The NYC Ferry is now offering travel guides that will change the way you see the city

In many instances, taking the NYC ferry is the fastest way to get around the city, especially if you want to reach places along the waterfront that don’t have fast and easy access to a train line. 

But unless you’re an architecture and history buff, chances are you’re passing lots of buildings and neighborhood with landmarks you don’t know that much about. Luckily, the NYC Ferry says it wants to make sure you get the most fun and knowledge out of your next ride: The nautical New York institution just released travel guides with information on some of the most iconic spots you’ll pass along your commute.

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NYC Ferry’s travel guide page, you’ll be able to scroll through pages dedicated to each route, where you’ll see a picture of each landmark accompanied by a paragraph on information and history about that landmark. Below each explanation, you’ll also be able to see how far of a walking distance each each landmark is from its corresponding ferry stop. You can choose the route that you’re going to take and download your desired map as a PDF. Each has numbers that mark where landmarks are.

Some of the highlights on the travel guides include the Federal Hall National Memorial, where George Washington was inaugurated as president; the SeaGlass Carousel, a whimsical art exhibit; and Castle Williams on Governors Island, a former fort meant to defend New York City. 

Not only is taking the ferry a cool and more unique way of sightseeing, it’s hella cheap. Riding the NYC ferry costs as much as riding the subway, or $2.90 per ride, compared to $30 or more on a formal guided boat tour.  

Before this, if you wanted to do a self-guided tour on the ferry, you’d have to figure out the right stops and distance to different attractions from the ferry dock on your own.

You can start your NYC adventure right here.