The Zephyr
Neighborhood: Seaport District
Type of Place: Tours/Guides
Description:
With weeks left to summer and mild weather continuing into the fall, give your feet a break from pounding the pavement and consider boarding one of New York City’s tours by boat to see the sights. There are a number of water excursions to choose from, but The ZEPHYR Statue of Liberty Express, run by the New York Water Taxi (nywatertaxi.com) is definitely at the top of my list.
The ZEPHYR departs daily from 10-5pm at Pier 16, South Street Seaport in downtown Manhattan. Once on board grab a soft drink, a beer, or glass of wine from the cash bar, find a comfortable seat on deck, relax and enjoy the ride. Highlights include spectacular views of the Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines, the newly erected Freedom Tower at One World Trade Center, Ellis and Governor’s Islands, and of course the Statue of Liberty.
Photo opportunities abound, especially of Lady Liberty, but I would have to say I was most excited over my shots of the Brooklyn Bridge. The ZEPHYR goes directly under it giving photography enthusiasts some pretty awesome angles to capture the structure. Not only were photo ops fantastic, but so was our tour guide Heidi. A native New Yorker from Brooklyn, she kept us entertained with interesting stories about the city, funny one-liners, and loads of historical facts. She was also upbeat and agreeable to take pictures of tourists and made a point to add in a few selfies.
At $30 a ticket The ZEPHYR is well worth the one hour ride, but if it’s a bit steep for your budget check out on-line discounts. I actually scoffed my seat up for only 16 bucks! The New York Water Taxi offers a variety of other jaunts around the island as well, including a hop on hop off route. Reservations are required in advance.
- Andrea Muller
The Zephyr
89 South Street, Pier 16
New York, NY 10038
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