Staten Island Ferry & Happy Hour At Steiny's
I thought for this week’s happy hour Friday post, I’d kill two birds with one stone. I’ve never ridden the Staten Island Ferry and I’ve never gone to Staten Island. I read where they serve beer on the ferry, so the happy hour can start there and then we’ll see if we can find a bar within walking distance. I’ve heard the view from the ferry is fantastic, so let’s go find out.
And here we are at the Staten Island Ferry, I'm not quite sure what to do, so let's just walk in and see what's happening inside.
Easy enough so far, just follow the sign!
Wow, there's a big crowd, luckily from the pictures I've seen, it's a big ferry.
The doors open and now we're all headed towards the ferry. I feel kind of like a lemming marching towards water.
It's roomy inside. Kind of like a subway car with a thyroid condition.
You can stand outside up front here, but it's really crowded and windy, so I took one shot of us moving away from the city and went back inside.
The view is nice from the windows inside.
Hey, what do we have here?
It's a snack bar. I wonder if they have...
Beer!
And popcorn!
This guy was a little bit of a sourpuss and just grunted when I asked if I could take his photo. He didn't say no, so I snapped away. He probably thought I was some kooky tourist.
I like the Staten Island Ferry!
Welcome to Staten Island. Hopefully there's a bar within walking distance, let's go explore.
Good afternoon, Staten Island!
I had only walked about five minutes when I saw this sign. It's just around the corner...
Here it is, Steiny's. Looks like a nice place, let's check it out!
There's a nice neighborhood vibe in here and plenty of seats at the bar.
And here's Gina, the friendly and pretty bartender with a cold beer. Let the happy hour begin!
Here's the view of the bar from my perch.
There's polished wooden tables and stools opposite the bar.
They keep the glasses on ice here at Steiny's.
Gina got a phone call and when she was done she walked over and said, "You're not going to believe this, a woman called and asked if someone named Marty was drinking in the bar." Gina then told her I was there and the woman said she was coming over shortly. I have to admit that this both intrigued me and scared me a little. I don't know anyone in Staten Island, so I could only guess she knows me from one of my blogs. But how did she know I was in there? I ordered another beer...
And Susan showed up at the bar and said hi to me. I was glad she didn't look like a crazy woman and it turned out she followed the 365 Bar Crawl. She works up the street at the Court House and saw me taking a picture of the sign and thought I was probably going to Steiny's and called. Too funny! We had a beer and a nice chat about the 365 bar blog, Staten Island and New York City. She's really nice and I was honored to have been recognized!
Here's a co-worker of Susan's, Robin being served a beer by Gina. It's a friendly crowd in here!
After a couple beers, Susan had to hit the road to get home to her sons, so I had a few more beers and snapped an obligatory mirror shot at the bar.
And night falls, so it's time to hit the road and take the ferry back to the city.
The timing was perfect the ferry was just loading.
There was more room to move outside on the way back and I tried taking some pictures, but none of them were turning out, so I took a couple shots of other people taking photos. He's snapping one of the Statue of Liberty.
Here's someone getting a photo of us getting closer to the city.
Exit, stage left and we're back in Manhattan.
I like the sign a lot better here at night. Have a great Friday, everyone!
Staten Island Ferry
4 South St. (@Whitehall St.)
718-727-2508
Steiny’s Pub
3 Hyatt Street
Staten Island, NY
718-442-9526
Further Reading: New York Magazine, Wikipedia and Where You Eat.
365 Bar Crawl, Staten Island Ferry, Steiny's Posted on Friday, March 23, 2012 at 10:46AM
Reader Comments (39)
Wow, I can't believe you've never taken the Staten Island Ferry. It's a fun trip even if you don't get to see the lovely looking Gina.
too funny you got recognized again! soon your going to need an entourage! great post!
I love the photo of Gina, the TWM card, the Bud bottle, and you in the background in a inadvertent obligatory bar mirror shot. Brilliant ! also very cool that Susan tracked you down ! Steiny's looks like a great place. I only drove through Staten Island once by mistake. I've never been on the ferry either, nor had a drink on the Island. Now that you've pointed the way for the BBC -- we will have to do it sometime ! Great job !
Hooray for beer !!!
Marty, That twilight zone shit with Susan on the phone was weird, but very cool. Ahhh, Staten Island, my Mom was born in Stapelton, Staten Island. I haven't been back since I played there with the Contusion's in the 90's.
Marty next time go to Jade Island, David Johansen took Anthony Bourdain there on No Reservations. It's a great Tiki Bar restaurant.
@Jason: That's one of the things I like about doing this blog, it forces me to get out of my comfort zone and do things. It was a great time!
@Bobby D: I don't think I need the entourage just yet, but it was great to meet Susan and everyone at Steiny's!
@GENE: That was too funny being recognized by Susan, a fun experience! And yes, the BBC should do the Staten Island Ferry, it's a quick trip, beer on board and Steiny's is just a five minute walk away!
@Danny the Freelancer: It was cool that Susan took the effort to say hi, lots of fun and always nice to meet someone who follows the blog. I'll check out Jade Island soon, if it's good enough for Johansen and Bourdain, it's good enough for me! Thanks for the tip!
So there’s this young lady on the Brooklyn bridge, about to commit suicide. A sailor sees her as she is about to jump and shouts "Wait! Don't do it! I'm leaving on a ship to Europe. I'll sneak you on board so that you can come with me and start all over!"
"Okay, I guess so" the woman says.
So he sneaks her on board and stows her away. Every night he brings her food and they have sex all night long. This goes on for 3 weeks.
One day, the captain stumbles across her in her hiding place. "What are you doing on board?" he demands.
"Well, I have an agreement with one of your crewmen. He is taking me to Europe; every night he brings me food and then we screw."
"You're certainly being screwed," said the captain, "this is the Staten Island Ferry!"
Wow, Marty, you've done ALL FIVE BOROUGHS! It's Miller time! When I first moved to NYC in 1984, my sister (upon whose bedroom floor I crashed for a few weeks til I found a job and an apartment) took me on the Staten Island Ferry. As we sailed into the harbor, she started humming the bass line from the theme song to "Barney Miller", and it was exactly the same image as the credits for that show! To this day I can't ride the ferry without that playing in my head...
I'm glad Susan turned out to be normal and she didn't try to boil your bunny or lure you to her place, shoot you full of drugs and break your feet with a sledge hammer while screaming; "I'm your number one Fan!" You never can tell nowadays...
@Soupy Sales: Ha ha ha! Good one and now it's time for the pie in the face!
@Katrink: Yes, I'm really starting to stretch out here! And here's to your memories!
@Jaws: Ha ha ha! I have to admit I was a little nervous till she showed up, but was pleasantly relieved when I met her and flattered that she recognized me!
Looks like you had fun. Nothing like a sea breeze.. As nice as the Staten Island Ferry is, (crass joke alert), I wouldn't recommend the Spalding Gray extended vacation voyage.
Hey Marty, I'm so glad you finally made it to Staten Island. It was great to sit and have a few beers with you.
Thanks, Marty!
It's only a matter of time, Marty, before you start getting chased by dozens of screaming fans every time you go out on one of your Trips, like the Beatles being chased in "A Hard Day's Night." Unfortunately, though, it won't be teenage girls chasing you, it'll be middle-aged folks with beer-bellies and bent elbows, hoping to get a chance to hoist a cold one with their hero.
@csp: It was a great day! And yes, for now I won't be taking the Gray way!
@Susan: Great to meet you as well! Thanks for tracking me down, it was fun reminiscing about the bar crawl! I'll definitely let you know the next time I come out to Staten Island!
@Katrink: You're welcome! I had forgotten all about that introduction and it was fun to watch it again!
@Bruce Davis: Ha ha ha! Hey, I'll take what I can get!
Steiny's with Gina,,,,plus a Bud,,,,that was worth the trip. Surprise link, Paul McCartney?
Great S.I. post. I should have told you this at TSB. For photo ops, stand in the back of the ferry when you leave NYC and return. Most of the tourists naturally migrate to the front of the ferry.
Can't believe you have never been to Staten Island. Lots to like and good, old time feel in many neighborhoods (as long as you avoid the McMansions). No phoneys here.
The best bourogh outside of Manhattan.
OK, I nominate Susan for the national presidency of The Marty Fangirls.
- Wendy
(aka Regional Director of the Academy of Marty Fangirls)
@Al: It was well worth the trip to meet Gina and Susan and everyone else at Steiny's! I don't know if that's McCartney in that photo or not. Just a random shot I took from the internet.
@Duncester: I did the typical tourist thing! I will be riding the ferry again though and I'll try it then.
@sammy: I was one of those people that never left Manhattan, I'm correcting all that with this blog! I really liked it there and will return, I want to check out that Tiki restaurant that Danny the Freelancer commented about.
@roadsidewonders: Ha ha ha! I second that nomination! And as Regional Director you're entitled to a free beer or three when you finally get here to New York!
Every summer Mrs. Spike and I get a group of 20-30 people and go out to a Staten Island Yankees game. Over the years, I think I've actually watched maybe 3 innings combined as we just goof around and drink beer with the gorgeous view of Manhattan as the backdrop. We always hit a bar beforehand and last summer we tried Steinys out. Very local, working class bar. Loved it. We usually went to Cargo Cafe, which I just read is now closed, and a new bar was supposed to be opening in it's place. But Cargo was a great spot too. The first time we went to Cargo, maybe six years ago, a friend took us there not just for a beer, but for the most incredible, awe-inspiring painting on the wall:
BEHOLD!
Yes indeed, that's former Mayor Rudolph William Louis Guiliani atop a stead, slaying the demons in the rubble of the Twin Towers. The next time we made it, the painting was gone unfortunately, and oddly enough there was one of Che Guevara up, so I'm thinking new owners just maybe??
Anyways, I'll let you know when we plan on going this year Marty (and all the other listeners here), would be fun to get a TWM-Beer-n-Baseball extravganza!
Is that link not working?
Here it is for manual copy & paste
http://scottlobaido.com/wp-content/gallery/patriotism/nygiants.jpg
a Staten Island Yankees game sounds like a great idea ! .... hopefully I'd be able to make it !
Back when I was a high school kid in the early 1960s the Staten Island Ferry was just a dime, and for free coming back to Manhattan. I used to ride it many times when I cut out of school, seems the truant officer was never on board, or at least never I was caught on the Staten Island Ferry. How much is it now, I'm sure not a dime?
@Spike: I'm looking forward to that, give me advance notice and I'll put the date up here! That's too funny about the switch in paintings!
@GENE: Sounds like a BBC-worthy event!
@Mykola Mick Dementiuk: Amazingly, it's free now! The only thing I know of that's come down in price over the years!
I've never been to staten island either.. well now i guess i am the only one...
my mom swear she took me.. I had to remind her she has pics of my brother and her there.. they didnt take me on ferry's..
I puke
PUKE big time ok...
dont even start her on what childhood deseases we had.. she had them all wrong..
i was the one who had chickenpox it turns out.not my brother.
so i avoided people with it for years for no reason..
but there was a bonus.. i didnt have to take care of her when she had the shingles.
so anyway.. my brother has been to staten a few times..
i will get there someday.. when i get my jetpack!
good commenting today..
keep up the good work Marty fans!
Wow! Popcorn, beer, and Utz chips to boot! The Staten Island Ferry has it all! And Steiny's looks great too. Gene's right...that photo of Gina and the card is pretty cool. Although I wish she was holding the bottle so it appeared to be smacking you upside the head! No offense.
Thanks for letting me know Steinys exists Marty.Been on the ferry a few times over the years doing the tourist thing.My friend is called Ric Steinbach so next time we are in NY we will have to go visit his near name sake bar.Hopefully Gina will be working that day!
@Gidget: I bet you'd be okay on the Staten Island Ferry, it's pretty calm and doesn't even feel like you're on water, a nice peaceful trip. Let me know when the jetpack arrives and we'll go!
@Biff: It's a floating paradise! You need to ride on it next time you come, add that to your massive list of things to do! And next time I go, I'll see if Gina will smack me with the bottle, anything for you, Bifferoonie!
@Alan Simpson: Steiny's is the perfect spot after a ferry ride! Let me know when you're in town and we'll hit Steiny's together!
If Gina doesnt smack you can me and Biff take turns?
smacking you that is..
(though gina is really hot..)
Nice post! Love seeing you taking trips out of Manhattan. Haven't taken the ferry for a long time, but this reminds me that I should. Thanks!
@Gidget: Feel free to smack away!
@onemorefoldedsunset: Thanks, I really enjoyed riding the ferry and going to Staten Island. I'll be doing it again for sure!
Hi Marty: Add me to the list of people who can't believe you had never been to Staten Island. The Ferry alone is worth the trip. I know that area, although I haven't been there in several years. There used to be 5 or 6 local bars within walking distance of the Ferry. I'm sure I've been to Steinie's under a different name.
Back in the 70's a friend and I would drive over from Brooklyn once a month to borrow records from the St George Library (right near the ferry), which had a huge vinyl lending library (it was famous for that). We'd then hit a local bar or two before heading back to Brooklyn to listen to our new music (blues, folk, rock, country, they had just about everything) and have a few more beers. Back in that day The Cargo Cafe was known as The Bay Cafe and it was very seedy and perfect for a few beers.
Here's a suggestion for your next trip. Leidy's Shore Cafe, 748 Richmond Terrace. A long walk or a short drive from the ferry. One of the oldest bars in NY City, virtually unchanged in 100 years, with a great jukebox to boot.
Nice goin! --Ken
@Ken K. in NJ: Looks like I need to go back to Staten Island! Thanks for the Leidy's Shore Cafe tip, I'll definitely check it out next time I go back!
Nice adventure.
Gina is the perfect face for Happy Hour!
The Ferry?
"Mersey".
(in my best Roy Orbison voice)
@"Boris:" Ha! Mersey, Mersey me! (In best Buckinghams style!)
A friend from the Bronx & I hitched from San Francisco to the east coast during the infamous summer of l'amour 1967. We took the ferry into Manhattan. The fare was 5¢.
@Marco: I wish I could've taken the ferry and seen New York back in 1967, I bet that was one hell of a trip!
@Marty It has been a long strange trip indeed. On another foray from college we went down to Hudson St. where Timmy Leary had one of his League for Spiritual Discovery Centers. There were some weird ladies there. Gentle, but weird.
@Marco: Very cool!