Sailing Off the Big Apple

With the arrival of autumn, a trip up the Hudson River and to the Hudson Highlands makes for a great day. So, it’s time to make plans to sail north from New York City and enjoy the spectacle of the fall foliage from a comfortable boat. View of the Palisades in autumn near the Henry Hudson Bridge in Northern Manhattan. The sightseeing companies listed below offer special fall foliage excursions. A couple of the cruises drop anchor along the way, allowing time to enjoy the autumn scenery from a shoreline cafe or a woodland nature trail.  Check with the websites for more information and tickets. Book soon, though, as these trips are popular. • Classic Harbor Line Fall Foliage Cruises https://www.sail-nyc.com/ Classic Harbor Line sails on beautiful yachts, so the voyage experience is just as pleasing as the spectacular views along the way.    These sails stay on the water without stopping. Fall Foliage Brunch Cruise aboard Yacht Manhattan 2.75 hours Fall Foliage...

The South Street Seaport has been made over a few times in the past few years, especially following Hurricane Sandy in late October of 2012. The historic seaport near the tip of Lower Manhattan on the East River took on massive amounts of water during the storm, leaving significant damage in its wake. In the years following the flood, remnants of the high water line that signified the extent of the flooding could be seen on many buildings and sign posts, but now it’s hard to find them. Fulton Street at the South Street Seaport, now the Seaport District NYC A visit to the Seaport reveals new efforts in re-branding the area and the highly visible corporate sponsorship underlying the financing. Shops, restaurants, and attractions are vigorously marketed as part of a whole package. It’s not the South Street Seaport anymore; it’s the Seaport District NYC. The tone is more upscale than past iterations. A New York outpost of the art-inspired Italian retailer 10 Corso Como opened this p...

For an adventurous day in New York, provided the weather is nice, try combining the ends of two NYC Ferry routes, Soundview (SV) in the Bronx with the Rockaway (RW) route in Queens. An excursion from the Bronx waterfront south to the sandy shores of Rockaway becomes a great moving panorama of the metropolis. The beginning - near the Soundview landing in the Bronx Many New Yorkers have grown so accustomed to getting around by subway that seeing the city like the tourists may come as something of a shock. Being practical sorts, they’ll point out that a NYC Ferry ride costs the same as a subway ride - $2.75 (!) but with perks such as a well-stocked snack bar, comfortable seats, and views of their city’s famous skyline. Plus, there’s something relaxing about a boat ride that the A train, for example, can’t seem to accomplish. So, the experience comes as a happy shock. Hell Gate Bridge and the Manhattan skyline To begin this epic north-south trip on the water, start at the Sou...

Classic Harbor Line’s popular architecture boat tours, offered in collaboration with the AIANY (American Institute of Architects, New York Chapter), typically set sail at Chelsea Piers, continue south to New York Harbor, with a close swing by the Statue of Liberty, then pass underneath the bridges on the East and Harlem Rivers on its way north, travel through the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge at the top of Manhattan, and then sail back down the Hudson River to the home port at Chelsea Piers. Learning about the infrastructure of the city while enjoying light snacks and a beverage aboard a well-appointed yacht is an appealing way to spend an afternoon. The tour offers excellent views of the city's bridges and skyline. On the July 31 sail, the AIANY Bridge, Architecture & Infrastructure Tour, architectural historian John Kriskiewicz delivered the narration. He told stories of bridge builders and engineers, the history of the piers, the origins of the Port Authority, the importance ...

When Domino Park opened to the public this summer, the new park on the Brooklyn waterfront also revealed a long section of the shoreline that had been inaccessible to the public for the past 160 years. The waterfront at Domino Park, Williamsburg, Brooklyn On the banks of the East River in Williamsburg near Kent and South 4th streets, this area of the waterfront was from the early days easily accessible by ship, beginning with the first Dutch explorers. In 1856 F. C. Havemeyer selected the site for a refinery. View from the elevated walkway, Domino Park. Later known as Domino Sugar Refinery, the company employed thousands of European immigrants, and later Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and African Americans. Converting sugar from a raw to a refined state involves hard labor, beginning with the work of the longshoremen who unloaded the ships. In 2014, the site served as an installation piece by artist Kara Walker whose massive sphinx with African features and nearby attendant...

The private ferry company Seastreak runs regular commuter ferries from Manhattan to the New Jersey boroughs of Highlands and Atlantic Highlands , as well as seasonal runs to nearby Sandy Hook , part of the Gateway National Recreation Area . Seastreak also runs seasonal weekend trips up to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, a fetching idea for people trapped in the summer heat of the city. A Seastreak ferry docked at E. 35th Street Ferry landing in Manhattan On the trips to New Jersey, the Seastreak ferries speedily travel down the East River and into Upper New York Bay, then under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to the lower bay, through the open waters that lead into the Atlantic Ocean, and then into Raritan Bayshore to complete the trip to Highlands, Atlantic Highlands, or Sandy Hook. Verrazano-Narrows Bridge From Manhattan, the ferries travel to New Jersey via the East 35th Street ferry landing and Wall Street Pier 11, both used by NY Ferry and other providers. Commuters t...

The shoreline of the Hudson River on the lower west side of Manhattan was once farther inland than today, a gently curving line rather than the straight line marked by the Westside Highway. Along the shore, captains, sailors, shipbuilders, and dockworkers worked the piers to move along passengers and goods to their destination. This thriving mercantile industry built New York City.  The Rusty Knot, 425 West Street  This two-mile walk near the old shoreline (see map below) avoids the High Line and stays on the streets, a few of them with cobblestones. Beginning in Chelsea at the piers, the stroll continues through the Meatpacking District, the West Village, and Soho. Many places of interest line the streets and shore in the area, allowing for several detours. Two watering holes with nautical themes, The Rusty Knot and the legendary Ear Inn, enhance the experience. Chelsea Piers 1. While Chelsea Piers is now known as a sports complex for many New Yorkers, the bu...

By the early twentieth century, City Island had built a worldwide reputation for building quality wooden boats, especially yachts. Situated in the waters of western Long Island Sound and Eastchester Bay, the island is suitably positioned for great sailing. City Island provided service for schooners stopping along the East Coast, and the yards hired skilled craftsmen to build yachts that would win and defend several America’s Cup races. The Bx29 City Island bus turns around near the southern tip of the island. For a time, the boatyards dominated the economy on City Island, and when the wars came, the boatyards contributed to advances in naval technology, including the World War II era minesweepers. Kids on City Island grew up with the water, catching crabs and rowing small boats. Memories of the glory days of yacht building on a City Island storefront.  City Island built enormous yachts for the Gilded Age robber barons of New York. The island’s most famous contributio...