The last weekend of Governor's Island

It took me 5 months to make it out to Governor's Island. I'm ashamed that I went on the last weekend of it being open for this season, which was the weekend of October 9th & 10th, but it was so hot this past summer I just couldn't make it outside unless it was to go grocery shopping (Governor's Island opens sometime in early June).

I went with a friend for Oktoberfest but the event was at capacity by the time we got there so we settled for a beer and a walk along Water Taxi Beach. While there I enjoyed the views of Lower Manhattan and the Jersey City skyline across the Hudson River.

There were also great views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, along with glimpses of cruise ships, sailboats and water taxis passing by.

And it is a quick 7 minute ferry ride from the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan (by the Staten Island ferry terminal). I hope to make it out there more often next summer and fall...

View of Lower Manhattan across the Hudson River


View of Lower Manhattan and the Jersey City skyline from Water Taxi Beach


There are bicycles for rent or you can bring your own to Governor's Island


Interesting street names along the promenade


An empty, historical house on the island


Old cannons at Fort Jay

Kayaking on the Hudson River

For the 4th time this Summer/Fall I went kayaking in hopes of some great photo opps. Back in July I first went at 72nd Street in the Upper West Side with Downtown Boathouse. It is free and you just walk up, sign up, grab a life jacket, take off your shoes, put your belongings in a locker and wait your turn in one of the kayaks on the dock. I'd never been kayaking before but last Fall I went canoeing in Central Park by the Boathouse and thanks to that previous experience I sort of had the hang of it.

About 2 months later when it cooled off some friends and I went again down to Pier 40 off of West Houston Street and the West Side Highway. Again, it was free with no reservations and you could just walk up and wait to get into a kayak. While kayaking in the cool weather, we wished we had our cameras on board with us to take pictures of the fantastic view of Jersey City across the river from us, and of Lower Manhattan/Battery Park City below us.

When we ventured out to Astoria to kayak at Hallet's Cove (located off the 30th Ave or Broadway stops on the NQ subway line, by Socrates Sculpture Park), we came better prepared to take pictures. We had plastic baggies to keep in our pockets and save until we were steady in the water and ready to snap a shot of the nearby Roosevelt Island and Carl Schurz Park just across the East River. This kayaking is also free (donations are welcome) and is put on by volunteers with the L.I.C. Community Boathouse.

Here's the view from kayaking in Hallet's Cove:

View towards the beach and shore at Hallet's Cove in Astoria

View toward Midtown Manhattan - Empire State Building and Chrysler Buildings

It was a cold and gray day though, so I wasn't crazy about the pictures but still determined to kayak with my camera again.

So last weekend we visited Pier 40 again and along with our cameras took pictures from the kayak. We saw sailboats, cruise ships, yellow water taxis and even little motor boats go by several times, which created a quite a wake. We also took fun pictures of each other (see agent j loves agent a's flickr photos from this time around).

The view of Jersey City from Pier 40

My friends kayaking near the esplanade

The view toward Lower Manhattan and Battery Park City

*Free kayaking at with Downtown Boathouse at Piers 40, 96 and 72nd Street ends Sunday, October 17th.

A visit to Battery Park City

After visiting Ground Zero on September 11th, I decided that instead of going home to watch a movie and relax, I would finally stop by Battery Park. I've been meaning to stop by there for a while—I've only been there 3 times in the last 4 years so I took the opportunity to revisit.

I started at Bowling Green (because that's where the subway is) and came across the Flags of Honor and Heroes and then walked down by the water to take in the view of the Statue of Liberty out on Liberty Island. I could also see Ellis Island, Liberty State Park in Jersey City and even the Colgate Clock (I out in Jersey City as well (I always wonder why that thing is there!).

As I walked up the esplanade, along the water heading north toward the North Cove Marina and The World Financial Center, the Statue of Liberty stayed within my view. There wasn't a moment when I wasn't amazed by everything surrounding me. The beautiful Jersey City skyline, the sparking light on the Hudson River, the butterflies in the bushes, the many secluded park spaces and the cool, random sightings along the way, like a guy riding what I believe was a cupcake bicycle.

Passageway by the esplanade


View of the Statue of Liberty



The Jersey City skyline

Jersey City views from West Street

On my way to a free kayaking session at Pier 40, put on by downtownboathouse.org, I had to stop along the way to take in the perfect view of Jersey City and Hoboken from my spot on the esplanade. All along West Street, just west of the West Village, you can get amazing views of the sparkling Hudson River and New Jersey across the way and even some of Lower Manhattan and Battery Park City below you.

It was a cool end-of-summer day when I went over Labor Day weekend to do some kayaking out on the Hudson, but it was windy and the waves carried me around the water, giving my arms more of a work-out every time the kayak went out of bounds!

There is also free kayaking out in Astoria off of Socrates Sculpture Park: www.licboathouse.org.

Enjoy!

View toward Jersey City and Hoboken

The Goldman Sachs Tower in Jersey City plus surrounding businesses

View towards Lower Manhattan

Hudson River, Pier 66 Maritime

I traveled from Mid-Chelsea to the edge of Manhattan and out to Pier 66 to take some pictures of Jersey City and the Hudson River. I last went out there in March for the Fountain Art Fair and it was very cold out on the water.

It was windy and sunny so it was hard to see anything or to even stand still (the winds were powerful enough to blow you a few feet away!) but I managed to spot the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, as well as some buildings in lower Manhattan and Weekhawken, NJ.

From there I had lunch at The Frying Pan, an historic lightship docked on Pier 66 Maritime that serves as a sort of dive bar/seasonal bar and grill with a tiki bar. In March when I attended the Fountain Art Fair that took place on the ship, I could feel the boat rocking from the wind and water, and it did the same when I was out there on this windy May day!!


View of Jersey City, the Goldman Sachs Tower and the Statue of Liberty
(to the left of the tower)


View towards Midtown and the Empire State Building


Park on Pier 66, view towards New Jersey


View toward Chelsea Piers from the dock of The Frying Pan


The John J. Harvey fireboat, situated next to The Frying Pan, formerly of the FDNY.

The CRRNJ in Liberty State Park

For travel between Manhattan and New Jersey, as well as to Ellis Island, the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal (CRRNJ) was built in 1889. Today it is mostly used for recreational purposes—a station for ferries full of tourists and maybe a local commuting here and there.

The Earth Day 2010 celebration took place inside the terminal and out on the lawn surrounding it. There were lots of families there partaking in activities, eating funnel cake and watching a concert that was going on. I was there mainly for the views though!


The CRRNJ


Inside the terminal


Spring flowers and an old train parked in the background


Events taking place in the park

"... the largest human migration in modem history and is a memorial to the immigrant experience.

Ellis and Liberty Islands share this important era in American history with the CRRNJ Terminal. Millions of immigrants, having been greeted by the Statue and processed at Ellis Island, traveled to their new homes via trains from the CRRNJ Terminal. - www.libertystatepark.org

Views from Liberty State Park

Last weekend I went out to Liberty State Park in Jersey City for the Earth Day 2010 event. I took the PATH, then the Hudson-Bergen light rail, then a shuttle bus–and it all took quite a while! But along the way there were amazing views of the city skyline, the Statue of Liberty and its close neighbor, Ellis Island. It amazes me every time I see these famous places and sites. I've been out to Jersey City nearly every other weekend lately, just to take it all in.

Manhattan Skyline—mostly downtown and Battery Park City


View towards Ellis Island (and the Statue of Liberty is hidden behind it)


You can see the top of the Empire State Building over the hill




View toward Midtown Manhattan and the Empire State Building

Out in Jersey City

Twice recently I have visited Jersey City—once for work and once to visit the Jersey City Museum and some galleries. It was my first time back in the Garden State since flying out of Newark back in '07.

During work I viewed some furnished apartments located near Jersey City's waterfront and got to see a little bit of the neighborhood. These apartments have THE BEST views of Manhattan. Even the sun decks present an unrivaled sight of the Empire State Building and downtown/Battery Park City.

During a gallery tour I got to see all of the beautiful brownstones along Montgomery Street, and people watch in Van Vorst Park while on my way to the Jersey City Museum.

Jersey City is a unique place, with great views, lots of mom-and-pop establishments and definitely more fresh air than there is in the city!

Next stop, Hoboken!

View of Downtown Manhattan from inside Riverside at
Towers of America, an apartment building at 1 River Court.


View of the Goldman Sachs Tower from the J. Owen Gundy Park.


View from the sun deck at Marbella, an apartment building
at 425 Washington Blvd.


View of Manhattan and the Empire State Building from
Jersey City's waterfront walkway


Grove Street in Jersey City, near the Grove Street PATH Station