Sailing Off the Big Apple

Hurricane Sandy , the powerful storm that swept through New York City on October 29, 2012, makes a good enough place to begin to discuss recent changes in the New York waterfront. While Sandy only just delayed many planned developments for the city’s 520 miles of shoreline, the storm set many shoreline communities back a few years. Several communities, along with critical arteries in the city’s infrastructure, still need more time to recover from the 2012 storm. At the Battery.  October 28, 2012. 12:23 p.m. The area had advance warning that the incoming storm was likely to be serious, so the authorities shut down subways, bridges, and tunnels in advance.  The basic circumstances have not changed. According to an article in The New York Times from January 2018, “New York has more residents living in high-risk flood zones than any other city in the country.” The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is redrawing flood maps for the city. (See " In New York, Dra...

Updated August 29, 2018. Since rolling out its first routes in May 2017, the NYC Ferry has expanded to become a popular way for many commuters to get to work and for visitors to explore the city by water. The cost for a one-way trip is $2.75, the same as the subway or regular bus. Riding the NYC Ferry on the East River. The East 34th Street ferry landing is just below the American Copper Buildings. The Empire State Building is in the distance. The NYC Ferry is the most efficient, affordable, and pleasant way to see the city from the water. The Staten Island Ferry, a necessity for many Staten Islanders, still remains the best way to see New York Harbor for free. Operated by Hornblower Cruises, the NYC Ferry provides a total of six routes. The extended ferry service now includes four new stops - the Soundview (SV) route with Soundview in the Bronx and East 90th Street in the Upper East Side/Yorkville; and Stuyvesant Cove and Corlears Hook on the Lower East Side. In a pres...