Ikea has just opened a new store in Brooklyn, but if you’re in downtown Manhattan it might be a little difficult to visit.
So, they’re offering a free water taxi leaving Pier 11, passing by the Statue of Liberty and slipping behind it, ending up in the Red Hook neighbourhood in Brooklyn. They’re marketing the new service as a “dinner and a cruise” for $6.99. Ingenious.
The ferries leave every 20 minutes from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, corresponding with the opening hours of the new store. Even if you don’t feel like shopping, the ride is still free. It seems like a really interesting and cheap way to see New York. Tom Meyers of Eurocheapo actually took a ride on the ferry and it’s empty for now. He speculates that soon it’ll be overrun, much like everything else that’s fun and free in the city.
It’s important to note that if you do go shopping, you can’t bring everything the store sells with you on the boat. Anything that fits in one of those big blue Ikea bags can go on the boat, everything else, you’ve got to get it delivered or arrange for someone to pick it up for you.
I wonder how long it’ll last.
Have you tried the Ikea ferry yet? Let us know about it in the TravelPod travel forums.
See you there!
Louise Brown
TravelPod Community Manager
Tags: Brooklyn, ferry, Ikea, New York City, NYC, Pier 11, Red Hook, water taxi
June 27, 2008 at 1:50 pm |
The ferry service goes nowhere near the Statue of Liberty. The little island on your map is governor’s island. And i wonder is it free or does it cost 6.99???
July 3, 2008 at 11:00 am |
Oh, from the article I read, it seemed like the boat was going behind the Statue of Liberty, maybe I read it wrong… What is Governor’s Island?
The ferry is indeed free, but the dinner will cost you $6.99 once you get to Ikea.
March 4, 2009 at 3:45 pm |
Thanks for the kind mention
Adeel Khan Sherwani from Washington