The Staten Island Ferry may be one of New York City’s best kept secrets. Not only does it serve a critical transit role for Staten Islanders, moving 70,000 passengers on a typical weekday — it’s a great way for anyone to experience the New York harbor, completely for free. That’s right, the Staten Island Ferry is free, and it runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
En route, you get breathtaking views of downtown Manhattan, a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, Governors Island, Ellis Island, Liberty State Park and the Brooklyn waterfront. As an added bonus, the Staten Island Ferry is the most reliable form of transit in New York City, with a 96% on-time rate, according to the NYC Department of Transportation.
The ferry goes between Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan at 4 South Street to St. George’s Ferry Terminal at 1 Bay Street, and takes just 25 minutes. The terminals on both ends are impressive structures in their own right. The Whitehall Terminal was built in 2005 with 75-foot-high ceilings, solar panels and large windows that look onto the Manhattan skyline. St. George’s Ferry Terminal was renovated in 2005, with many green features added to the original 1950 building including a green roof of local plants.
The Staten Island Ferry has a fleet of eight ferries, several named after famous Staten Island residents like Guy V. Molinari, a three term Borough President; John J. Marchi, the Staten Island–born New York State Senator; and Alice Austen, a pioneering female photographer.
There are plenty of transit connections off the Staten Island ferry too, including MTA Bus Service, the subway and the Staten Island Railway. On Staten Island, 22 bus lines pick up at St. George’s Ferry going to destinations like the Staten Island Mall, West Shore Plaza, Port Richmond, Staten Island University Hospital, Tottenville, and more. On the Manhattan side, you can get the 1 subway at South Ferry, the 4/5 at Bowling Green, the R at Whitehall Street, and the J/Z at Fulton Street, along with the M5, M15 and M20 buses.
For schedules, check out the Staten Island Ferry website.
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