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July 22, 2009

New Ferry Service Between Brooklyn and Guvs Island!

pier-6-from-water-0709.jpg
In about half an hour, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will hold a press conference on the waterfront to announce the creation of a new water taxi dock on Pier 6 that will provide direct ferry service between the park and Governors Island. Having had to shlepp to lower Manhattan last Sunday to access the island, we're pretty freakin' psyched about this news! On the jump, check out a current photo of how the park construction is proceeding on Pier 6, click through below.

pier-6-0709.jpg




Posted by Brownstoner at 9:31 AM | Comments (19)
Categories: Parks

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ha! that is awesome. but did you see the new water taxi beach on governor's island? as well as the new water taxi beach at the south street sea port? ugh. the original water taxi beach on long island city was actually fun with djs, drinking allowed (i believe), food definitely allowed on the beach, smoking allowed, and no kids. the two new water taxi beaches are like glorified pre-school sandboxes. no food/drink allowed in, no smoking anywhere in the vicinity (which im fine with btw, but it definitely skews the crowd to a more family oriented type which is definitely not as fun). two thumbs down for the two new water taxi beaches.

i do want to get on this ferry tho! woo woo is it free?

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at July 22, 2009 9:36 AM

Where is Pier 6?

Posted by: boroughbred at July 22, 2009 9:45 AM

You dont have to shlepp to lower Manhattan.
Just pick the right day.

http://www.govisland.com/Visit_the_Island/directions.asp

Posted by: jasetheace at July 22, 2009 9:56 AM

Pier 6 is end of Atlantic Avenue...probably for many brooklyn people more of a shlepp than ferry terminal in lower manhattan
--which you are making to sound far away.

Posted by: Petebklyn at July 22, 2009 10:08 AM

this is great. the island has gotten increasingly popular & crowded the last couple years, and the waits for the ferry have gotten longer. this little bit of convenience for brooklyn residents will go a long way.

Posted by: janelle at July 22, 2009 10:13 AM

Rob, you're describing the difference between a clean beach and a dirty beach, unfortunately. It sucks though when they have to eliminate fun to not have a dump.

Posted by: Nomi at July 22, 2009 10:40 AM

The brooklyn ferry left from Fulton Ferry landing on most saturdays. I hope this new one goes friday, saturday, and sunday.

Posted by: Guvna at July 22, 2009 10:41 AM

We've been enjoying Gov Island recently, especially biking around Picnic Point, (and getting to the Whitehall ferry in Manhattan isn't that big a deal if you splurge and rent a bike on the island instead of schlepping your own through the subway). The place is a delight, a sort of happy Twilight Zone, even with (or perhaps because of) the tentative and half-baked amenities and services available. But as I read about the ambitious plans unfolding to increase visitorship, I suspect we've been enjoying a brief calm before the inevitable storm, when (like everything cool in NYC) the venue becomes a victim of its own success and a Darwinian contest to psych out the lines and the crowds (i.e. the Soup Nazi paradigm). My advice: Go NOW, before it becomes a New York "tradition" to get on line for the ferry at 5 a.m. and wait 3 hours for a free hammock.

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at July 22, 2009 10:51 AM

A ferry from Atlantic Ave? That'd be amazing. When does it start?

Posted by: alsawo at July 22, 2009 11:16 AM


"tentative and half-baked amenities and services available."

Any examples? I'm curious to hear from someone who 's been there recently. I'm thinking of checking it out. I'm planning to bring my own bike, which I can ride to Pier 6 or to the Whitehall ferry. Anyone know if they will they let me take a bike onto the ferry?

Posted by: East New York at July 22, 2009 11:16 AM

Yes, you can take a bike on the ferry.

Posted by: alsawo at July 22, 2009 11:21 AM

You can absolutely bring your own bike onto the ferry, and renting one is $10/hr or so (they're nice basic bikes in good shape, though, and helmets are available, too). There are a few food carts, a nice if high-priced homestyle Caribbean food stand on the south end (you wouldn't know it was down there until you got thee), and the "beach" thing which we didn't check out; there are Port-o-Sans around the island and real rest rooms in the base near the ferry along with a small gift shop and ranger station (and water fountains with signs that say "WATER NOT POTABLE"; at least they no longer work, last year they did, and my daughter drank from one greedily before we intervened and explained what "potable" meant. She survived, although the water apparently is pumped through the Battery Tunnel or something. So--Poland Spring, people.) Best bet: bring a picnic. The NY Times did a good job evoking the vibe and describing the services in their article last Sunday in Metro (or whatever the poor section is called now).

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at July 22, 2009 11:22 AM


Thanks, Brenda!

Posted by: East New York at July 22, 2009 11:36 AM

Actually Brooklyn Based/Brooklyn Ron scooped this new service a few weeks ago: http://brooklynbased.net/everything/island-getaways/

So, we took his advice and went to Governors Island on the July 4th weekend by way of the free water taxi ferry from Fulton Ferry Landing. Once on the island, we didn't wander very far from the pier in order to set down a spread for a picnic. But we had our choice of luscious spots on a grassy knoll overlooking NY harbor. It was delightful! People strolling, biking, sightseeing, picnicking and just celebrating the holiday all relaxed and cheerful. On what is typically a rather raucous weekend, you felt like you were in the City and not in the City all at once. I agree with Brenda -- quiet enjoyment of this still-undiscovered green treasure ain't likely to last much longer.

Posted by: Brooklynista at July 22, 2009 12:33 PM

Pier 6? So they're going to run the Governor's Island ferry from the end of the park farthest from public transportation options? Sounds like typically excellent Brooklyn planning! Maybe the One Brooklyn Bridge Park shuttle won't mind giving us a lift from the subway...

Posted by: Beau Guest at July 22, 2009 12:51 PM

Just to be clear - the "new service" is the Pier 6 water taxi dock. I'm guessing it won't be open until next year along with the rest of Pier 6.

The existing service from Fulton Ferry Landing has been running this summer on random weekend days. (The official line is that it operates whenever there's a special event on the island, but since there seems to be such an event every single weekend day, I find the schedule to be essentially random.)

Brooklyn Heights Blog summarized the open questions: whether the new service will replace or supplement the existing service, and whether the new one will be free as is the existing ferry.

Posted by: NorthHeights at July 22, 2009 12:52 PM

On the governor's island website (address above)it states that the ferry goes regularly from the Fulton Ferry Landing (not Pier 6) on Saturday and Sundays; unfortunately no service Friday from Brooklyn. There's a schedule for the Brooklyn ferry and the Manhattan one on the website.

Posted by: coppermaven at July 22, 2009 2:23 PM

This is awesome for all of us Cobble Hill residents. A nice short bike ride to Pier 6 and off we go. I just hope there's no parking on Pier 6 or else you'll have a nasty traffic jam there.

Posted by: contempt at July 23, 2009 3:47 AM

The Brooklyn ferry service varies each weekend. It is usually just Saturday, but it didn't run from Brooklyn at all 2 weekends ago. This weekend, it is running both days. You have to check the schedule for each upcoming weekend at
http://www.govisland.com/Visit_the_Island/directions.asp

Posted by: fultonferryres at July 23, 2009 10:54 PM

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