Ride Across NYC Harbor

Thursday afternoon, we decided to take the Staten Island Ferry across New York Harbor and back.  It was a lovely day in the upper 70's with white puffy clouds speckling a clear blue sky.  It's nice to see the skyline of lower Manhattan refilled after the devastation of 9/11 made it seem like an open wound.  The new One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower) is joined by Four World Trade Center and Seven World Trade Center to make a wonderful skyline for the future.  It all speaks to this city's optimism and resiliency.  

One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower) and Four World Trade Center rising into the clouds.
Photo by McClure

As we boarded the Ferry, the ferry to Governor's Island was just departing for the new and improving public amenities on Governor's Island, which used to be a U.S. Coast Guard Station.  From early May until late September the Island is open to the public every day with ferry service from both South Ferry in lower Manhattan and from Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn.

Ferry departing for Governor's Island with downtown Brooklyn skyline beyond.  Photo by McClure

As the ferry leaves the terminal you can look up the East River toward the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges, 

Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges (from nearest to furthest).  Photo by McClure

across the river to the new and on-going development of the Brooklyn waterfront with the Brooklyn skyline beyond and then Governor's Island comes into view.  Meanwhile, the lower Manhattan skyline materializes as the ferry turns toward Staten Island across the harbor.

Lower Manhattan skyline with One and Four World Trade Center (center left).   Photo by McClure

The new buildings that arise out of 'ground zero' are all glassy surfaces that catch the play of light and shadow as the clouds scud across the sky.  Sometimes they almost disappear into the shimmering sky.  It's a mesmerizing sight.

As we crossed in front of the Statue of Liberty, I became more aware of the cacophony of different languages and accents among the large crowd of passengers on the open decks (you can tell the tourists from the regular commuters who mostly sit on the benches inside using their iPhones or reading their eBooks).  This really is a city of immigrants -- and during the summer it's also a city of tourists, many of them foreigners.  What must they think of our hypocrisy -- this monument welcoming immigrants to our country juxtaposed with our government's inability to resolve its immigration laws?

Statue of Liberty is once again welcoming visitors.  Photo by McClure

In the Staten Island terminal there was a mostly respectful crowd listening to a street musician playing electric flamenco guitar while waiting to board the return ferry .  There don't seem to be any Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts in the St. George terminal.  They must not be a Staten Island thing.

On the return trip we were very aware of the competing skylines of Manhattan and Jersey City.  We could see the buildings where we lived for nearly two years from 2011 to 2013.

Jersey City skyline to the left and Manhattan skyline to the right flank the mouth of the Hudson River.  Photo by McClure

The Jersey City skyline -- Goldman Sachs on the left and Newport (where we lived for nearly two years) on the far right.
Photo by McClure