I assume it is enclosed? I've read reports where they say it is cool and breezy even in summer. Will I freeze on it next week?

You can be inside or outside - your choice (which will depend on the weather, of course)

The feries are enormous - hold more than 600 people each - and there are both inside and outside areas. Next week you will freeze anywhere in the city (tonight the low will be 15 with a wind chill below zero - and considerbly colder out in the harbor). Hope you have a heavy coat, hat, gloves, scarf and waterproof booties.

Thanks. Sounds very cold. Maybe I will pass on this and focus on inside things like museums and shopping.

The weather should be warmer toward the end of the week. If you get a sunny day and will be touring downtown anyway, the ferry ride will be a quick hour with good views of downtown Manhattan, the harbor, and the Statue of Liberty. Since it's free and runs feequently, you can decide once you see how the weather will be.

The Staten Island Ferry is a 'don't miss' in my book; I hope you take the ride. Be aware though, that you have to disembark once you arrive on Staten Island and reboard the ferry to ride back to Manhattan. Bundle up, it's really cold these days!

Actually, the ferries used during the week carry between 3,500 and 6,000 people. I grew up in Staten Island, so I've ridden the boats countless thousands of times.

IMHO, the best spot to stand when leaving Manhattan in the very back of the boat. The view builds as you pull away from the city.

If on the "old boats" the one's with the uncovered outdoor area on the port and starboard side, then the best spot to be will be on the right side of the middle deck. In fact, it's probably not a bad spot regardless of the boat. If you're on the newer boats (and new for a long time person from SI are boats that came into service 25 years ago) the tourist crowd will sometimes stand at the windows on the upper deck, outside area. (The area is covered and enclosed)

Best bet for unobstructed view are the seats along the windows on the right as you leave Manhattan. Once past the Statue of Liberty, you might want to walk towards the left side as you'll get a nice view of the Narrows and the Verrazano bridge.

Ellenem says it's free. Is that really so?

Everyone says it's free! (it is)

It definitely is free!

Years ago there was a minor fee for the ferry, always at a much lower rate than regular bus and subway fares. The ferry fare was entirely eliminated in 1997. At that time the ferry fare was 50 cents (in one direction only) while the subway fare was $1.50.

According to the NYC Dept of Transportation website: "Ending the fare on the Staten Island Ferry allows Staten Islanders, many of whom had to pay two or even three fares, to reach Manhattan without an additional fare."

The ferry used to carry vehicles as well, but that was discontinued after September 11, 2001.