Staten Island Ferry to Snug Harbor
A winter trip to a small island in the north of New York
(Photos/words © urban75, Dec 2007)

Operated by the New York City Department of Transportation, the Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry connecting Whitehall Street at the southernmost tip of Manhattan near Battery Park and St. George Ferry Terminal on Richmond Terrace in Staten Island.

Journeys take around 25 minutes (depending on the weather), affording fantastic views of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

The ferry is absolutely free and represents a must-see attraction for tourists, although residents and workers also make use of the river connection.

Regarded as the biggest bargain in New York City during the 20th Century, the ride used to be chared at the same five cent fare as the New York Subway and remained the same after subway fares doubled in 1948.

Fares rose to 50 cents for the round trip by 1990, until all fares were abolished in 1997.


The newly completed rebuilt Staten Island Ferry terminal near Battery Park.


Setting off for Staten Island.


Passing the Statue of Liberty.


A ferry heading towards Manhattan. You can see the lower deck for transporting cars, but vehcles have not been allowed on the ferry since the September 11, 2001 attacks.

See 2000 view from the ferry here.




Staten Island Ferry with the Verrazano-Narrows double-decked suspension bridge in the distance.

When the bridge opened in 1964 it was the world's longest suspension span, sporting 693 foot high towers and a centre span of 4,260 feet (1,298 m).

The bridge was named after Giovanni da Verrazano, who is said to be the first European explorer to sail into New York Harbour in 1524.


Despite the sun, it was indescribably cold on the trip over, with an icy wind prompting jackets and hoods to be zipped up tight.


Preparing to dock at Staten Island.

The ferry nearest the camera is the John F Kennedy, built in 1965 and capable of carrying an astonishing 3,500 passengers and up to 40 vehicles.

The boat is 297 feet (91 m) long, 69 feet, 10 inches (21.3 m) wide, with a draft of 13 feet, 6 inches (4.1 m), weight of 2,109 gross tons, service speed of 16 knots (30 km/h), and engines of 6,500 horsepower (4.8 MW).

The John F. Kennedy is expected to only remain in service for another five to ten years, serving as a back-up ferry and training vessel.


Looking north across Upper New York Bay to Manhattan in the distance.


The Richmond County Bank Ballpark stadium of the Staten Island Yankees, a minor league baseball team nicknamed the 'Baby Bombers.'




With Staten Island losing nearly 268 residents in the 9/11 attacks of 2001, a memorial was constructed along the North Shore Waterfront Esplanade adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and the Richmond County Ballpark at St. George.


The memorial faces the site of the Twin Towers.





The $2 million waterfront memorial, entitled 'Postcards,' is covered with 9x11 inch tablets featuring silhouettes based on photos of the victims, along with their names and job.


Looking across the bay to Manhattan with a passing barge in the foreground.

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