The Honorable William Wall — Restaurant in Jersey City

Unique! Classy! Fun! Relaxing! (Google says it has an address in New Hampshire, but don't be fooled. It is located in New York Harbor adjacent to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.) I went to the Willy Wall for the second time in August 2016. It is the floating race barge and clubhouse for the Manhattan Yacht Club. The public is invited to watch the sailboat races from the barge a few nights per week during the warm season. I live in Philly and I originally learned about the "booze barge" from an article in the New York Times. I go to the Willy Wall as a tourist and spectator, because I love being in New York Harbor with all its boat traffic, because I am a sailor, and because of the magnificent views of the NYC skyline, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. When you go, the first step is to book a $20 reservation on the motor launch that is operated by the yacht club. During my first visit in 2014, I boarded the motor launch at Battery Park City's marina. But now the routing has changed a bit, and this time I boarded the motor launch at the Surf City restaurant in Jersey City. Both times, the ride to the launch went without a hitch. The two men who operate the motor launch are professional and courteous, and the boat is very nice. After a 10-minute motor cruise, you arrive at the 2-level barge. You walk up the stairs to the main deck containing a bar and restaurant tables beneath an open-air roof that provides shade for everyone. Drinks are reasonably priced, and in fact, the whole evening turns out to be inexpensive, especially considering how special the experience is. Parking is free at Surf City restaurant in Jersey City. What do you do on the barge? You relax! You sit there and have cocktails and watch exciting sailing, you watch the wide variety of motor yachts, ferries, tugs and ships cruising the harbor, you gaze at the Statue of Liberty and the sunset, you chat with the other spectators, and most of all, you look at the wonderful NYC skyline. You are sitting in one of the coolest spots on planet earth! The motor launch returns you to your point of origin every 30 minutes. I was on the barge from 6:30 to 9:00pm. Everything is well organized. The employees are kind and pleasant. For me, driving from Philadelphia, the Jersey City departure shortens my travel time a great deal and simplifies my trip (although it is also fun to visit Battery Park and Lower Manhattan, where you can still board the launch). My evening was stress-free and the whole experience was classy. I love visiting the Willy Wall! It's a hidden gem. It's...

I'd heard about the "Willy Wall" in the past, but never had the chance to go. That is until I won a pair of ferry tickets via Yelp (THANKS YELP!). I went on the last day of the season (early October) and caught the first ferry from Warren St. Pier in Jersey City (same pier as the Liberty Landing Ferry) at 12:15. There's also an option to come in from Manhattan, but I believe you just need to pay a separate ferry ticket for that. Our boat was a little late, but it was fine - I'd rather be waiting for the boat than having missed it. You have to book your ticket there online, but for the boat back, you just hop on.

The boat ride was about ten minutes, and they take you to a barge out in the water, which is also a bar. You can bring your own food, which is recommended, since they don't sell any food on the barge. There weren't many people around when I went - maybe because it was a bit chilly and cloudy. That might even be the best time to go if you don't mind the breeze because we were able to get a prime table with a view of the Manhattan skyline. There was a bunch more people who arrived from a later boat, so I can imagine how packed this place gets during the summertime. To go back to JC, the boat leaves from Willy Wall every 30 minutes.

Warning - if you get seasick easily, this might not be for you. I occasionally get seasick, and since it was a little windy that day, I did feel the barge moving. We caught the first boat out of there but it was still a great experience. Definitely something I'd recommend doing at least once...

The William Wall is a special adventure in New York. Have drinks from the bar on the top deck of this boat moored by Ellis Island. Bring your own cheeses and snacks to watch the sailboat races around you. They sell drinks and encourage you to bring your own food.

Don’t expect a loud clamorous rooftop scenes. There are about 50 people. You can actually have a conversation. Such a special place to watch the sunset over the harbor.

Crowd mainly 20’s and 30’s with one rowdy table of 50-80 year olds.

I’ve taken many sail boats and ships around New York harbor. The William Wall gives a unique experience and vista of New York.

Advice: Come with a group of five to eight friends. It’s more fun with a small crowd. Buy your tickets online. Take the 5:45 boat from WFC. With later boats you will not always get a table. If you are coming from Jersey use the Warren Street pier. When you transfer to the launch that takes you to the William Wall, sit or stand right by the exit. You want to be the first upstairs to grab the best table. It isn’t an enormous boat.

The last boat back that makes a connection to Manhattan is 8:08, which works for this time of year when the sun sets earlier.

Please note that the round trip ticket doesn’t cover the $7 fee to return to Manhattan from the Jersey Warren St pier.

Definitely...