AIANY Around Manhattan Historic Architecture Tour

Step aboard the teak decks of our elegant 1920s style yachts, the Manhattan and Manhattan II, and enjoy NYC's historic buildings and landmarks from the water. On this 2 hours 45 minute cruise you will circumnavigate the island of Manhattan while taking in monuments, bridges, historic individual landmarks and districts, and parks.

The tour narration, provided by members of the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter (AIANY), is general enough for visitors yet detailed enough for locals and design professionals. With a focus on historic buildings, the tour is as comprehensive as the AIANY Around Manhattan Architecture circumnavigation tour.
You'll experience a comfortable and unique tour of the Hudson, East, and Harlem Rivers from the climate-controlled and enclosed back-deck observatory or wander to the outer decks for fresh air and sunlight. Guests are treated to light snacks and a complimentary beer, wine, or champagne from the bar, as well as soda, water, tea, or coffee. With a full bar onboard, additional beverages are available for purchase.

Depending on tides & currents, the yacht may travel north or south first to start the circumnavigation. Sites include the Empire State Building and the tree-lined upper west side, the George Washington Bridge, the New Jersey Palisades on the west side embankment, the Harlem River & East River. The United Nations, the Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn Brooklyn Bridge (as well as 16 other bridges). She makes a wide pass through the New York City Harbor to grab a spectacular view of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Financial District and the complete NYC Skyline. The Architecture tour focuses on both the new and the old, the iconic and the unknown - the full circumnavigation will offer guests a chance to see every inch of Manhattan's shoreline!

You will see New York's famed Modern architecture, including the recently renovated United Nations headquarters complex, and works by Modern masters Louis Kahn and Marcel Breuer and discover a vast array of adaptive re-use projects, including the High Line, where historic structures have been creatively reimagined for new uses. You will enjoy close-up views of the Statue of Liberty, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ellis Island, and other monuments.

You will learn about and see works by some of America's most celebrated architects from the nineteenth and early twentieth century, including Stanford White, Cass Gilbert, and Richard Morris Hunt and find out how New York City protects its individual landmarks and historic districts.

Our cruise will end at the same pier from which it departed.