Sacred City - NYC's Circle Line Harbor Lights Cruise

I first moved to New York City in 1998. I had heard about the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, but always dismissed them as being for tourists.

"Pricey!" I grumbled. Their costs range from $18-$29 per person.

"Inconvenient! Tourist trap! Long lines, for what?." I whined. I mean, who wants to trek out to the piers and wait in long lines, amongst crowds of people just to board a bunch of old ferry boats with folding chairs on them?

I placed them, as many of us locals do, in the category of things I need not even consider, because I am not on vacation. We are New Yorkers! We live here! We don't need to see the skyline from the river? Is it really that special?

The surprising answers to all of these questions are yes, yes and YES.

I DO want to wait in line! I will wait, even in 90 degree weather and in crowds of tourists! I will gladly fork over the cash for the Harbor Lights Cruise ($24) and probably give in to however much their overpriced hot dogs cost, and plastic cups of beer. It's part of the experience and I'm hooked. It is THAT special and despite being a hardened New Yorker - I'm supposed to be used to living in this crazy big city right? - I want to go over and over again.

Why? Because, from any viewing point on one of these little ferries, the Manhattan skyline looms. There is really no other way to describe that. It towers over you and it doesn't matter if you are just visiting or if you've lived here for years. Everyone has seen some postcard, or opening credits of some movie panning over and knows this little island, this skyline, this cluster of so very many tall buildings and how extraordinarily beautiful it is at night. Suddenly from a boat, you pull away from the docks and there it is. Its is larger than life. It is literally breathtaking.

The cruise lasts for two hours and the departure time varies, so that it always includes the sunset. In the Summer months, it leaves around 7pm. I happened to go in May, which was a bit on the chilly side, to be honest. I brought a sweater and bought some hot coffee and was rather fine with that. Also, going early has the distinct advantage of being right up alongside the Statue of Liberty as the sun is setting. (The picture displayed is an actual picture taken on this boat cruise).

The route brings you down the Hudson, right up alongside the Statue of Liberty and then back towards the tip of the Island. It travels up the East River and under the bridges, so that you get the most commonly-recognized view of the Manhattan skyline at night. The Brooklyn Bridge, all lit up, is also quite beautiful. About half-way up the East River it doubles back and returns to the West Side to the dock.

There are several other Circle Line options. They offer daytime cruises that are similar, three hour tours around the entire island and pricier, but fabulous dinner-dance, live music and special event packages. I recently learned that they also give a Happy Hour Cruise, also two hours, that leaves from South St. Seaport (on the east side) and travels from 6:00pm-8:00pm on Thursday nights. I plan to check it out later this summer. The Happy Hour Cruise is a fantastic deal, at $18.00 (if you buy tickets online), it includes one free drink per admission, live music and is on one of the nicer yacht-style cruise boats instead of the old lunky ferryboats. Its a little snazzier, a little more cosmopolitan and, yes, a bit cheaper. I will be sure to write a review when I try that one, and let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, for a family-friendly cruise or a romantic date night or some solitary time for you to stand gaping at the big skyline, I highly recommend the Harbor Lights Cruise. I have been to the top of many skyscrapers. I have stood on a rooftop in Brooklyn and looked across the river to see the east side view, in its entirity. I have driven down Rte 95 too many times to remember, and seen the Empire State Building off in the distance. And I have touched down into LaGuardia Airport, seeing Manhattan building lights, clustered like a little Lego fairyland city from above. Nothing - I REPEAT- nothing beats the view from this boat... so far.

However...if anyone wants to sponsor a helicopter ride for me, my contact info is listed above! I'm open to being challenged on this point.

See the links below for the Circle Line websites with schedules, prices and location details!