Riding the Staten Island Ferry, and Then Some

Riding the Staten Island Ferry is still a popular tourist attraction in New York. The most common practice is to board a ferry at the Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan, ride the ferry to see the sights, disembark at the St. George Terminal in Staten Island, and then immediately turn around for the next trip back. There’s nothing wrong with this. The ferry trip is free, arrives and departs with predictable frequency, and the 25-minute ride offers photogenic views of the New York skyline and the Statue of Liberty. Plus, for New Yorkers, it’s sometimes nice to be reminded that people travel to New York from all over the world to see firsthand what all the fuss is about. They seem to be enjoying the experience.

At Empire Outlets, NYC's first outlet mall, adjacent to the ferry terminal in Staten Island.

Still, it seems rude to visit another borough and not even say hello. While I would still suggest a visit to a Staten Island destination such as Snug Harbor Cultural Center (especially the Noble Maritime Collection), just a bus ride away, here I recommend a couple of attractions within easy walking distance of the ferry terminal.

Empire Outlets

The first destination is Empire Outlets, a stylish outlet mall adjacent to the terminal that opened in May of 2019. The center includes a fashionable collection of name brand stores (American Eagle Outfitters, GAP Factory Store, Nordstrom Rack, Nike Factory Store, Banana Republic Factory Store, among them), along with a few places for coffee or snacks. One reason to go would be to enjoy the architecture, with a signature design by SHoP Architects. Take a look at the fanciful tulip seats in the courtyard. As outdoor malls go, few have this sort of stunning backdrop, with the New York Harbor and the distant skyline in the distance.

Staten Island Borough Hall

Across the street from the ferry terminal, stop by the stately Staten Island Borough Hall on top of the hill at 10 Richmond Terrace. Carrère and Hastings designed the 1906 building in the Beaux-Arts style (French Renaissance, to be specific).

The Promenade at Lighthouse Point is lined with big red anchor buoys.

The next destination is the National Lighthouse Museum. Walk south just a little ways past the Ferry Terminal Viaduct and look for the street that leads down to the shoreline. Follow the Promenade at Lighthouse Point. Located on the former site of the United States Lighthouse Service’s General Depot, the museum is housed in the depot's foundry building (1912) and is clearly marked. The outdoor seating area on the water side of the museum should be bookmarked for future visits in warm weather.

Outdoor seating near Pier 1 adjacent to the museum

The museum, opened now for about five years, is small but highly entertaining for those who love the romance of lighthouses. Inside, past the gift shop, small replicas of lighthouses line the shelves surrounding a lighthouse scaffold. It’s fun to spot favorites, like Jeffrey’s Hook Light (the Little Red Lighthouse) that sits under the George Washington Bridge or the mansard-style Hudson-Athens Lighthouse up the Hudson River in Columbus County. Inside the lighthouse, visitors can view an introductory film about the era of lighthouses and the efforts to restore and preserve them.

National Lighthouse Museum, Staten Island

Exhibits include the story of the General Depot which served as the national headquarters for all lighthouse operations in the United States from 1864 to 1939. It did come as a surprise to learn that the depot provided the testing and distribution of lighthouse supplies nationwide. Of the eighteen original buildings here, only six now remain. Some of the stories are more local. One wall panel tells the story of Kate Walker (1846-1931), the legendary keeper of the sparkplug Robbin’s Reef (Kate’s Light) that is viewable from the Staten Island Ferry. While visiting the museum, a staff member is likely to offer a personalized tour and answer all your lighthouse questions.

Learn fun lighthouse facts at the National Lighthouse Museum on Staten Island.

The museum has ambitious plans for expansion, but in the meantime, look for their special events and seasonal boat tours to area lighthouses. A visit will likely kindle a desire to see every lighthouse in New York and beyond.

The view from the Staten Island Ferry heading back to Manhattan

Now, you may return to the ferry.

Websites:
Empire Outlets
https://empireoutlets.nyc/

National Lighthouse Museum
http://lighthousemuseum.org/

Images by Walking Off the Big Apple from Sunday, February 9, 2020

25 Things To Do Near the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

(updated 2016) The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) at 11 W. 53rd Street is near many other New York City attractions, so before or after a trip to the museum, a short walk in any direction could easily take in additional experiences. Drawing a square on a map with the museum at the center, a shape bounded by 58th Street to the north and 48th Street to the south, with 7th Avenue to the west and Park Avenue to the east, proves the point of the area's cultural richness. (A map follows the list below.) While well-known sightseeing stops fall with these boundaries, most notably Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and the great swath of famous Fifth Avenue stores, cultural visitors may also want to check out places such as the Austrian Cultural Forum, the 57th Street galleries, the Onassis Cultural Center, and the Municipal Art Society. The image above shows an intriguing glimpse of the tops of two Beaux-Arts buildings through an opening of the wall inside MoMA's scu

25 Things to Do Near the American Museum of Natural History

After visiting the American Museum of Natural History, explore attractions on the Upper West Side or in Central Park. Visitors to New York often run around from one major tourist site to the next, sometimes from one side of the city to the other, and in the process, exhaust themselves thoroughly. Ambitious itineraries often include something like coffee in the Village in the morning, lunch near MoMA, a couple of hours in the museum, a ride on the Staten Island Ferry in the afternoon, cocktails at the midtown hotel, a quick dinner, and then a Broadway show. It's a wonder people don't pass out at the theater. While sitting on the steps of the American Museum of History, consider exploring the Upper West Side and nearby sites of interest in Central Park. There's a better way to plan a New York trip. Consider grouping attractions together geographically. Several posts on this site address this recommended approach. The Wild West of the Tecumseh Playground Groupin

25 Things to Do Near the Metropolitan Museum of Art

(updated) Sitting on the steps in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of those iconic things to do in New York City. On a sunny day, the wide steps can become crowded with the young and old, the tourist and the resident. It's tempting to stay awhile and soak in the sun and the sights. Everyone has reasons for lingering there, with one being the shared pleasure of people watching along this expansive stretch of Fifth Avenue, a painting come to life. Certainly, just getting off one's feet for a moment is welcome, especially if the previous hours involved walking through the entirety of art history from prehistoric to the contemporary. The entrance to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Avenue The Metropolitan Museum of Art should be a singular pilgrimage, uninterrupted by feeble attempts to take in more exhibitions along Museum Mile. Pity the poor visitor who tries "to do" multiple museum exhibitions in one day, albeit ambitious, noble, and uplift

Museums in New York Open on Mondays

Please see this post for current announcements of reopenings . Please consult the museum websites for changes in days and hours. UPDATED September 23, 2020 Advance tickets required for many museum reopenings. Please check museum websites for details. • The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) reopened to the public on August 27 , with new hours for the first month, through September 27: from 10:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday to the public; and from 10:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on Mondays for MoMA members on ly. Admission will be free to all visitors Tuesday through Sunday, through September 27, made possible by UNIQLO. See this new post on WOTBA for a sense of the experience attending the museum . • New-York Historical Society reopened on August 14 with an outdoor exhibition, "Hope Wanted: New York City Under Quarantine,” in the rear courtyard. The exhibit by activist Kevin Powell and photographer Kay Hickman will highlight how New Yorkers weathered the quarantine

10 Short Walks from Grand Central Terminal

(updated March 2017) Famously crowded Grand Central Terminal functions as a major crossroads for the city, hosting busy commuters as they come and go from the suburbs via the Metro-North Railroad or within the city via a few subway lines, but the terminal also happens to be a good place to launch short walks. With its south side fronting E. 42nd Street and its massive structure interrupting Park Avenue, Grand Central provides quick access to many of the city's most well-known attractions. The New York Public Library and Bryant Park are only a couple of blocks away from the terminal, a quick jaunt on 42nd Street. And from there, Times Square is just another block or two farther west of the library, its neon shimmering in the distance. One wonders, standing near the intersection of 5th Avenue and 42nd Street, how many souls have been lured away from their well-meaning library studies by the beckoning lights of the Theater District. Grand Central Terminal : Before setting

The High Line and Chelsea Market: A Good Pairing for a Walk

(revised 2017) The advent of spring, with its signs of growth and rebirth, is apparent both on the High Line , where volunteers are cutting away the old growth to reveal fresh blooms, and inside the Chelsea Market, where new tenants are revitalizing the space. A walk to take in both can become an exploration of bounty and surprise, a sensual walk of adventure and sustenance. A good pairing for a walk: The High Line and Chelsea Market Walking the High Line for a round trip from Gansevoort to W. 30th and then back again adds up to a healthy 2-mile walk. Regular walkers of the elevated park look for an excuse to go there. Especially delightful is showing off the park, a model of its kind, to visitors from out of town. A stroll through Chelsea Market. Time check. If you haven't stopped into Chelsea Market lately, you may want to take a detour from the High Line at the stairs on W. 16th St. and walk through the market for a quick assessment or a sampling. Among the sampli

14 Useful Mobile Apps for Walking New York City

Texting and walking at the same time is wrong. Talking on the phone while strolling down the street is wrong. Leaving the sidewalk to stop and consult the information on a cellphone, preferably while alone, is OK. What's on Walking Off the Big Apple's iPhone: A List Walkmeter GPS Walking Stopwatch for Fitness and Weight Loss . While out walking, Walkmeter tracks routes, time, speed, and elevation. This is an excellent app for recording improvised or impromptu strolls, especially with many unplanned detours. The GPS function maps out the actual route. The app keeps a running tally of calories burned while walking, useful for weight loss goals. Another welcome feature is the ability to switch over to other modes of activity, including cycling. An indispensable app for city walkers. $4.99 New York City Compass , designed by Francesco Bertelli, is an elegant compass calibrated for Manhattan, with indications for Uptown, East Side, Downtown, and West Side. While facing a cert

Taking a Constitutional Walk

A long time ago individuals going out for a walk, especially to get fresh air and exercise, often referred to the activity as "taking a constitutional walk." The word "constitutional" refers to one's constitution or physical makeup, so a constitutional walk was considered beneficial to one's overall wellbeing. (Or, as some would prefer to call it, "wellness.") The phrase is more common in British literature than in American letters. As early as the mid-nineteenth century, many American commentators expressed concern that their countrymen were falling into lazy and unhealthy habits. Newspaper columnists and editorial writers urged their readers to take up the practice of the "constitutional" walk. One such essay, " Walking as an Exercise," originally printed in the Philadelphia Gazette and reprinted in New England Farmer , Volume 11, 1859, urges the people of farm areas to take up walking. City dwellers seemed to have the

From Manhattan to the Bronx: A Walk Over the Henry Hudson Bridge to Henry Hudson Park

At the tiptop of Manhattan Island, Inwood Hill Park offers picturesque views of the Hudson River. For one of the best views, follow the marker at Shorakkopoch Rock (see map at the end of the post), the legendary place where Peter Minuit was said to have bought the island for 60 guilders, and follow the ridge up the slope. The path leads gently higher and higher, with views of the Salt Marsh down below and then the underside of the Henry Hudson Bridg e above. This spot along the ridge is well known among birders, as the height and the proximity to the Hudson River allow access to treetops and places where birds like to go. View of Henry Hudson Bridge from Muscota Marsh in Inwood Hill Park. Look for the path on the left that leads up and under the bridge. This post will explain how to cross the bridge on foot. Keep going around the bend and past the bridge. A few spots of open pavement at the edge of the hill provide good views of the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge, a swing bridge

Visiting New York on a Monday

Mondays are OK. Let's have a look at some of the museums open Mondays - • American Museum of Natural History • Jewish Museum • Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) • National Museum of the American Indian • Neue Galerie • Guggenheim Museum • South Street Seaport Museum Any of these museums could be paired with a nearby restaurant or bar, making a complete full afternoon or day in New York. Monday is especially good for a museum visit, because the crowds tend to be thinner, and restaurants, too, tend to be less busy than on a weekend. A fun museum and bistro walk on the Upper West Side would be a combination of the American Museum of Natural History and the nearby Cafe Lalo on W. 83rd St. I also would suggest a pairing of the Neue Galerie with a nearby cafe, but the two cafes inside the musuem are so good, why go anywhere else? Image above: The Guggenheim on left and Beaux-Arts townhouse on right. View from E. 88th St. by Walking Off the Big Apple.

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