Adventures on the Staten Island Ferry

On Sunday, City Smart Teens braved the open seas and set off on the Staten Island Ferry in search of new social and culinary adventures. For many, it was their first time on the ferry, and the excitement grew as the group waited to board the giant orange vessel. Once on board, we made our way to the starboard side and along with dozens of other passengers, found a position at one of the many large windows. From this new vantage point, the group was able to look out over the ferry terminal and the boat traffic busily moving back and forth below. There wasn’t a cloud to be seen, and the blue skies set a picturesque backdrop for downtown Manhattan, which seemed to glisten in the midday sun. Finally, the captain sounded the horns and the ferry pushed off from the terminal and onwards towards Staten Island. We were on our way!

The ferry ride to Staten Island took about 25 minutes, but time seemed to flash by as the group took in the sights and sounds of the busy waterway, including an impressive up-close view of the Statue of Liberty. City Smart Teens aptly pointed out that from our location we were looking out towards the coastline of New Jersey. All were excited to see the Coast Guard ships that buzzed around protecting the ferries, and especially for the fact that one came up close to our ship and waved to the passengers who had been enjoying the show. As we got closer to our destination, the group began to wonder out loud about what we would discover on Staten Island, and most importantly, what would be for lunch?

Thankfully, the ferry terminal on Staten Island provided the group with numerous food options and plenty of outdoor seating and spots to look out over the water. We even discovered a large garden that had been installed on the roof of a nearby train station. Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the ferry so that we could catch a ride back to Manhattan. The group decided to switch things up this time and found outdoor seating for the return trip, which provided clearer (albeit colder) views. The large buildings of downtown Manhattan seemed to grow larger and larger as we approached our destination, Whitehall Terminal.

Since there was extra time after the group returned, a plan was hatched to explore the nearby Battery City Park, where we found flowers and trees in full bloom and many tourists and locals bustling about enjoying the spring Sunday. We even found a large World War II monument right along the water. With all these new experiences under their belt, City Smart Teens certainly made the most out of their Sunday adventure...and now will look forward to more fun and friendship yet to come!