July 1-4, New York City, NY

As we motor out of the harbor at Manasquan, we go under the NJ railroad bridge which closes and opens every 15 minutes or so to let the commuter trains pass over during the evening and morning commute. Water temperature is now 69 degrees and the air temperature while underway is quite cool. We are wearing jackets again.

RR Bridge for commuter trains is very active.

Lots of commercial boats here.

Manasquan has a large commercial fishing fleet.

Blimp advertising Horizon Health.

Today we moved the last 30 miles north along the Jersey Shore and then under the Verazano Bridge into New York Harbor.

Approaching Verizano Narrows Bridge.
The Gateway to New York Harbor.

Tug pulls a big barge.

Fort Wadsworth, started in 1663, guards the narrows under the bridge.

Great view as we go under.

Very busy today with anchored ships in the harbor and a fair amount of large boat traffic. Always impressive as we enter NY Harbor and see Statue of Liberty, also the large buildings and have all the large boats moving around us.

Several tankers at anchor in NY Harbor.

Approaching downtown NYC.

Statten Island Ferries.

We pass the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island where our ancestors landed more than 100 years ago without knowing anyone.

Statue of Liberty.

Ellis Island.

Lower Manhattan from the Hudson.

Ferry terminal. Now unused.

We are staying at the Newport Marina in Jersey City, New Jersey, right across the Hudson River from the Wall Street area of Manhattan. There are lots of facilities here including the large Newport Mall, A Weston and a Marriott hotel, movie theaters and more than 15 restaurants. There are both a subway and ferry to NYC.

Jersey City is looking good.

Newport Marina.

NYC has been a nice stop. The first day we took the PATH train to Manhattan and toured Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

Owen liked this photo on a mirror, which involves the viewer as they walk by.

MoMA couryard is a nice space.

Then walked 5th Ave, then 57th Street, enjoyed a bench in Central Park, then walked 6th Ave back south to Broadway and Times Square.

Beautiful exterior of the prewar building on 6th Ave.
Petrossan.

New store with nothing but M&M candy and gear
near Times Square.

All M&M stuff. Busy place.
My guess is that the patrons think this is affordable and fresh.

Times Square is active in the early evening.

Famous spot where they 'drop the ball' for the New Year.

Dinner at Blue Fin and then saw the Broadway show 'Wicked'.

Second day we took the PATH again and walked Greenwich Village to Washington Square.

Washington Square arch and fountain.

Then down to Houston St. and Katz Deli (where 'Harry met Sally') for a hot pastrami sandwich for lunch. Great sandwich. Must be a half pound of meat. Then the Strand Bookstore and walked the Saturday 6th Ave flea market (from 14th Street to 23rd Street). Starting to get warm again.

Dan and Owen take in a Yankees game.
New Yankee Stadium in action.

Third day Katie and Dan, Ashley, Walker and Sidney arrive to help celebrate the 4th of July in NYC. Dan and Owen went to the Yankees game in the new stadium. Beautiful stadium. NY Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-6 in extra innings. Very hot in the sun.

Our view from the Newport Marina toward downtown.
World Trade Center was here.

Our view from the Newport Marina of Midtown.

Then back to the boat for the NYC - Macy's fireworks show over the Hudson River between 20th and 60th streets. Andy and Kim Spears and their children joined us along with Sean and Tina Fenniman and their three children. We left the dock about 7:30 and cruised by Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, then past the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, under the Brooklyn Bridge and back around the top of Manhattan Island and then north to watch the fireworks in the middle of several hundred other boats. Beautiful evening on the water. Jet fly over in formation at 8 pm. Fireworks started at 9:20 and lasted 30 minutes.

Fireworks looking north.

We are in the Hudson with hundreds of other boats.
All very calm and well behaved.

Great fireworks show. And set to music on the radio WINZ 1010. The radio said this is the largest fireworks show in the world with 40,000 shells fired at the rate of 1500 per minute.

Dan, Ashley, Walker, Sydney and Katie at the booth in KOKOMO II.
Grandma served scrambled eggs and orange juice.