Traveling to Manhattan from Staten Island is easy. There are couple of ways to get there. The first and free way is the Staten Island Ferry. Another way to cross is You could drive across the Verrazano bridge to Brooklyn, then the Brooklyn bridge to Manhattan. Or could use the Goethals, Outerbridge Crossing, or Bayonne bridges to New Jersey. After you are in New Jersey you could take the Path (train) or drive over one of the bridges.
The problem with driving is the tolls and parking. Tolls for any of the bridges starts at $6 for residents, and $11 for most people. That is not even the main cost, which is parking. Parking in Manhattan can be $20 per hour, and the traffic can be hard to navigate. The ferry is the cheapest, fastest and easiest way to go. On Sundays even the parking at Staten Island is free.
As I said before the ferry ride is free. Most tourists take the ferry from Manhattan to Staten Island. Many never leave the terminal then return back to Manhattan. Why would anyone take the ferry and never leave the terminal? The answer is The Statue of Liberty. You can get closer on a tour, or by private boat, but the view from the ferry is great. You can always tell who the tourist are, and first time riders. The flock to the side of the ferry where the Statue of liberty is.
The ferry run every 15 minuets during peak hours and 30-60 off time. And yes, is runs every day, 24 hours a day. If you are on Staten Island you can also take the SI Rail (Staten Island Rail). This runs across the island. There is a fee (only on the last two stops). However, if you still need to take the subway (or bus) once you reach Manhattan, your ticket will transfer over.
Once in downtown Manhattan (that is lower Manhattan) there are many things to do and see. A quick walk from the ferry station is the Charging Bull. Wall St. Twin Towers memorial, and the new Freedom Tower to name a few. Traveling to these are all a quick walk from the ferry. However, if you need to travel to upper Manhattan, I recommend the subway.
The Charging Bull is the symbol of a strong stock market. Just don’t try and ride the bull. There is usually NYPD around, and they may not like it. Wall St is the Financial District. Wall St is the financial capital of the United States. This is where stocks are traded.
The site where the twin towers once stood is now a memorial. Around where the building stood are the names etched in metal of all the individuals who lost their lives. The memorial is in the footprint of the twin towers. Also on the site is a museum dedicated to 911.
The new Freedom Tower is right next to the memorial, one of the two towers have been built, the second tower is still under construction.
This is only a small part of lower Manhattan. If you go to upper Manhattan there is Central Park, Broad Way, the Empire State Building, and much more. However, this will be covered another time. Thanks for Traveling to Manhattan from Staten Island with me, if you want to see more, please watch the video below.
