Midtown East offers access to transportation, job centers, and global connections. The East River is an important part of living here, not just because of the views overlooking Brooklyn and Queens, but because of the recreational opportunities and, thanks to the ferry service, easy access to many neighborhoods across the city.
East 34th Ferry Landing
The East River Ferry started off as an experiment connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn. The system has grown considerably, and now offers routes from the Bronx to Rockaway. East 34th Street has direct service to Throgs Neck, Astoria, Roosevelt Island, Long Island City, Williamsburg, Dumbo, and Wall Street, or transfer to Governors Island, Bay Ridge, and Rockaway at Wall Street – Pier 11. Summer service to the beaches in Rockaways is fast, convenient, and can fill up. The best way to ride the ferry is to download the app. If you want to go further than the city, Seastreak high-speed ferries provide links to Atlantic Highlands in New Jersey and seasonally to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
Walk On Water
The new East River Midtown Waterfront recently opened. Part of the larger network of the East River Greenway connecting the waterfront from lower Manhattan to Inwood, the new greenway creates a walking and bike trail literally in the river, elevated just above the water. Access over the FDR Drive can be found at East 54th Street and Sutton Place, and the path continues north connecting to the greenway in the Upper East Side, passing under the 59th Street Bridge. Part of the larger project to provide continuous green space around the circumference of Manhattan, the new extension adds half a mile of walkway. Gaps remain south of the next extension.
River Club NYC
Private clubs are a great way to socialize; they often have access to recreational and athletic spaces. The River Club is the “only family-friendly private club” in New York. The facilities include tennis and squash courts, a pool, a fitness center, and a padded court. There’s also a formal dining room, a casual bar, a garden terrace, and spaces for private events. Midtown East also has CORE, a culture-focused club with locations in Milan and San Francisco, and the Union League Club, a civic-minded club focused on charitable giving.
Explore A Secret Garden In Amster Yard
This hidden Turtle Bay garden is a historic landmark. An L-shaped courtyard was turned into a garden in the 1940s by artist James Amster. The original buildings were constructed in the 19th century, although a renovation in the early 2000s saw several of those replaced with replicas. Access to the semi-public garden is through an archway at 213 East 49th Street (a gate is locked when the garden is closed). Amster Yard today sits on top of a newly created underground facility for the Cervantes Institute, a cultural organization celebrating Spanish culture.
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