As a Manhattanite I’ve always been fascinated and jealous of people on boats or fishing off piers – wondering what all the excitement was about. I have annual families of foreign or domestic guests in search of something new and together we discovered Big City Fishing. We went to Pier 25 today in the Tribeca section of Hudson River Park.
A guest caught a fish!
It turns out there is no hype, only relaxation and anticipation; a well organized and FREE activity for people of all ages. Check the schedule for other locations.
On THIS particular day the lucky ones all seemed to be under the size of 4 feet – the fisherkids, not the fish. Today’s catch was mostly Black Sea Bass, the not-so-attractive Sea Squirts that look like poop but only squirt water, an occasional crab, followed by a family of ducks happy for the ‘release’. This is a ‘catch & release’ program where fish are logged and the kids go wild. Anybody of any age who catches a fish gets an attractive poster of the aquatic species found in this part of the Hudson River, a certificate, and a surprisingly nice (temporary) tattoo. Did you know there are seahorses in the Hudson?
Pier 25 also has mini golf, a skateboard park, beach volleyball, and a ‘great lawn’. Chaise lounges are set up next to binocularity, which is not necessary because the view is free and you are right there. The pier is also home to two historic boats: Tug Pegasus and the steamship Lilac, both open to the public. Snack bars, the all-too-important drinking fountain and bathrooms are also present.
I’ll be back on my next day off.
About the Author: This is a guest post written by Anne Edris, owner of NYC’s East Village Bed & Coffee.
Jessica Tiare Bowen lives in the juicy Big Apple with her adorable pink-nosed chihuahua, Gillman. He’s the inspiration for her first published children’s book, “Park Avenue Pound Puppy.” The book is the combined result of her two greatest passions: pooches and penning stories.
Her passions include art, urban hikes through Manhattan, drinking coffee with 3 creams and 6 sugars, making extremely detailed itineraries and traveling to far away places, singing along to Broadway shows, Netflix movie nights, discovering incredible treasures at Goodwill and thrift stores, and listening to stories from little people under 7 and big people over 70.
She started her career as New York City Teaching Fellow, teaching elementary school and theater arts at a special education school in the South Bronx for 6 years. She is now a Special Education School Improvement Specialist working in public schools throughout New York City. She is the Editor-In-Chief of the online New York City travel magazine, Used York City. The magazine focuses on finding the best of New York…as used by New Yorkers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and an ASPCA Ambassador.
