New York City Travel Forum

During our stay early July we want to visit Staten Island.
I already found information about the (free) ferry between Manhattan and Staten Island.

Would it be possible travelling by bus from Manhattan to the Ferry Terminal on Staten Island ??
- which bus(es) do we have to take ??
(we are staying in Chelsea - 318 West 20th Street)
- how long will the bus ride take ??


Thanks a lot

Take the subway instead, it will get you there quicker. Take the number 1 train to South Ferry and look for Staten Island ferry sign. Have fun.

Thank you for your quick reply.
It isn't a matter of 'quicker'; just want to see something different from New York by using a public bus (if possible).

agree this is one trip best handled by subway.

Are you saying it is not possible to go by bus from Manhattan to Staten Island 9ferry terminal)??

the nearest bus stop is about 2-3 blocks away, the 15 from the east side and undoubtedly another bus from the west side. The 1 subway goes directly to the ferry terminal. The bus trip is not particularly interesting and really slow.

I live on Staten Island. Yes, it is possible, of course, to go to the S.I. Ferry terminal, on S.I., by bus, but why would you want to? It is not scenic at all, and you may have to take a total of 3 buses (with alot of waiting time in between). If you already have a hotel on the West Side of Manhattan, then take a very short walk to 7 Ave for the #1 local to South Ferry (last stop; you can't sleep through it). Don't forget to sit in the first 5 cars of the train. It stops directly underneath the Ferry terminal (called Whitehall, on the Manhattan side). On Saturday and Sunday evenings, after 7 or so, the Ferry only runs once an hour, as opposed to every 30 minutes. Enjoy.

What I'm looking for is a bus ride from Manhattan to Staten Island and back by ferry.

You're making a simple fast and straightforward direction complicated for yourself. Listen to the natives.

from midtown NYC, you could spend over an hour not allowing for traffic on an express bus to Staten Island. Unfortunately, none of them go near the ferry terminal because nobody would take a bus from Manhattan to get there. Then you can transfer to a local bus which runs north to the ferry. All in all, approaching two hours. Please, take the subway.

Thank you all for your answers.

I just was looking for an alternative to see the Statue of Liberty and the skyline of Manhattan and not using the ferry twice.

I'm still not sure what to do.

if you want a long bus ride to somewhere less frequently visited, take the bus to the north end of Manhattan and see the Cloisters

the Ferry ride is 25 minutes long, and about 8 miles as the crow flies. Take the Ferry from Manhattan, take your photos in front of the Statue of Liberty, then take the very same Ferry back from S.I. (after walking through the inside of the terminal, and boarding the same Ferry) to Manhattan. Then take the 4 or 5 train 1 stop to Borough Hall, Brooklyn, or the N or R, and walk West towards Manhattan. You will be walking through ritzy Brooklyn Heights, and you will end up on the fashionable Promenade. The wondrous overhang affords uninterrupted views of the Verrazano Bridge (to the South), Governor's Island, faraway Bayonne Bridge, all of lower Manhattan, looking North to the 3 consecutive Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges, respectively. If weather and time allow, walk back to Borough Hall, then north to the Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian path. Don't kill yourself and waste your time on a boring commuter ride on the gridlocked Gowanus Expressway, from which you'll only see warehouses and fast food billboards!!

Are you wanting to drive all the way TOO Staten Island? If so...don't waste your time! The ferry ride is beautiful! i usually take guests on the ferry so the can sneak a peak of the Statue of Liberty and a great view of the NYC cityscape!

Buses are very slow. I would maybe suggest trying to use buses when going to see things on the East side of the city. The crosstown busses are much quicker and easier to figure out than the down/uptown buses.

agree with footstool...the brooklyn promenad is perfect!