The location of this restaurant is it's primary draw, though the food is pretty good too. There is a big two-level patio with umbrellas (when they weren't blown away by the wind, which happened to a couple while we were there!), as well as inside seating.
I had risotto, which was tasty. Kelly's meal was a salad, which she said was good. And we had a few beers. The bill was one of those tricky ones that, if you are not paying attention, you could end up double-tipping on. While it said $77, this was actually $60 plus tax and service. I woulnd't mind so much if the service was good, but it was marginal (we had a good bus boy who took good care of us, including our beer, but our waiter was totally indifferent... probably worn down by tourists). Regardless, I'd return, as the location is awesome. Below is me as a wedding crasher? Well, not quite, but they were setting up for a wedding. That's as close as you'll get me to that kind of fairy tale. Heh. They also have a beer garden, but it appears to be out back, with no view.
Nourished, we set out on the next part of our adventure, the:
The sign is so big, you really can't get it all in one shot. But the Staten Island Ferry is New York's greatest things to do, as it is interesting, fun and, best of all, FREE!! It's really a commuter route but attracts many tourists, all who love the nice outside deck seating, demonstrated here by Kelly.
This is where we are headed, out past the Statue of Liberty, then onward to Staten Island. As you can see, New York is a serious sea port.
Here we are, setting out, as another ferry comes in. They have several going back and forth at the same time.
It was a cloudy day, but I managed to get this shot when there was a wee sunbeam falling on Lady Liberty's flame.
Tall ship-like boat going by... 
We met some folks who offered to take our pictures. Here we are with Manhattan as our backdrop. 
Approaching Staten Island...
You can go back and forth as much as you want, but you have to leave the ferry and reboard at each end. I've done this voyage twice now, and haven't yet gotten off to explore Staten Island, so that's an adventure still to come for me. If you are lucky, like we were, you might even have some entertainment.... though the return sailing to Manhattan was so quick that we essentially ran by this guy. I'm sure he was good, and might have been worth missing a ferry for.
On the way back, I managed to get some cool pics standing behind the guy in dreadlocks on the right.
OK, Kelly kids me that I sure took a lot of pictures of this guy... but my defence is that you never know which one is going to be the winner! And it was probably only about 50. Sheesh. Heh. Anyways, these were among the best:
Salute or phallic symbol? Hee!
Another view of the lady, with the other ferry going by.
As we neared Manhatten, an eager crew headed to the bow of the ferry with their cameras.
Here's some people setting up for the ubiquitous shot of holding the city in their hands. These were actually a couple guys in town for a hairdressing course from Chicago, and were definitely having fun.
The Manhattan skyline is SO beautiful as it approaches! 
OK, it doesn't approach, we approach it, I know, I know.... heh. Here's a nice shot of the Brooklyn Bridge as we near the dock.
Much camera clicking...
This picture shows the restaurant where we had lunch. Battery Gardens is at the far left of the picture, nestled in the green of the park.
A better close up...
One last shot, a bit further out from shore... love the way we caught sight of a sailboat going by. 
All in all, it was a great day. And wonderful to feel the breeze on our faces. There is hardly anyting more iconic than the Staten Island Ferry and while I haven't yet taken a tour boat to get close to the Statue of Liberty, I suspect I'd still enjoy this more. If your budget is tighter than ours, you could pick up something from a deli to eat in the park, instead of the fancy restaurant. This is definitely a good cheap thrill in New York. And that's now ferry tale.
1 comment:
Great photos!
M.G.
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