Dean Clough

December 16, 2022

Portico Darwin: Ferries and Fairies

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS

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As you'll see in the upcoming Metro NYC Travel Guide, after walking, the mode of transportation of choice around here, at least for this sailor, is the ferry.  So, in a mercifully short post for your Friday, I deem the ferries here in Metro NY as magical and will briefly explain why that's so.

First, they're magical.  Like this.
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Because it is like the wave of a magic wand by a sexy fairy that you're whisked from 14th Street in Hoboken to 39th Street in Midtown on the West Side of Manhattan.  There's even service to Wall Street during rush hour. 

But the staple is the ferry to the 39th Street Pier in  Midtown, which takes all of 10 minutes, and runs well into the evening hours 7 days a week.  I've ridden it many times now and think it's the only way to travel.  Why?  Because:

The ferry boats don't dock.  Or at least the NY Waterway lines don't.

I feel like I must be some sort of country bumpkin, but I've never seen the technique employed here before.  I'll concede that the boats in question are relatively small, but the fact is they simply pull in, bow first and perpendicular to the pier.  The pilot slows until the bow touches the pier, at which times he revs the engines to keep the boat in place, pressed against the dock.  The ramp is quickly lowered, passengers disembark and vice versa right off the front, and you're off.
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It all takes about two minutes.  No joke:  a decent-sized, NY harbor-faring vessel pulls in, people get on and off, and then it leaves.  No fuss, no muss, and certainly no tying off.  And not one has been late yet.  It really is the only way to travel here, and if you do it, I think you'll agree it's magic.
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In related news, there's this.
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Have a great weekend - I am really quite sure we will.

FROM THE UNWASHED MASSES

Keep those cards and letters coming!  This time it was the sporty retiree Lauren Ryder with the Manhattan advice:  La Pécora Bianca near Bryant Park.  I am grateful for a lot of things, but for nothing more than having until Christmas to jam everything in.

Let's stay with dining.  A former food industry warrior herself, Nicki Vale vehemently agreed with my lament about restaurant service.

Totally agree with what you’re saying and what’s crazy is that restaurants are increasing prices and adding ridiculous service charges, all the while we get less great service.  

All true.  But I bet it's not stopping Nicki and her boytoy Baron Belgium from hitting Denver's finest eating and drinking establishments?

Thank you to any one that is reading this newsletter.

KLUF

Somehow missing from KLUF to date, here is Roxy Music and the Killer Avalon.  Get it?
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About Dean Clough