NYC's East River Ferry: Free to June 24

This week the East River Ferry has brought back regular ferry service to the 18-mile East River, which is a nice reminder that New York -- down deep, away from skyscraper canyons -- is a river city.

New York was founded not because of the chunky rocks that glaciers pushed to present-day Central Park, but the Hudson and the East Rivers. The first ferry to cross from Brooklyn to Manhattan began in 1642, back when the colony was Dutch. In 1776, George Washington fled with 9500 troops after the disastrous Battle of Brooklyn -- escaping from wig-wearing Brits at night through Manhattan; the war was saved, and all because of the ferry. By 1870, 50 million annual passengers took steamboats across the river. That service ended in the mid 1920s.

Run by NY Waterways, East River Ferry's rides are free through June 24. Afterwards, visitors can buy a day pass for $12, nice considering MTA recently suspended the one-day 'fun pass' for New York subways and buses.

To help plan a day, I put together this planner for some of the main ferry stops for Lonely Planet. Just a $4 ride from Wall Street to Midtown sounds better than the subway too.

I also got to speak on all the new ferry fun at a New York Waterways/East River Ferry event at Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn last night... right after Brooklyn mayor Marty Markowitz.

Hope he's not mad that I said I live/work in Queens.

Random Photo: Death of the Queens Igloo!

It's not your typical day when you look out the window and see an igloo. 'Actually it's not an igloo,' its creator, Joe Gindoff, told me. 'It's a snow house. Igloos are made of ice.' Joe, my neighbor in Jackson Heights, Queens, told me he's never built one before, but the excess snow and time to wonder -- he recently lost his job -- gave him the opportunity. 'I sat and thought about it, then went out and did it.'

Local news picked up the story after Joe spent the night in the house -- or at least till 3am (I know the feeling; I gave up on Quebec City's Ice Hotel at 2:30am recently myself).

Alas, Sunday Gindoff took a pick-axe to his creation, knocking its roof in. With temperatures set to rise this week, so have concerns from neighbors over a potential hazard in the private garden area. He understood.

The 'igloo' -- or 'NYgloo' as he called it -- has already paid dividends for him. Gindoff has been contacted to help build a 'three ton snowman' at Bear Mountain upstate. Sometimes just doing stuff -- like building an 'igloo' -- beats polishing off a new resume.