Somewhere, beyond the sea, Classic Harbor Line waits for thee.
Welcome back to Downtown Highlights, the series in which we take the opportunity to “highlight” businesses in NYC, like Classic Harbor Line – your one-stop (shop? or should we say port?) for seeing the city you love from the water.
After a tumultuous year and a half or so, it is important for us at Downtown to make sure that we’re serving the places that are serving us.
Classic Harbor Line owns a fleet of nine stunning vessels, designed by Scarano Boat Building of Albany, New York. These floating pieces of history call the east coast home. Hop on a Classic Harbor Line yacht in Boston, Massachusetts; Manhattan, New York; Newport, Rhode Island, and Key West, Florida.
Tours specialize in ticketed cruises and private charters, fit for guests and locals alike. Experience a sail as you’ve never experienced before on the luxuriously comfortable yachts that feature teak decks, mahogany trim, and carbon fiber rigging.
We at Downtown magazine had the pleasure of joining Captain Greg Freitas of Full Moon and Captain Sarah Pennington of America 2.0 on the two yachts for our Downtown Highlights series.
The first yacht we had the pleasure of visiting was Full Moon at Brookfield Place’s North Cove Marina in Manhattan. She’s a 65 foot fully restored 1950 classic yacht complete with full bar services, a full-service galley, and catering. We sat down with Captain Greg in her saloon to chat about Classic Harbor Line and his career as a yachtsman. “OLD SALT” fittingly read his cap as he gave anecdotal details of his experienced life on the water.
Over at The Chelsea Piers Marina, we paid a visit to America 2.0. She’s a 105 Feet LOA and a tribute to the first Schooner America — the winner of the very first America’s Cup in 1851. She’s a class act, complete with comfortable seating and bar service, and an open salon below featuring a full-service galley and two heads. Captain Sarah’s invitingly sat with us and gave us America 2.0’s history and her own.
Set sail yourself with Classic Harbor Line or take a walk along the esplanade to watch their stunning ships.
Have you been searching for some new summer date ideas in New York City? Well, we’ve got you covered! Here are our picks for romantic summer dates in New York City.
Coney Island
Image by Guusje Weeber on Unsplash
For a fun-filled day with your significant other, visit Coney Island. Complete with rides, a beach, and shops, there are fun activities that all couples will enjoy. Also, while you’re here be sure to visit Nathan’s Hotdogs. Founded in 1916, the original Nathan’s Hotdogs is on Surf Avenue in Coney Island. These all-beef hotdogs have built a reputation, making them a famous staple of the Coney Island experience. A trip to Coney Island is the perfect date for a sunny summer day.
Classic Harbor Line Cruises
Manhattan Photo by Classic Harbor Line
How about a late-night cruise on the Hudson River? With Classic Harbor Line, you can go on relaxing cruises while enjoying the beautiful sights of the city including the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center, and Ellis Island. One of our favorite tours is the Jazz Cruise, a 1.5-hour cruise complete with live, talented jazz musicians. This cruise is aboard the Manhattan, a stunning 1920s style yacht. A night on the water with Classic Harbor Line is most definitely a night to remember.
Museum of Modern Art
Image by Alex Palmer on Unsplash
Otherwise known as the MoMA, this popular museum is the perfect summer date to escape the heat. Featuring modern and contemporary art, the MoMA is open from 10:30 am-5:30 pm Sunday-Friday and Saturday 10:30 am-7:00 pm. Admission is $25 for adults, $18 for seniors, and $14 for full-time students with ID.
Rooftop Reds
Image by Rooftop Reds
Calling all wine-loving couples: Rooftop Reds is the perfect date for you! Located on 299 Sands Street, Building 275, Brooklyn, Rooftop Reds is the world’s first rooftop vineyard. This vineyard makes around 20-25 cases of wine every year. This is a romantic rooftop date you won’t want to miss this summer.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Image by Yasir Eryilmaz on Unsplash
For a romantic escape into nature in the heart of Brooklyn, plan a date at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden! This 52-acre garden was founded in 1910. The Brooklyn Botanical Garden has over 14,000 taxa of plants. Admission is $18 each for adults and $12 for seniors 65 and up and for students with IDs.
Tokyo Record Bar
Image by Tokyo Record Bar
If you and your significant other are looking for a unique date in the city, you definitely should check out Tokyo Record Bar. Tokyo Record Bar describes itself as “an underground listening room dedicated to quality and obsession through music, food, and booze.” In order to enter this lounge, you need to walk through Air’s Champagne Parlor.
Tokyo Record Bar does two seatings a night, Monday through Saturday. Once seated, guests are given a song list and a drink menu. Tokyo Record Bar has a large variety of genres of music so everyone can find something they like. The song requests are handed to the DJ who then will then make the playlist for the night and sometimes add some more songs of their choice. Guests will also receive a seven-course tasting menu, complete with various traditional Japanese snacks and food. To experience a taste of Japan from New York City, Tokyo Record Bar is the perfect date.
Dreamland Roller Rink
Image by Dreamland Roller Rink
For a summer date that will send you back to the age of disco, visit Dreamland Roller Rink with your significant other! This themed roller skating rink encourages visitors to journey to the past by coming in retro costumes. MCs and DJs will narrate this spectacular night of disco. Dreamland Roller Rink also hosts themed parties, so that each visit is unique. Dreamland Roller Rink is a must-visit this summer for a unique and unforgettable date night.
Jetty Jumpers Jet Ski Tours
Image by Jetty Jumpers
If you and your significant other are looking for some adventurous summer date ideas, you should definitely check out Jetty Jumpers’ jet ski tours. These exciting tours are about three hours long. While jet skiing, you will see some of New York City’s most prominent landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, Ellis Island, the Freedom Tower, and more. This is the perfect date for adventurous couples who want a day out on the water.
Color Factory
Image by the Color Factory
The Color Factory is the perfect date for couples looking for a unique experience and a lot of photo opportunities. The Color Factory is an art exhibit that revolves around the beauty and varying palettes of color. Each room is a different experience of color and encourages guests to embrace their imagination and creativity. The Color Factory is an experience unlike any other, the perfect date to escape into air conditioning. In addition, all summer you can visit Eataly Downtown and Color Factory’s collaboration.
Bryant Park Movie Nights
Image from the Bryant Park Corporation Website
Bryant Park movie nights are back this summer, the perfect romantic date under the stars. Admission to these movies, are free. The concession stands open at 5:00 pm and the movie starts at sundown. The movie schedule can be found on the Bryant Park website. If you and your significant other are movie buffs looking for a romantic movie night, be sure to check out Bryant Park movie nights this summer.
Owning a yacht is a luxury in itself, however, luxury often comes with challenges as well. For yachts, the challenge is in coming up with a design that not only improves the look of the yacht but also maintains or improves its functionality. Not sure where to begin? Read on for some useful tips.
Consider Your Yacht Space
Despite the perception that yachts are huge, limited interior space can be a problem. It is important to make use of every square inch of interior space without overcrowding to ensure the best functionality and aesthetics.
The best way to achieve this goal is to use dual-purpose furniture. Choose tables and stools that have built-in storage underneath. Another option is to choose furniture that can serve as a bed and a couch, for example.
Think About Your Environment
One important factor that you should know when designing a yacht interior is to avoid using materials made from metals like wall claddings. Materials with metal content can easily rust if they are not treated regularly and can cost big money in future repairs.
It is the designer’s responsibility to incorporate their design with the unique limitations of the environment and to choose a plan that will function properly.
Factor in Preservation
A yacht’s design should also prepare for its deterioration. A good designer will look into how to maintain the good quality of the boat, especially with the wear and tear it receives from the environment. It would be nice to keep your boat looking like new. To do this, you must know the factors that degrade the quality over time. A yacht’s main problem is the harsh environment it endures every day.
The wind and salt air are the main contributors to a boat’s exterior issues. You can keep a can of wall paint to deal with little scratches and scuff marks on the surface. While it’s hard to blend the new and old paint, it would at least cover the unwanted scratch marks. Remember to apply a small amount of paint using the paintbrush. Use an up and down stroke for the touch-up. This type of procedure will create and blend the paint from the old application.
A wax application can also be preventive maintenance for the yacht. It gives the shine your boat deserves, and the protection from rain and watermarks. A wax application requires hard work and a lot of patience to make the boat shine like new.
If the yacht gets ink on its wall, hairspray will do the trick of removing it instantly. And if you have glass cooktops stains wax is a great product to solve the unwanted marks as well.
If you are planning to improve your yacht, you can do so by installing additional accessories to it. One upgrade that is gaining massive popularity on the market is Stryker T-Tops . You may consider installing one as a good investment for your yacht. It adds the value, beauty, and function that every boat owner needs.
Investing in a GoodYacht Design
The principles of a luxury yacht design are more like a high-end interior design of a house. The home is where you build your family and give them the protection and joys of life. A yacht is similar to your home, which also needs good design, proper maintenance, and great functionality. Your boat can be like a second home but a lot more fun.
There are few things better than summer, the best Manhattan views, and a glass of wine. And if you are imagining yourself with red or white wine, forget about it. It’s a new era: the rosé wine era. That’s why New York is hosting the world’s first ever large-scale rosé wine tasting event. La Nuit En Rosé will consist of three cocktail-style parties on June 13-14, 2014, on-board a luxurious new yacht along the Hudson. The guests will take an international tour through the best rosé wines from all over the world (more than 50, to be precise).
photo: ROMULO YANES
La Nuit En Rosé is a celebration of rosés created by the NY-based wine entrepreneur Pierrick Bouquet. There will be two four-hour sessions a day (each featuring ninety-minute sailings from Pier 40), one in the afternoon and another one in the evening. In addition to a chic New York cocktail-style tasting, the events will also include music, culinary dishes, and a wine competition with a panel of distingushed judges and prizes for the audience. We suggest you bring your iPad or mobile aboard, because guests will be able to purchase wines directly from renowned wine merchant Zachys on the event.
Rosé is back, and it’s not only us that say so; Forbes declared recently, “Once tragically uncool, rosé wine is now officially hip,” and according to new data from Nielsen, premium imported rosés grew by 39% in volume and 48% in value in 2013. Ladies and gentlemen, prepare your palates for La Nuit En Rosé.
For more information and tickets, visit nuitrose.com
