Day 3 part 2. I have a need for speed.

After we left the 9/11 Memorial, I asked if we had time to check out Battery Park. This is where a smart phone comes in handy, because Alex was able to pull up directions on his google map. We were a short walk away, but it was so hot. Battery Park is such a nice area, and there were plenty of benches to sit and rest. So we took a little break.

Relaxing in Battery Park. 

After 9/11, most of Battery Park was declared a crime scene, and residents were not allowed back into their homes for months. But since then, the neighborhood has become the place for celebrities to live. Hugh Jackman, Tyra Banks, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jon Stewart, and many more celebrities live in the area. That building behind us probably costs over $2 million for a small apartment. 

Battery Park had a nice boardwalk area. There were memorials for 9/11, Korean War, and Merchant Marines. And there was a gorgeous view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

As part of our Explorer Pass, the kids wanted to go on a speedboat to see the Statue of Liberty. Hurricane Sandy had done some damage to the island, so it was not possible to go up the Statue of Liberty. But the speedboat would give us a close up view from the water. We caught a cab to get to the boat launch. Noah was excited to go on a ride in a New York City taxi. It was just a short drive and only cost $5.

The Shark speedboat is located at South Street Seaport. The seaport area had also sustained damage, but it seemed like most stores were up and running again. The speedboat was docked at Pier 17.

 

The crew had warned us that if you sit in the back, it will be a bumpy ride, but if you sit in the back, you will get pretty wet. We sat somewhere in between. 

Once the boat pulled away from the dock, we picked up speed. The front of the boat tilted up quite a bit.

Yikes! Here we go.

It turns out that we picked good seats.The ride was pretty smooth. But we did get splashed from time to time.

Here comes the water!

Even though the boat moved fast, we were able to see so much of the city. Somehow, we were able to get decent shots from a moving boat.

The spire atop the Freedom Tower.

Ellis Island.

               Noah really enjoyed the boat ride.              

Empire State Building.

Brooklyn.

The boat took us under the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges.

This bridge could use some work.

Brooklyn Bridge just celebrated it's 130th anniversary.

Once we got to the Statue of Liberty, they stopped the boat so we could take plenty of pictures.

One of the crew came around and took pictures with our own camera. That's camera #1 in the shot. 

The speedboat ride was so much fun. And it only lasted 30 minutes, so it wasn't a major time sucker. The kids had so much fun! Once we got off the boat, we were starving. We went inside the Seaport Food court, hoping to find something to eat. There weren't very many options. So were forced to settle for Nathans hot dogs again. The food was not very good, but we were hungry and just dealt with it. Total for lunch was $30.67.

Next up, walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, and exploring FAO Schwartz.