Seeing Manhattan from the water: the Circle Line Cruise
My very first “housewarming” gift in New York City was a copy of The Best Things to Do in New York. It’s been an awesome resource in an overwhelming city for the tried-and-true tourist spots, quirky festivals and neighborhoods that are worth a wander.
When it came to the Circle Line Cruise, the book’s authors asserted that “of all the traditional tourist attractions, this is one that plenty of New Yorkers agree is a pretty great thing to do, and unlike some other famous activities, something that many have actually done themselves.”
I figured it would be the perfect please-everybody activity for Friendsgiving fun, including an East Coast native who lives in DC but visits New York City regularly and a California girl on her first visit to the Big Apple. Jenna, Kate and I hopped on the boat with a box of coffee and a bottle of Bailey’s: key to keeping warm on the chilly outside deck!
We took the Semi-Circle 2-Hour Cruise that left at 4 p.m.: perfect winter timing to see the skyline with a backdrop of blue skies, sunset clouds and the stars.
It was a gorgeously different perspective of the Financial District…
and sunset over the Statue of Liberty…
and her Lady Liberty standing proudly next to Ellis Island…
and the many bridges of Manhattan.
Instead of walking across, we cruised under the Brooklyn Bridge…
and next to the iconic Pepsi-Cola sign in Long Island…
and the industrial waterfront of Williamsburg.
When the sun set, the lights came on in New Jersey…
and the Financial District.
I’m never one for super “touristy” tours, but I absolutely loved this trip around Manhattan! It was an incredible way to see the Manhattan skyline from a totally different perspective, and it was timed perfectly to see a stunning New York sunset without all the buildings in the way. If you’re visiting New York City for the first or hundredth time, the Circle Line cruise is something you have to do at least once.
Note: I took the Circle Line cruise free of charge, thanks to complimentary New York CityPASS ticket booklets (which I’ll be writing about soon!).
