Staten Island Ferry

I went back over my list of things to do in New York that I made before I left in Australia and I had listed down the Staten Island Ferry. On further research, a lot of places said it was THE best way to see the Statue of Liberty and not only that it’s free. I caught the subway down to Lower Manhattan again, the station is inside the ferry terminal so that was easy. The terminal was packed with people, but the Ferry is massive. Everyone wants to be on the right hand side of the boat on the way to Staten Island and the left on the way back because that is the side that Lady Liberty is on. Luckily, I managed to get prime position on the right side and a close up view as we toured past.

They do have tours that run to both Ellis Island and Liberty Island, but on the subway I met a New Yorker that said it’s not worth it, the SI Ferry is the best way. As we passed you could see the masses of people crammed onto the island and I was glad with my decision. Once on Staten Island, I had a little look around, but the place is pretty uneventful and a little seedy. I’m kicking myself though because I forgot to go and view the 9/11 memorial (Staten Island lost 700 people). The ferry also used to carry cars, but doesn’t anymore. Eleven people were killed in 2003 when in high winds the ferry captain passed out (painkiller related) at the wheel coming into dock. The ferry trip took about 25 minutes each way and was very well organized. Security was pretty high, only random bag inspections though, no scanning.