The $5 Commuter Ferry That Doubles as a Harbor Cruise
Board at Pier 79 and stay on the St. George route past the Vessel, Little Island and the Statue of Liberty, then step off at Wall Street.
🗺️ The Route at a Glance
🚢 How to Ride It
Take the NYC Ferry St. George route from the Midtown West/Pier 79 landing at West 39th Street and stay on to Wall Street/Pier 11. On the way the boat calls at Battery Park City, St. George, Bay Ridge and Atlantic Avenue/Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6, and the full run takes about 68 minutes. Buy a one-way ticket from the machine at the landing or in the NYC Ferry app. The fare went up from $4.50 to $5 on October 19. Boats on this route also run the other way, from Pier 11 up to Pier 79.
🏙️ Leaving Pier 79 · Vessel and Hudson Yards
Hudson Yards rises just south of the landing, so the first landmark comes within minutes. From the river, the copper-toned Vessel and its 154 interconnecting flights of stairs sit low between the glass towers, and one frame holds the honeycomb and the skyline together. Take a seat on the Manhattan side, the left side heading downriver, for the whole Hudson stretch.
🌿 Little Island · The Side You Only See from the Water
Further down, Little Island sits off West 13th Street at Pier 55. Walk it and you get lawns, paths and a 687-seat amphitheater. Pass it by boat and you see what holds it up: 132 concrete “tulips”, each shaped differently, standing on piles above the Hudson. From the park itself you never see this side.
🗽 Battery Park City to St. George · The Statue of Liberty
After the Battery Park City stop, the boat leaves the Hudson and heads across the Upper Bay to St. George. Liberty Island passes on the right side of the boat, and this crossing runs closer to the statue than the free Staten Island Ferry does. It is the stretch the whole ride is built around, so move to a right-side window or the rail before the boat pulls away from Battery Park City.
🌉 Bay Ridge to Wall Street · Bridges and Skyline
From St. George the boat crosses to the 69th Street pier in Bay Ridge, with the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge spanning the water to the south. It then runs north along the Brooklyn shore to Pier 6 at Atlantic Avenue, and the Lower Manhattan skyline grows ahead, its angle shifting with every turn. On the last short crossing to Pier 11, the Brooklyn Bridge sits just upriver. Board a boat that leaves Pier 79 about an hour before sunset and the Brooklyn stretch lines up with golden hour, with late light on the downtown glass.
🧡 $5 Ride or the Free Orange Ferry?
The Staten Island Ferry from Whitehall Terminal costs nothing, runs around the clock and crosses to St. George in about 25 minutes. It is the pick for a quick, free look at the statue. The St. George route costs $5 and takes 68 minutes, and that buys the Hudson stretch past the Vessel and Little Island, a nearer pass of Liberty Island, and the Bay Ridge and Brooklyn waterfront, with Wall Street as the last stop. Check the next St. George route departure in the NYC Ferry app before heading to Pier 79.
