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New York Water Taxi From Lower Manhattan
to Haverstraw, N.Y.
by Billie Cohen, New York Times, January 5, 2008
A FLUID RIDE One of the New York Water Taxi routes goes from Pier 11, at
the lower end of Manhattan, along the Hudson, stopping at Yonkers, N.Y.
and Haverstraw, N.Y.
RIDING TO WORK Commuters disembark at Pier 11.
Vinnie Wilson is a brave man — brave or insane. I hadn’t decided which,
as we clambered up the steps of the New York Water Taxi’s
Yonkers/Haverstraw ferry, to sit shivering and windblown on the top
deck. It was brain-numbingly cold outside last night, and even colder on
the Hudson River, where the water was much smoother than I expected and
the lights of the city much brighter, crisper and more beautiful than
I’ve ever seen.
We lasted about 10 minutes up on the deck before succumbing to the cold
and going back inside to warm up, where Mr. Wilson and I talked about
his atypical commute. “I like my job,” Mr. Wilson said, as we gazed at
the red, white and green lights of the
Empire State Building. “Now I enjoy my commute as much as I enjoy my
job.”
Mr. Wilson moved to Yonkers from the
Bronx in 2005 to buy his own place — he owns a condo on the newly
redeveloped Yonkers waterfront — and to escape the overcrowded No.
5-train commute he’d been suffering. “I moved to be near Metro-North,”
he said. But soon after the Yonkers ferry service started in May 2007,
he became a devoted fan.
He’s not the only one onboard who has an unusually fond attachment to
their daily commute. The small group of Haverstraw regulars, about 6 to
10 people who travel by ferry from Rockland County every day, cannot
praise it enough.
Before the ferry service began going from Haverstraw in September,
residents of the area had few options for getting to the city, and they
all involved complicated combinations of car, bus, train and subway.
Now, they can park for free, then sit back in spacious chairs, watch the
flat-screen TVs, or catch up with their friends. The latter option
seemed to be the most popular.
“I always emphasize the camaraderie,” said Alberto Flores, a Haverstraw
regular who works in the Financial District. “Everyone has different
backgrounds, but here, we’re all friends.”
On what other commute do your fellow riders bring you bagels in the
morning, in addition to the taxi’s own complimentary coffee, pastry and
fruit service, or organize on-board happy hours on Friday evenings? In
fact, Mr. Flores added, some nonregulars make it a point to be on the
Friday boat just to partake in the food and drink their friends pick up
for the ride home — hors d’oeuvres, heroes, beers and homemade wine made
by Lou Ferriello, a fellow commuter.
And the socializing isn’t restricted to the ferry. About once a month,
the friends will grab dinner together; they e-mail during the week, and
they even invited each other to holiday parties last month. For those of
us who don’t speak to anyone on our commute other than to grunt, “Excuse
me,” as we’re pushing past, these impromptu but genuine friendships are
a marvel. People aren’t supposed to be this nice, are they?
Chatting with Lou Ferriello, Tony Suazo and Mr. Flores — who usually sit
in the same seats every day, so much so that Mr. Ferriello points behind
him when he mentions one of their group, Phil, who’s still on vacation
this week — I immediately feel part of the gang. They assure me,
laughing, that there’s no hazing process, and that the only requirement
is to live in the Haverstraw/Yonkers area and to be a regular rider of
the ferry, of course. Indeed, Lou is actively trying to recruit more
passengers.
New York Water Taxi has already suspended its East River service for the
winter due to high fuel costs and low ridership, and the discounted
ticket prices that were offered as part of the Haverstraw route’s
inauguration just ended in December. The regulars are huge advocates of
their new mode of travel and don’t want to see it end. In an effort
that’s a mix of self-preservation and loyalty, they want to get more
people hooked.
Mr. Suazo admitted that the ferry commute is more expensive; it costs
him $100 more a month than his former route, but he prefers it. “I’ve
driven, I’ve taken trains and this has to be the most relaxed commute,”
said the former Hoboken resident, who moved to Stony Point, a few miles
from Haverstraw, 22 years ago to have a family and, as he put it, a
better quality of life. “You park the car and you get on — you don’t
have to rush.” (He’s even been known to ask the crew to hold the boat
for a few minutes if Mr. Ferriello calls him to say he’s running late.)
“And my favorite joke is that as the sun is coming up over
Westchester, if you squint it looks like sunset in Maui,” he said,
laughing. “You really have to squint.”
At a Glance
New York Water Taxi launched ferry service to and from Yonkers in May
2007, then added Haverstraw to that route in September 2007 after
Rockland County made a request for water transportation. New York Water
Taxi won the contract and will hold it until May 2009.
Trivia
Many buildings in
New York City were constructed with bricks manufactured in
Haverstraw, which has a history of brickmaking dating back to the 18th
century.
Where It Goes
Ferries leave from Pier 11 at Wall Street, making a stop at the World
Financial Center before heading up the Hudson to Yonkers (about 45
minutes) and then Haverstraw (another 45 minutes). Four boats serve
Yonkers; and two of those go on to Haverstraw. Along the way you’ll see
views of
Manhattan, the Palisades and as one of the regulars joked, “the
traffic you’re missing on the Tappan-Zee Bridge.”
Cost
Fares between Haverstraw and Lower Manhattan are $15 one way, $130 for
10 trips and $450 for 40 trips. Fares between Yonkers and Lower
Manhattan are $12 one way, $110 for 10 trips and $400 for 40 trips.
Parking in Haverstraw is free, and in Yonkers it’s $40 for the first
month and $70 a month after that (daily parking is $10).
Strategies
Don’t worry about grabbing a coffee on your way to the boat — there’s
complimentary joe, pastries and fruit onboard every morning and a free
beer or soda on the way home on Friday nights. The Haverstraw regulars
also organize a Friday evening happy hour with snacks and drinks, so get
to know those guys.
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