Although it doesn’t have canals like Venice (the Gowanus Canal notwithstanding), New York is still a city on the water. Four of the city’s five boroughs are on islands, and the Bronx — while attached to the mainland — is bounded, for the most part, by water. Not only that, but the city has several important “minor” islands, including Liberty Island, Ellis Island, Governors Island, Roosevelt Island, Randall’s Island, and City Island.

The main bodies of water dividing the city, the Hudson and East Rivers, offer a lot of opportunities to see the city and its sights from a beautiful perspective, or to simply get from point A to point B in a relaxing and scenic manner. There are ferries, water taxis, dinner cruises — even sailboats — that can show you the city from the water.

Most famous of all of New York City’s water-borne modes is the Staten Island Ferry, which connects South Ferry in Manhattan to St. George Terminal in Staten Island. While motorized ferries have operated there since 1817, and under city control since 1905, none of the ten ferries in the current city-owned fleet date back later than the early 1960s, and three have even been launched during the 21st century.

The Staten Island Ferry offers the best value of all passenger boats in New York City: it’s free! You can see lower Manhattan, Governors Island, the waterfronts of Brooklyn, Jersey City and Bayonne, and, of course, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. (And what you miss on the trip, you can catch on the return.) Just don’t expect to take your car — since 2001, they’re no longer allowed on the ferries.

The South Street Seaport Museum offers several cruises on historic ships. The 1885 schooner Pioneer sails daily on public harbor tours. The 1893 schooner Lettie G. Howard operates for sea education and sail training. The 1930 tugboat W.O. Decker explores the hidden corners of New York Harbor’s working waterfront on four- and six-hour “Tug Travels” excursions.

New York City has a number of great beaches, including Coney Island and Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, the Rockaways in Queens, Orchard Beach in the Bronx, and several spots along Staten Island, but the most unusual has to be Water Taxi Beach, at Second St. and Borden Ave. in Long Island City. Created by New York Water Taxi at its Hunter’s Point dock, the beach offers sunbathing, beach games, and a snack bar — but not swimming.

New York Water Taxi is one of several companies that operate sightseeing cruises on the water plus commuter service and both scheduled and hop-on/hop-off tours. Circle Line Downtown operates the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry from Battery Park. They also run harbor cruises, plus speedboat thrill rides on The Shark. NY Waterway is another ferry company offering both commuter and sightseeing services. They offer harbor cruises, and Yankee fans can take their “Yankee Clipper” service to games at the Stadium. Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises offers cruises around the entirety of Manhattan (including the rarely toured Harlem River), and they also operate The Beast, a speedboat thrill ride.

One of the best ways to see New York from the water is with a lunch or dinner cruise. Spirit Cruises offers several options, including dining, dancing, and live entertainment, and gourmet cuisine paired with live jazz on the all-glass vessel Bateaux New York. World Yacht also offers romantic dining and dancing cruises.

For a dining experience that’s “on the water” without the boat, head over to Queens and Water’s Edge. One of the most romantic ways to get to any restaurant in the city is via their river shuttle, which departs from 34th St. & the East River — just a five-minute boat ride to the Long Island City waterfront location. The floor-to-ceiling views of the Manhattan skyline are breathtaking, and during warmer months there’s dining “al fresco” on the promenade with a sightline unimpeded even by glass. The eclectic American cuisine consistently scores high points.

Staten Island Ferry
www.siferry.com

South Street Seaport Museum
212-748-8600; www.southstseaport.org

NY Water Taxi
212-742-1969; www.nywatertaxi.com

Circle Line Downtown
212-269-5755; www.circlelinedowntown.com

NY Waterway
800-533-3779; www.nywaterway.com

Circle Line Sightseeing
212-563-3200; www.circleline42.com

Spirit Cruises
866-399-8439; www.spiritcitycruises.com

World Yacht
212-630-8100; www.worldyacht.com

Water’s Edge
44th Drive at the East River, Queens, 718-482-0033; www.watersedgenyc.com