Day trips to New York City are a fun excursion during your vacation in Belmar, New Jersey, especially you are visiting from outside the tri-state region. Although you can easily get to New York from the Belmar train station, you might want to level-up your Big Apple adventure with a leisurely cruise on the Seastreak ferry.
Seastreak offers weekday and weekend service to two points in Manhattan, New York, via their ferry terminals in Atlantic Highlands and Highlands, New Jersey. These departure points are about a 45-minute drive north from our beach house rental in Belmar.
Park your car at the ferry terminal, board the boat, and sit back and relax while you meander up the Hudson River into New York Harbor. Along the way, you’ll pass beautiful scenery and notable landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.
Depending on your day trip itinerary, you can disembark the ferry at either Pier 11/Wall Street or East 35th Street in Manhattan, and then venture out to explore the city. If you wish to tour the Statue of Liberty, you’ll need to book a separate ferry from Battery Park to Ellis Island. Battery Park ferries to Ellis Island are within a short walk of the Seastreak port at Pier 11/Wall Street. RELATED: Outdoor Dining With A Water View In Belmar
In addition to their popular Manhattan cruises, Seastreak offers service from Monmouth County, New Jersey, to other points of interest along the northeastern coast, including Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Seastreak also offers special summer events and excursions, such as whale-watching trips from the Highlands port to the waters off Sandy Hook, New Jersey; July 4th fireworks cruises from Highlands to the East River in New York; and sunset sight-seeing cruises from Highlands to Manhattan. In the fall, two of my favorite Seastreak adventures are the foliage and football cruises to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. Although the foliage and football trips are offered individually, if you time it right, you can book a West Point football cruise in mid to late October — when fall foliage peaks along the Hudson River — the best of both adventures for one ticket price! The photos below show the ferry docked at West Point and an Army football game in Richie Stadium.
Riding on the Seastreak ferry is comfortable and convenient. There’s plentiful indoor, climate-controlled seating and satellite TVs. Seating options include rows of seats in the middle of the cabin (similar to airplane seating) and booth tables along the cabin windows. The booths seat four people each.
Outside, there’s additional seating on an open-air upper deck. The deck is a great place to take in the expansive views of the water and scenery. You can bring your own food on board, and the ferry has a full-service bar that serves adult beverages as well as non-alcoholic drinks and packaged pretzels, chips, and other snacks. The ferry also has restrooms.
RELATED: Area Attractions – Belmar, New Jersey Seastreak encourages guests to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to departure to allow sufficient time to park and buy tickets. Free parking is available at both the Highlands and Atlantic Highlands terminals. No matter which Seastreak departure point you choose, seeing the sights of New York City from the water is one vacation memory you’ll treasure for a lifetime.
Seastreak Ferry Terminal at Atlantic Highlands
2 Simon Lake Drive Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey 07716
Seastreak Ferry Terminal at Highlands
326 Shore Drive Highlands, New Jersey 07732 1-800-BOATRIDE (1-800-262-8743)
Live Like A Local: Rent A Belmar Beach House
Day trips down the shore are fun, but it's even better to rent a beach house for the week to experience everything wonderful about the Belmar area. For couples, single adults and small families, the two-bedroom Blue Hydrangea Cottage rental in Belmar, New Jersey, is the perfect getaway place. The home sleeps up to four people and is consistently rated five stars for cleanliness, amenities and location. Learn more at www.VacationInBelmar.com.
Story and photos © copyright by Christine Cardellino, owner of www.VacationInBelmar.com and publisher of the award-winning Belmar Beachcomber Blog, a travel and tourism guide for the Belmar region of the Jersey Shore. Do not copy any content (including images) without our permission. All rights reserved.
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