I can’t begin to defend the NYC Ferry system as a mass-transit solution—the city subsidizes it to the tune of $6.60 per passenger!—but as someone with free time and an urge to explore, I love it. A visit to Long Island City by subway doesn’t hold half the appeal of one by boat, especially since there’s only one other stop (E. 34th St.) after leaving Pier 11 on the NYC Ferry Astoria route, so you get 13 minutes of uninterrupted voyage.