My husband and I periodically travel to NYC for medical appts at Union Square. These are usually day trips. We like to combine it with an interesting meal and new experience. We have gotten excellent suggestions on this forum.

This Thursday is another day trip and I am interested in outdoor activity - thinking about Staten Island ferry. We have previously walked in Central Park, across the Brooklyn Bridge, Cloisters, High Line, and 9/11 Memorial. We will have approximately from 12:30 - 6:00 PM until we have to be back at Penn Station. Anything of interest to combine with ferry in that area? I will leave Ellis Is for another time. Will probably have lunch before heading to Battery Park.

Thanks for any ideas,
Lottie

There's a lot of stuff going on downtown these days if you are interested in that. The 9/11 Memorial is a completely different place now that it's open to the public and not hidden behind walls. It's not nearly as austere or, frankly, depressing. And the new subway station and mall are open downtown (as is the new Saks 5th at Brookfield Place). That area is becoming a really lively area now.

The Museum of Jewish Heritage is also really great if you have time and the interest, and it's not a long walk from the Staten Island Ferry terminal.

On SI itself, the St. George area, while a bit crazy with construction, is certainly worth a bit of your time. You could take a bus ride to see the Chinese Scholar's Garden at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center. It's not the kind of thing you might expect to find in Staten Island. And the Yankees have their minor-league ballpark there right near the ferry.

I would explore the Brooklyn Bridge park and piers. You can take a short ferry ride over.

We enjoyed a tour of Federal Hall.

Federal Hall is very interesting. It's one of my favorite spots in lower Manhattan.

Trinity Church and its cemetery, with some famous inhabitants, is also interesting, one block away, up Wall St.

The Museum of the American Indian, on Whitehall St. in the Customs House, is free and worth a look around.

If you haven't yet seen the new transportation hub at the WTC, the architecture is quite spectacular.

The walkway along the Hudson River is enjoyable on a nice day.

And if you want another quick ferry ride, Governors Island is definitely worth a visit.

Thank you all. The transportation hub at WTC interests me since seeing it featured on Sunday Morning TV program. Glad to also find out about all the other options.Very helpful, I appreciate the help.

Walk over to the Irish Hunger Memorial, too:

http://bpcparks.org/whats-here/parks...nger-memorial/

The Irish Hunger memorial is currently closed. You can peer up into it, but it's all roped off. Not sure how much longer that will be.