictures, but most were looking at whatever was already on their phones. This image was our One-Clue Mystery this week, recognized by Jonathan L and George G.
Passing Castle Clinton on Governor’s Island; the first of a series of coastal defenses built at U.S. ports before the War of 1812. It later served as a military prison from 1865 to 1965. Governor’s Island became park land in 2003, it had been ‘stabilized,’ and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but its future use is uncertain.
Arriving at South Ferry at the tip of Manhattan, and a walk up to the Wall Street pier offered a ‘twinned’ picture of the Brooklyn Bridge and behind it the Manhattan Bridge.
And then onto the next boat, and some close-up views of Governor’s Island, including the Art Deco ventilation shaft of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, which no one calls by its official name, the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, and some former family quarters used by the Army and then by the Coast Guard.
Getting to Governor’s Island means taking a ferry; until New York Ferry added a stop, the only choice was a short point-to-point ride from South Ferry. That’s still available; the route just got new electric boats. Two of the older boats can be seen here, the Lt Samuel Coursen on the left—a veteran from Army days—and to the right a newer boat that’s basically a barge with a steering tower.
But before the ferry makes its brief stop at the Governor’s Island pier, there’s a quick stop at Sunset Park Brooklyn, where we pulled into a small dock area on the other side of the building the cruise ship is moored next to; on the side where we moored, trucks were loading supplies into the building apparently for loading onto the ship.
New York’s various piers are filled with craft of all sorts, sometimes with colorful stories. The Everett Libby is a retired State of Maine ferry that arrived in Brooklyn last year, only to be rejected by its new owner, and the $250,000 sale was canceled. After months at this dock, the ferry was sold again—this time for $1.
I’ve heard of ‘bail jumping, but ‘rail jumping’ was a new one for me.
After Governor’s Island, a cruise with a view of new skyscrapers and 19th-century warehouses on the South Brooklyn waterfront.
And finally, our destination, the Brooklyn Army Terminal. No longer a military facility, it’s being redeveloped for light industry and other purposes. Built in 1918, during World War II it was the U.S. military’s biggest supply base. Its Warehouse B was once the world’s largest building by floor area; rail lines ran through it with room for 2,200 rail cars. And, it had its own powerhouse.
If you’re planning a visit to New York City, consider making use of New York Ferry, either as an interesting way to get to your destination, or just to pick a route and see the sights. At $4.50 for a two-hour ticket including transfer, it’s not a bad deal, and there’s also a $15 48-hour all-access pass available.
