Fodor's Expert Review Staten Island Ferry

Some 70,000 people ride the free ferry daily to Staten Island, one of the city's five boroughs, and you too can join them for the city's most scenic commute. Without paying a cent, you get phenomenal views of the Lower Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island during the 25-minute cruise across New York Harbor. You also pass tugboats, freighters, and cruise ships—a reminder that this is very much still a working harbor. The ferry sails every 15–30 minutes (24 hours a day, 365 days a year) from the Whitehall Terminal at Whitehall and South Streets, near the east end of Battery Park. You must disembark once you reach the opposite terminal, but you can just get back in line to board again if you don't plan to stay. A small concession stand on each ferry sells a few snacks and beverages (including beer).