New York City has 30 islands and 520 miles of coastline. Four of the five boroughs float off the Atlantic seaboard. But for most of history, none of it was accessible to locals or visitors. The waterfront was a crime-ridden, dangerous, and industrial place. All that changed in the last 30 years, and finally, a few years ago, we got the NYC Ferry.
All my life, the only way to appreciate the city's nautical pleasures was the Staten Island Ferry. People don't want to visit Staten Island, but they ride the ferry there and back for the free boat ride. (I love the Staten Island Ferry; if you take it, listen to Billy Joel's "Everybody Loves You Now.")
The NYC Ferry will take you to spots you want to see. For the cost of a subway ticket, you can get from Wall Street in Manhattan to Dumbo in Brooklyn in five minutes. And instead of being stuck underground, you get fantastic views. I live in Brooklyn, and the NYC Ferry makes it easy to explore within the borough. You can see Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Dumbo, and Red Hook without ever using the subway.
During the summer, I take the ferry to the beaches in Rockaway in less than an hour. It's faster than the subway, and, again, why be in a tunnel when you can be on the water?
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"Silvana" is a large cafe, boutique, shawarma and falafel bar in NYC that also offers live music performances on their downstairs stage. Great acts!
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The menu is simple: hamburgers, French fries & toppings. No over-the-top ingredients, no superfluous adjectives, and high-value food at rock-bottom prices.
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"Elizabeth Street Garden" New York: formerly the site of a large, important school house, it was reclaimed in the '90s and turned into a sculpture garden.
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One block away from a 21st century LinkNYC WiFi tower on Broadway sits one of three West End Avenue working telephone 'booths', the last in NYC...
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After, "Anthony & Son" Panini Shoppe's Italian-style super-sandwiches, no regular New York sandwich will ever taste as good again...
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"Dutch Kills" in New York isn't hiding it's one of the best bars in the city, but it isn't publicizing the fact, either. No password to enter, however!
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"Bund on Broadway" is one of the most popular restaurants on Astoria's restaurant row in New York. I always go straight fo the famous pork soup dumplings.
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The "Conference House" in New York is a perfect place to escape modern life if you're interested in what life was like in the 1600s...
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"Vite Vinosteria" in New York is the Italian restaurant where, ever since I moved to Astoria, I've celebreated nearly every birthday & anniversary...
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"Hunter's Point Library" in New York, on Long Island City's waterfront, is definitely for you if you're a fan of books, architecture and skyline views!
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"House of Yes" is a colorful, eclectic space in New York that houses everything from roller skating to trapeze artists. Free entry on Fridays before 11pm!
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308 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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