NYC - Circle Line

America's Favorite Boat Ride, or so I've been told. 

We went where all good NYC tourists go - on the Circle Line boat cruise.  We did this in part because the humidity had skyrocketed.  Nothing like the breeze of the Hudson and East Rivers to cool you down, we thought.  What we did not expect was a thunderstorm as we exited the port.  We had wisely decided to stay inside for the AC, so we were covered.

Hudson Yards with "The Vessel," which looks like a copper honeycomb.
Look carefully and you'll see the Empire State Building in the distance.

Here are a few things I learned about New York while cruising with Circle Line:
1. The Statue of Liberty made it through Hurricane Sandy without damage.  Liberty Island not so much.
2. You can now climb to the Statue of Liberty torch again.  Make reservations four months in advance.
3. Construction on Hudson Yards is booming, and now includes "The Vessel,"  a 16-story copper honeycomb with interlocking staircases.
4. Lightning hits the Empire State Building a lot.  (Just as our tour guide said this, that is just what happened.)

The "Jenga" building in the forefront.

The other tidbit I learned is the nickname of a building that caught my eye while at the One World Observatory.  Known as the "Jenga" building for its stacked architecture, it's the largest structure in the Tribeca neighborhood.  For $3.5 million, you can get a 1400 square foot home near the bottom; for $47 million, a penthouse.  More information here.

She looks good, even in a summer thunderstorm.