Timing is everything.
It doesn't get much more touristy than the Ferry. Well, except maybe Times Square. But there you don't have a monument. On the Ferry, you have the Statue of Liberty, and nothing screams New York more than the Statue of Liberty. It's free. It's easy.
The first time I rode the Ferry was when a friend came to visit me the summer that I moved to New York. We were tourists surrounded by other tourists. On the way to Staten Island, we sat on the wrong side and couldn't see the Statue of Liberty. I bought a postcard in the terminal. On the way back, we saw the Statue. You could smell the water and hear the engine.
The second time I rode the Ferry was a Wednesday. It was around 11am. I didn't go there with the intention of riding it. I was in the area and had time to kill. It was not as crowded as the first time I came. I sat on one of the outside balconies. The water makes it really windy. At first I was overwhelmed with this rushing sensation, but after a while, I felt calm. I could breathe. I could think clearly, despite all the people around me.
I can't count how many times I've ridden the Ferry since then. When I tell people I ride the Ferry to clear my mind, they give me a funny look. You'd think with all the people, this would not be a place to do such a thing. However, if you time it right, it can work out. Anytime after morning rush hour during the week. Anytime after 8pm during the week.
I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the colors. So much orange and green and blue. Maybe it's the sounds. The combination of rushing water and the hum of an engine. Maybe it's this strange place that is not quite sea and not quite land. I can't put my finger on it, but something keeps me riding the Ferry, even though I have no reason to. It's comforting.
This is a home to me.