Pace Press

Issue date: 2/9/05 Section: Features

Thousands of commuters ride the Staten Island Ferry everyday. Financially-challenged college students might look to this free service for a view of New York´s famous skyline.

You've been rocking the poor college student status for a while, and then your friends tell you they're coming to visit. "Great," you think, "this is going to put the Big Hurt on my wallet." They're going to want to visit all those great NYC landmarks that cost a pretty penny like the Empire State Building, the Circle Line tours to Liberty and Ellis Islands, the Museum of Modern Art or Broadway shows. If only you could show them the city that never sleeps without taking out another college loan.

Corporate tourism can take a backseat to the interesting, yet somewhat lesser known, ways to enjoy the city. You've got cheap transportation by utilizing the subways (those unlimited ride passes are a wonderful, wonderful thing), but the subway is underground, failing to provide a view of the gorgeous New York City skyline. That's where the incomparable ferries enter the picture.

Nestled between the Hudson and the East Rivers, Manhattan is a ferry rider's paradise. With ferries traveling up and down both rivers, and to New Jersey and Staten Island as well, you might have a bit of a trouble deciding on which one suits your needs or your budget for that matter.

Companies such as NY Waterways and Circle Line offer tours such as trips up the Historic Hudson to the New York City Audubon Ecotour. These types of interesting tours vary from about $20-$35. For a relatively less expensive view of the city, check out the commuter ferries that run throughout the NYC area. Prices for these daily pleasures range from $4-$6 for a one-way trip. Check out www.nywaterway.com for information on tours, fares and schedules.

Taking a ride up the East River from Pier 11 on Wall Street to East 90th Street, you catch a glimpse of the United Nations building, Roosevelt Island and Queens. For a view of the opposite side of the island, you can take a NY Waterway's ferry up the Hudson to Midtown West that provides excellent views of the Empire State Building, Battery Park City and the glamour of Times Square.

But for you college students who are counting their pennies to buy a cup of coffee, feel free to take the Staten Island Ferry. This hour-long round trip takes you out into the Hudson Bay giving you a picturesque view of Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and the wonderful skyline of historic Downtown Manhattan. Unlike the Circle Line ferries that take you to Ellis and Liberty Islands and cost $15, you can have the same experience on the Staten Island Ferry for free.

There are seven boats, the most notable amongst them being the three sister ships of the Kennedy Class Boats: The John F. Kennedy, the American Legion and the Governor Herbert H. Lehman. All three ships carry up to 3,500 passengers and have a service speed of 16 knots. We personally recommend taking the Governor Herbert H. Lehman boat for your trip if you want a clean and accommodating ride. Ferries run every 20 minutes, every 15 during rush hour, and every 30 for those late nights.

For more information you can visit www.nyc.gov.

The choice to take a ferry to travel to your destination not only can save you a few bucks and give you a great view that doesn't include the dark underground, it can give tourists an experience of the real living, breathing New York.

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