Weekend Spotlight: NYC Ferry
With so much to see during OHNY Weekend, itinerary-maxxing demands an efficient transportation plan—and what better way to travel between sites scattered across the urban archipelago than via NYC Ferry? To help you plan, we've compiled a list of drop-in sites close to ferry landings, where advance reservations are not required.
And, to better take advantage of the city's ever-growing ferry system, Open House New York has partnered with the encyclopedically-brained guides over at Turnstile Tours this year to create two new immersive audio guides that can be used any time aboard either the Astoria or South Brooklyn ferry routes.
The East River by Ferry Audio Guides, available now on the Bloomberg Connects app, will transform your ferry ride into a guided boat tour on-demand, exploring the history and significance of NYC’s waterways and waterfront industry, and how the city’s maritime past can point us toward a resilient and innovative future.
These audio guides were produced with support from NYC Ferry. View routes, schedules, and purchase tickets at ferry.nyc
Brooklyn Army Terminal
Credit: Albert VecerkaSOUTH BROOKLYN ROUTE
Sunset Park/BAT
Brooklyn Army Terminal is one of the most active hubs of OHNY Weekend activity, and there's no better way to get there than the South Brooklyn Route.
All Weekend, enjoy a special free Bloomberg Connects audio tour with Open House New York and Turnstile Tours and turn the ride into an informative and entertaining experience as you float down the East River!
On Saturday and Sunday, Turnstile Tours will lead tours spotlighting a historic 36-acre waterfront property that has transformed into a modern, mixed-use hub for local producers, fabricators, and creatives at MADE Bush Terminal.
On Saturday and Sunday, join Turnstile Tours to discover Brooklyn Army Terminal Building B's stunning atrium space and learn about the campus' past, present and future.
Throughout the Weekend, dive into the BAT tenant sites that will be open to OHNY Weekend visitors, including galleries and studios for Sunset Park Open Studios:
- FABSCRAP on Friday and Saturday
- BioBAT Art Space on Saturday
- BAT Clay Studio on Saturday
- MakerSpace NYC on Saturday and Sunday
- Chashama Open Studios on Sunday
Governors Island + Red Hook
Chart the short distance across the Buttermilk Channel for a fun mix of sites near either the Governors Island or Red Hook stops on the South Brooklyn Route. These destinations cover a range of themes including New York City's maritime history and how its waterfront remains a laboratory for sustainability.
On Saturday and Sunday, experience KlimaKover, a low-cost, accessible urban cooling solution designed by Henning Larsen.
All Weekend, join the Billion Oyster Project at the organization's Public Exhibit House in Nolan Park, Governors Island to discover how their team is restoring 1 billion oysters to New York Harbor.
On Saturday, visit the historic 1914 Lehigh Valley Barge No. 79, a floating museum & showboat housed aboard the a lovingly restored covered wooden barge.
On Saturday, step aboard the MARY A. WHALEN Coastal Oil Tanker, the last of her kind in the United States.
MARY A. WHALEN Tanker Tour
Credit: Jonathan Atking/Shipshooter.comASTORIA ROUTE
Brooklyn Navy Yard
Disembark in Wallabout Bay, at the Brooklyn Navy Yard stop on the Astoria Route, for a full slate of adventure, artisans, and high-spirited exploration.
All Weekend, enjoy a special free Bloomberg Connects audio tour with Open House New York and Turnstile Tours and turn the ride into an informative and entertaining experience as you float down the East River!
On Saturday, discover the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s dynamic campus at their Annual Open House — a celebration of makers, creativity, and community.
All Weekend, explore an innovative urban meadow, contemplative memorial, and native pollinator and bird habitat at Naval Cemetery Landscape.
All Weekend, step back in time with a behind-the-scenes look at how Kings County Distillery became NYC’s oldest whiskey distillery since Prohibition.
Long Island City + Astoria
Explore artist studios, fabrication spaces, and even get on the water yourself in these dynamic Queens neighborhoods, with convenient Long Island City and Astoria stops on the Astoria Route.
On Saturday, visit Nikolas Weinstein Studios, and meet the artist who creates architecturally integrated glass sculptures that anchor and define singular projects and developments.
On Saturday and Sunday, get adventurous on the East River at Anable Basin: Rowing with East River Crew and Paddling with LIC Boathouse.
On Saturday and Sunday, go behind-the-scenes at STICKBULB, a lighting company that creates modular, custom lighting fixtures from reclaimed wood and metal.
On Saturday, enjoy the oasis of Socrates Sculpture Park, a former landfill transformed into an open exhibition space and neighborhood park by a group of artists led by visionary sculptor Mark di Suvero.
Brooklyn Navy Yard Open House
Credit: Brooklyn Navy YardEAST RIVER ROUTE
North Williamsburg
Three Drop-In destinations are conveniently located within walking distance from the North Williamsburg stop, on the East River Route.
On Saturday, step inside Williamsburg Biannual a new nonprofit artist space located in an adaptive reuse and expansion of a 1920’s 10,000sf warehouse, designed by JAZ Architect.
On Sunday, visit National Sawdust and experience the most high-tech artist’s playground in New York City, housed in a former Sawdust factory.
All Weekend, stop by The Architecture of Us by OXUM NYC for a series of conversations and tours inside an activated historic industrial building on the Williamsburg waterfront.
The Architecture of Us by OXUM NYC
Credit: Courtesy of Mr. Mark Nagawiecki