Cruisin' 'Round the Big Apple

Many of you may not know this, but Husband actually has some ties with New York. His father’s side of the family is from Queens so when we first arrived to NYC we made sure to talk to Husband’s grandmother for tips on places to see and activities to do during our time in the city. One activity that Grandmother suggested was to take the cruise around Manhattan. She explained to us that a cruise was a great way to see the city and learn about our new home, so Husband and I decided that we would put this on the top of our list. We agreed that after I accepted a job, we would celebrate by taking this tour cruise together.

Unfortunately last weekend we had our first glimpse of New York City rain, so the cruise had to be postponed until this weekend. Friday afternoon (Husband’s schedule inexplicably changed, so that he had a very long day on Thursday, but nothing Friday afternoon) we trekked our way up to Pier 83 on the Hudson River to purchase our tickets. After researching the numerous cruise options that NY had to offer we settled on a 3-hour cruise that circumnavigated the entire island of Manhattan (oh, yes, I did research; Husband has taught me well).

Much to our delight we arrived a little early. Now I am sure you are wondering why we would be delighted about having to sit around and waste time. Well, we discovered that right across the West Side Highway is none other than the famous (and incredibly tasty) H & H Bagels. I am sure that Husband will soon dedicate a post to our new found love of bagels. It was such a nice treat to sit on a park bench overlooking the Hudson River, munching on the most delicious bagel I have ever tasted (this place ships bagels all over the world—now I understand why).

After our mid-afternoon snack, it was time to board the Circle Line Boat. We made our way to the upper deck and found two seats next to the ledge. We had our cameras ready, so Husband even went to the captain of the ship on advice for which part of the cruise liner would produce the best view for photography. After sounding the horn several times our ship backed up and began our three-hour tour. The first hour of the tour was definitely the most interesting as it posed the best views of the island of Manhattan as well as the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Throughout the three hours we traveled on three major rivers, went under more than 20 bridges (a few of them are quite famous), saw all five boroughs of New York City, and viewed magnificent sights of the entire perimeter of Manhattan. Our tour guide was entertaining as well, as he spent most of the time casually telling stories about the history and significance of everything that we saw. Unfortunately, he struggled with microphone problems during the entire cruise, but even with the technical difficulty he was able to educate us on our new home.

For those of you that are not up to par on your geography (I wasn’t until we took this cruise), Manhattan is 13.4 miles long and 2.3 miles wide (at its widest point near 14^th street). Surrounding the island are 3 rivers. On the west side of the island is the Hudson River (where our cruise began). The northern portion of the island is surrounded by the Harlem River (which divides Manhattan from the Bronx). Running down the east side of Manhattan is the East River. Of course, if you watch Law & Order, you are probably familiar with those terms.

One random tidbit of information that I thought was rather interesting was the “artificial reef program.” Have you ever wondered what happens to old subway cars? I hadn’t before our tour, but once the tour guide brought it up, I suddenly became curious. Well, in NYC they literally get dumped into the ocean off the cost of New Jersey to create artificial reefs (an artificial reef is any man-made object placed in the sea as a habitat for marine organisms). Sea life is drawn like a magnet to any large object in the otherwise featureless bottom sand. Almost anything will do, but objects that can withstand the corrosive effects of salt water are best and that just so happens to be old subway cars. That is just a little random fact for you (perhaps it will be a Jeopardy question some day).

Overall, the three-hour cruise was an experience that Husband and I both would recommend to visitors. There are several different options to chose from including, a seventy-five minute tour that goes around the statue of liberty, a two-hour cruise that navigates around Lower Manhattan, a three-hour cruise that circumnavigates the entire -island, and, finally, a two-hour night cruise which displays the night lights of Manhattan. For just a few dollars more we decided that we might as well see the entire island and take the three-hour cruise (although, when I first thought about our three-hour tour, I kept thinking about Gilligan’s Island). The first half of our tour was extremely entertaining, while the second half was a little slower and a little dull. The last half of the cruise proved to us that we live in a beautiful city. Manhattan contains a shocking number of trees and greenery. Before this tour, when I thought of Manhattan, I thought of skyscrapers, Times, Square, Broadway, Wall Street, Greenwich Village, and Ground Zero. I never realized that the island is so lush and green. While trees are not as exciting as giant skyscrapers, they are certainly beautiful and worth seeing to get a true feel for the full makeup of Manhattan.

If it is possible, the cruise around Manhattan made me fall even more in love with this city. I still get giddy when I think that I get to call this home! While this move was a frightening endeavor, I am so thankful for the opportunities and experiences we are living!