As much as I love seeing cities from above, for my friend Emmie’s birthday this summer we decided to see our city from another perspective: The water! Three of us grabbed tickets to Circle Line Sightseeing’s Harbor Lights Cruise and set off on the most exciting after-work adventure any of us had had in a while.

As soon as we got going and were allowed to roam about, we made a beeline for the front of the boat so we could stand outside. (Pro tip: wear water proof shoes. Trust me.) Inside, there were food and drinks and guides pointing out the landmarks, but we were perfectly content out in the elements, providing our own commentary to bewildered tourists.

The cruise took us from 42nd Street on the Hudson river, down south of Manhattan, and up the East River to Long Island City before looping back. On the way back we sailed out to the Statue of Liberty, perfectly timed at sunset!

Midtown and the Financial District

Had literally never seen the downtown skyline from this angle before!

Bridges: The Brooklyn Bridge in the foreground; the Manhattan Bridge behind

The Williamsburg Bridge with midtown behind

Midtown Manhattan, including the Empire State Building

Long Island City, Queens, as the boat was turning around

Sailing under the Manhattan Bridge, with views of the Brooklyn Bridge, downtown Manhattan and a stunning sunset

Downtown Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge

The Statue of Liberty

Downtown Manhattan

If you want to go, and I highly suggest you do, you can purchase tickets here, or at Pier 83 (walk west on 42nd Street until you get to the Hudson River). Our tickets were $36 each, which we agreed was great value for a sail that lasted about two hours, but there are less expensive options available. I also have to give a shoutout to Circle Line’s customer service: We originally booked for a day that turned out to be rainy, and although the cruise still went on, we were allowed to swap our tickets out later in the week, no questions asked.

This cruise is my favorite thing I’ve done in New York so far (and I realize I use the term “favorite” a lot, but it’s true!) I already can’t wait to do it again!