I've been to New York many times but never taken the Staten Island Ferry. Would you recommend this as an activity on a free morning during an upcoming visit (5 days) to Manhattan? Are there places to have lunch near the dock? Any recommndations would be appreciated. Many thanks.

As long as the weather cooperates it's a fun activity - seeing the Statue of Liberty fairly close up - but even better - seeing the downtown skyline get larger and larger as you approach Manhattan.

Can't reco any specific places to eat nearby.

There are a few restaurants close by the Ferry, like Fraunces TAvern just 2 blocks away. It is the oldest restaurant in the US, and upstairs is a museum you might enjoy seeing.

There are a few other restaurants in the area and alot of fast food.

Have a fun visit.

The main reason to ride the SI ferry is to see the Statue of Liberty (for free) without spending hours in line for the official ferry. If you haven't seen the statue in a while, the SI ferry is fun and free.

There are now lots of other boat/cruise options including the nywatertaxi.com hop on/off service on weekends, shearwatersailing.com ,
sail-ny.com , nywaterway.com as well as the circleline.com cruises that are also fun but not free.

Thanks for all your comments. I'm hoping that the showers they are predicting don't materialize - at least on my way to Staten Island.

We loved out trip on the Staten Island ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. When we went April 2007 it was freezing cold but thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and took some great photo's of the statue and the Manhattan skyline.

I always take friends who are visiting NY for a ride on the ferry. Great scenery, fun ride and you can't beat the price. I also like the fact that it's a great experience, but it doesn't take all day.

While there are some places near there to eat, it's a short cab ride to Chinatown or the South Street Seaport if you want to eat somewhere that might be more fun and an experience itself.