An orginization called Open House New York is hosting several events on the weekend of 10/8 and 10/9.
One of the events is a tour of the south side of Ellis Island. This area is closed to the public and is under renovation.
Right now the plan is to take the 11:00 am tour and then have lunch downtown afterwards.
Confirmed to attend are myself and
Little Nemo
If you want to attend, please let me know so I can make a reservation. Saramamalana is joining us a little later.
Dopers that have expressed interest include Eve
MannyL
Draelin
Biggirl
CWN
garius
JohnBckWld
There are also events on Sunday so look at the Open House site and if you see something that interests you just say something.
There is now a tour of The Octagon on Roosevelt Island. (a very old lunatic asylum being referbished) and there are tours on Sunday of Governors Island.
So let me know if you want to come to the Ellis Island tour. If you want a different time for Ellis Island just say so. 11 am is not set in stone.
Thanks for the invite, Zebra! As I said, life’s shaky right now with the new job coming up and all, but I’ll try to make it! Mr. Frail might show up too–we’re really interested in Ellis Island but have never been there. I’ll give you a concrete response as soon as we know if we can make it…
My calendar just cleared up and I might be able to go, but I’m concerned about a) the weather and b) how much it might cost. I’ve never, ever been to Ellis Island and what better company to go with than Dopers?
Unfortunatly, while waiting to see if other dopers would commit, the Ellis Island tours have filled up.
So…
We will go to Governor’s Island. There is a tour at 12 noon. We will meet at the Battery Maritime Building at 11:30ish. The ferry ride costs $6, the tour is free. Well take the noon ferry and the tour. After we’re done with that, we can walk up through lowere Manhattan, Wall Street, Trinity Church and I vote for lunch at the South Street Seaport.
saramamalana (dingdong) will meet us there and from there we can either take Millit clothes shopping or we can see some other things in the area like the New York Marble Cemetary or the Yankee Ferry. The cemetary has an above ground and a below ground vaults. (like in National Treasure) The ferry is the last surviving Ellis Island Ferry that took the approved imagrints to Manhattan. It is also the last boat that served in both WWI and WWII.
Or we could walk the Brooklyn Bridge. What ever, I do what I want!
Here is a pdf map that shows where the Battery Maritime building is. We meet there at 11:30.
Rats. My grandfather’s name is on the Wall of Honor at the immigration museum, and I was kinda hoping I could con someone into getting me a rubbing. I don’t suppose anyone thinks they might be going soon, anyway?
Here is a link to a very useful site.
From Grand Central take the 4 or 5 downtown (Brooklyn Bound) to Bowling Green. From there walk down State Stree along Battery Park to FDR Drive, hand a left and the Battery Maritime Build is just a bit up from there. (look at PDF map)
Can anyone figure out if there is a ticket terminal at the Battery Maritime building? The Map indicates ticket offices at two other locations but not there, where we catch the water taxi.
I’ll wear a a brown baseball cap with my company logo on (Paramount Pictures). I’ll also have a big camera bag so I’ll look like a tourist. That will make me stand out.
