Five Things on a Date: The Summer Seaport Edition 🛥 🌊
To take yourself, or someone you love, on.
Hello and welcome back to Five Things I Ate! This week, we give you five ideas for the perfect day off. If you’re new to the newsletter, check out past posts here, and please follow my Instagram @fivethingsiate.
Stop 1: Coffee break at The Elevated Acre
55 Water St, New York, NY 10041
Let’s begin our little Summer day date at the Elevated Acre. Normally you would never catch me dead in the Financial District, the ghost town where as far as I know not even people who work in finance hang out,* but today you will catch me there Alive because I am on a mission to take the ferry from Wall Street. On the way, stop by the Elevated Acre, the perfect place for a quick breakfast picnic. To access the Elevated Acre, take the escalator or stairs on Water Street, and you will find yourself in a tiny oasis with a beautiful view of the East River. Sit down on one of the benches, and enjoy watching the ships go by as you sip some coffee from a Thermos.
*But change my mind!
Stop 2: Iced green tea with pear at McNally Jackson bookstore cafe
4 Fulton St, New York, NY 10038
Now that you’re properly caffeinated, it’s time to venture onwards to the Seaport, where we will get even more caffeine, because this is Sophie’s perfect date for Sophie herself, which means we will drink all the coffee and tea we want, and we will do it in a charming bookstore. I love walking through the Seaport district, because it reminds me of the only good part of living in Boston (ships and ports). The McNally Jackson outpost here is tiny, but has a beautiful cafe with a picturesque bar and upstairs seating. I don’t even mind that the bookstore is tiny, because it’s my day off which means that I choose a random book from the bestsellers shelf without reading the back. Today, it’s People We Meet on Vacation. After you grab your book of choice, sit on a barstool and order a fruity iced tea while you flip through the pages.
Stop 3: Wait for the ferry at Pier 11
South St, New York, NY 10005
This is a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure kind of day, so if you’re short on time, or you’re starting this journey in the evening, say after work on a Friday, you can stay on the Seaport. Check out the Wavertree, which is a 19th century tall ship that’s free to explore (Friday-Sunday only), and grab dinner along the water. Otherwise, download the NYC Ferry App and buy a one-way pass to Rockaway. It’ll be the most fun you’ve ever had for a subway swipe. The ferry runs to Rockaway from Wall Street every 15 minutes past the hour, but pls be advised that it is EXTREMELY CHAOTIC. Time is nothing but a loose construct for the NYC Ferry, and while I respect that attitude, it basically means you should just get in line whenever you get there. (This is especially important to note for the return trip, where the lines can be even longer!)
Stop 4: A cold drink aboard the NYC Ferry
On the East River.
Everything I’ve written thus far is really just an extended promo for my favorite thing you can do for $2.75 in New York: Ride the NYC Ferry! I honestly would have had a great day just getting on the ferry, taking it to Rockaway, and staying on it, going back and forth all day. Everything about the ferry is Good, except Do Not Google “NYC Ferry subsidy.” Where to begin. They are given adorable, punny names by school children (my favorite is the Tooth Ferry). You can buy snacks and alcoholic beverages on board! On a nice day, you can sit on the top of the boat and feel like you just spent $50 on a family vacation boat cruise, if you know what I mean. I like to stand at the back of the ship on the lower deck and watch the river froth before me, the New York City skyline retreating like I’m in a movie.
Stop 5: La del Gato at Caracas Arepas Bar
106-01 Shore Front Pkwy, Queens, NY 11694
We’ve finally made it to the beach! Before you lay your towel down, stop by Caracas Arepas Bar on the boardwalk. I swear that I don’t like the La del Gato just because it says cat. It’s a cravings-worthy combination of crunchy, soft, salty and sweet, with caramelized fried plantains and melty cheese all in a fresh, warm, corn-carb blanket. One arepa is the perfect size halfway between snack and meal. Drink it with a frozen sangria, and, if you’re like me, realize that you’re about to miss the ferry back home -- and that you’ve traveled four hours to the Rockaways without setting a single toe in the water.
XOXO,
Soph
P.S. Welcome new subscribers! Normally, the last week of the month is reserved for One Thing I Ate, a subscription-only longform recipe. Since many people are new here, I decided to share with you my day trip idea instead. Please consider subscribing to support my writing.