this is the coolest idea and such a nice spot - we were a large group and had such a fun time. The staff of the WillyWall are so lovely and beyond helpful - a special thank you to Nikki who is simply amazing - so fun and kind and helpful.....great night out and a very unique experience. read more

This is a magical place. I had no clue this existed until some friends let me in on the secret. Luckily when we went on a Friday night it wasn't too crowded since the weather was bad that day but evening it cleared up. It was really chill and bartenders where so friendly and nice. You bring your own food. You don't even need to get a drink at the bar if you don't want to. You can just pay the $20 for the boat ride and sit on the barge. They play good music and most of its covered too so not need to worry about rain. The downstairs is really cozy with big leather seats. Awesome for a date night, birthday or any event. I can't wait to go back. Amazing views. read more

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If I had known that being on a boat, Painkiller cocktail in hand, surrounded by good company was really just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the New York shoreline sooner I would've gone many times over by now. I approached my inaugural visit to this clubhouse warily, observing how tightly packed in they had all of us on the little boat that whisked us away to the larger boat that is the Honorable William Wall, but 100% of patrons were masked (nose and mouth covered and everything) and from what I've read, all that wind is not hospitable to virus-laden aerosol. My concerns were especially assuaged by this thought when we climbed aboard our main destination, with its wide open decks with space for social distancing, and breathtaking views of the city skyline. Throwing back an additional Painkiller didn't hurt either. The vibe on the boat is pretty lowkey, neither raucous nor completely tranquil-- Goldilocks level of noise. If you're wondering what to wear, I'd advise putting on your most fashionable summer ensemble so you feel confident because the outfit game on board is very strong. Things felt pretty classy through the night as I didn't see anyone get belligerently drunk despite lots of birthday celebrations and lots of people taking shots. I keep mentioning this Painkiller because it was the tastiest cocktail I had aboard. It's a fruity mix of orange, pineapple, coconut, and rum, and nothing can make you feel more like you're at the peak of summer than what is essentially a fruity pina colada. For a moment you can feel like you're anywhere but here. Getting back to the city is as easy as waiting for one of the little boats that comes to pick up passengers every half hour to take you back. The ride is pretty short and everyone is in great spirits for having just caught a gorgeous cotton candy sunset over the Statue of Liberty. NY livin isn't so bad! read more

The opportunity to be on the water, with downtown nyc views in abundance, lots of boats circulating the Hudson river, amazing sunset views, and tons of fun = The honorable Willie Wall experience! Bring your own food, they don't serve any here. They do serve very expensive cocktails with gorgeous energy, and worth every penny. Do reserve online before coming because the shuttles get full. Overall a very unique and special experience especially if you get on the 540 shuttle and get out of there before 9ish when it gets a too crowded. Not great for those who get seasick on choppy water. read more

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Review update! I sailed to the Honorable Willy Wall for the second time and had another amazing experience. I can't stress enough - this is SUCH a cool and different activity to enjoy over summer. What could be better than sipping on a glass of rose on a literal floating bar while overlooking the NYC skyline and Lady Liberty?! If you go on the right night you can catch an absolutely breathtaking sunset. I'll also mention that their customer service is excellent. A few days before my sail I decided that I wanted to switch a few of our tickets out to an earlier time. They were able to do this for me without a problem which I really appreciated. Pricing is a little high but I honestly think that the experience justifies the cost because of how gorgeous the bar and scenery is. For a unique summer activity you really can't do any better. read more

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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 in your life! read more

Honorable William Wall - Willy Wall in the distance - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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This was my first time on board, and it was a different experience than I have ever had in Jersey City and NYC. It was straightforward to find where to catch the tender to take you to the barge and it was great that you could bring your own food. I strongly suggest to people that they bring a sweater because even on a summer night, it gets chilly. Now, the service. When I went, there were two servers and one functional iPad at the top bar. The servers had mentioned it was both of their first days, so I understand they need to get acclimated, but they were very slow, unknowledgeable about what's behind the bar, or even know how to open up a bottle of wine. Having only one functional iPad just made it worse. Mixed drink options are limited in addition to canned items as well. My suggestion would be is to only have canned or bottled beverages, skip the mixed drinks and call it a day if this is what the service is like regularly. Overall, I probably would go again, with lower drink expectations as it is nice going out on the water. read more

What an amazing venue for a family reunion Best staff, best views, best sunsets , best summer night read more

Honorable William Wall - Family Reunion 2023 - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

I've wanted to come on board here for years and I finally remembered to come out here earlier this summer. Me and 2 of my friends booked a reservation to come out on a balmy Tuesday evening. Despite the launch site being called the Manhattan Yacht Club, it's actually in Jersey City, and that's where you'll take a boat out to the actual barge. We weren't quite sure what to expect, especially since it seemed like it would be a first come first serve type of seating situation, but since we had decided to do the earlier time slot, there was plenty of seating for us on the top deck of the barge. Once on board, you get to just sit and admire the views of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. There is a bar on board with very reasonably priced drinks, and you can bring your own food, which my friends and I made sure to do as they have no food on board otherwise. We had an excellent time on board, and the staff were all very friendly. They are also affiliated with a sailing school, and I believe if you sign up, drinks are discounted on board. All in all, a really fun and unique place to go to, especially on nice summer nights. Would love to come back out here next summer! read more

My review is for Saturday August 21st. There was a hurricane warning and the staff did an amazing job. Check in and bar service was amazing. The boat ride was too. I took one star off because of the captain of the ship, or as he was known to all of us onboard as captain grumpy. We all congregated down below as it was raining and he put on music that was reminiscent to a murder scene in a movie. When someone asked if we can put on different music, Captain Grumpy said no. Seems odd to put on classical music on a party boat on a Saturday night. It's as if he wanted us to leave. Not to mention he was downright rude about it acting like it was his own living room. All he had to do was turn to a different radio station. My recommendation is he be removed from his current role As he Doesn't put the customer first. It's not the cheapest place so having to deal with jerks like him is really uncalled for. He is a guy hired obviously since they need a captain, please find someone else as the little power granted to him Has gone to his grumpy head. The rest of the staff were amazing as were the drinks! read more

Honorable William Wall - Top of the boat - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

We visited the Willy Wall on a Saturday afternoon to celebrate my husband's 30th birthday. There was a group of around 20 of us, we each booked individual tickets and booked the earliest slot which meant we were able to secure a couple of tables. Such a great alternative to a regular bar! Amazing views and the staff were very helpful, friendly and relaxed. We were made to feel very welcome. Would definitely recommend a visit! read more

Honorable William Wall - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Not worth the hype. The mixed drinks aren't great especially for the price. It should be listed on the website somewhere that those who get sea sick are not a good fit to come. Was under the impression this was pillared into the water and didn't rock and some friends were sick. Also the bottom enclosed area was not air conditioned or staffed with bartenders making a hot summer day almost impossible to enjoy. Just give more details on the website so people know what to expect. read more

Took my Father and Husband on the sunset cruise this past Saturday, reserved a table in which was a an extra fee but no where near worth the money. Not only that, upon arrival the employees are not scanning any ticket barcodes so how are they keeping count of how many people reserve a table And I will disclose there are only about 8 tables on the upper deck. Once I get to the deck to find my table , I don't see my name on any of them, I ask the 1 guy with dreads where is my table and he's brushing me off, I seen him go around each table the 1st round he took the name tags and placed them from the seats to the table top really fast then make a 2nd round placing the tags from the table top to the chair. I already knew it was going to be some crap from the get go. 1 table didn't have an tag so my mom says well this could be our Table can We sit here he tells her NO very rudely and I had to step in from there. we were eventually given the table but if I didn't raise hell they would have gotten away with it. The bar was TRASH , the ladies were so overwhelmed, I seen 1 girl pour water in someone margaritas let alone they're already filled with ICE . Just the worst experience ever and I know to take my money else where next time around. read more

I had a blast celebrating my 30th birthday in Sept aboard the Willy Wall. I am notorious among my friends for throwing very unique birthday parties. I'm talking Bingo at the Standard to Bubble Soccer and everything in between. So for my big 3-0, I needed something classy yet would stand out. I looked for months on end for a proper celebration venue and was about to settle on a group dinner + ktv (boooring) when I randomly came across The Honorable William while scrolling across Yelp (one of my fave pastimes) one evening. I remember seeing it as one of the "Related Businesses" and was like ... what is this?! As I read the glowing reviews and perused the website, I was hooked! Basically, Willy Wall is a floating barge owned by the Manhattan Yacht Club that houses a large outdoor second floor deck and a slightly more intimate indoors first floor.The first floor is also where the bathrooms are located (unforts, there are only 2 bathrooms so there is often a line). There is a bar that serves drinks but more importantly, SERVES DEM VIEWS!! Nestled right along the Statue of Liberty, you get the best views of downtown Manhattan. Could this be, I finally found my birthday spot!! Now for the logistics. It's a bit of a pain to get to (a ferry from Brookfield Pl - Jersey City and then another ferry from JC - Willy Wall), but so worth it IMO!! The process was pretty seamless and ticketing was affordable ($20 online + $7 in person for the OW for the ferry back from JC - Manhattan). There was a worker stationed at Brookfield Pier to help give us our physical tickets and answer any questions. For the weekend, they have 2 sessions - afternoon + evening. The evening session of course would afford you sunset views, but the ferry stops running fairly early and you would have to find your way back. I opted for the afternoon session bc it was just easier for a group of 20+. One of the best parts of Willy Wall is that it's BYO-Food! My birthday bud and I catered Chick-Fil-A bc DUH and had the best time! Also pro tip - better to go early to grab a nice spot for your group. Towards the end of the afternoon there were groups of people just sitting on the floor. It also tends to get a little rocky so bring your anti-nausea meds. If you're looking for a classy, chilly (albeit a little annoying to get to) spot for drinks - Willy Wall is the perf place! read more

"So we're taking the boat to the bar?" "No, the bar is on a boat." "But, that boat is going to take us to the bar right?" This is the common circular conversation I typically have when trying to explain to people what the Honorable William Wall is and is not. Let me try to lay it out in easier to understand terms for you folks on Yelp. The Honorable William Wall is a permanently docked boat that has a full bar on it. It's docked close to Jersey City, and is neighbs with Lady Liberty. To get to the Honorable William wall, you need to purchase tickets in advance. Tickets are going to cost you $20 bucks, and that sucks, but you should do it at least one time, because it's totally worth it. That $20 bucks includes your roundtrip little boat ticket to and from the Honorable William Wall. That shuttle boat to the actual bar boat used to leave out of the Financial District, but now it leaves from Surf City in Jersey City. Which is an awesome place you should also check out. Anyway, you get on the little boat to the Honorable William Wall, which, like I said previously, is a bar that floats on the water. It has two floors, the top deck being open, where the actual bar is, and the bottom is an indoor space with big chairs that's decorated in a very chic historic nautical way. The drinks are pricey, but the whole experience is really unparalleled. This is a great spot to hit up for a special event, and you're even allowed to bring food on here. One time I went and these people were having themselves a legit picnic. It was real cute. read more

This really is one of the best kept secrets of the area. Situated right in front of Ellis Island, the docked boat has the best views of the entire skyline. During the day, being on the water is literally incredible. Then, when the sun goes down, you have the most beautiful view of the sunset ever! To add to the views, once it is dark, the lit Manhattan skyline is STUNNING (As others have mentioned!) Also, it is bring your own food which really helps to save some money while enjoying some drinks and the views. In addition, they are now selling full bottles of White, Red, Rose and Champagne! This is the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. From the bartenders to the crew, this is an overall UNFORGETTABLE New York experience. If you are looking for things to do that are slightly off the beaten path this is how to do it! It's also easy to get to (just try to purchase tickets ahead of time).....From NYC you take the Liberty Landing Ferry and get off at Warren St. Then the Admiral's Launch boat will pick you up and bring you to the docked Willy Wall. If you are coming from Jersey City, just go to Surf City where the Admiral's Launch can scoop you up! Hands down one of the best things to do though in the area! read more

Honorable William Wall - View of Manhattan! - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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It's just a wonderful little secret in the middle of The City, Ellis Island, Jersey City, and The Statue of Liberty. A docked boat LITERALLY in the middle of everything- a must experience! STUNNING VIEWS. I recommend coming just before sunset to see the different colors that reflect off the NY skyline. I love that you can bring your own food, we love to bring Italian deli sandwiches, or some cheese, etc. Drinks are served in plastic cups, considering the venue, this shouldn't be a surprise. From a cost standpoint it's slightly expensive but honestly I thought it'd be worse. A great post dinner event- romantic and unique. read more

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William Wall has a great "Buy 3, Get 1 Free" ticket program on their website, and it's way more fun with a group of people. As a caveat, you have to click an option to select the 4th free ticket -- something I missed the first time around. If you miss clicking it, the website only gives you the three. Luckily, WW's staff (Colin) was able to fix my error quickly before I ended up biting the bullet and buying a 4th ticket outright. Great customer service! read more

I came here with my friends/colleagues about a week ago from Google. Loved my experience on the Willy wall. Marina, the bartender was were super informative and so well bearing of our large crowd and also made sure all 35 of us got on board during a path train shut down! We are so grateful for that. The barge itself is super cool, only two bathrooms but we were able to manage with other large crowds on board. Over all amazing views of the skyline and my friend who has been here many times before said you can see fireworks from there too!! Definitely going back again. read more

I LOVE it!!! Thank you to Captain Colin Kurcz and crew for making our Sunday Funday such an awesome day. The staff was amazing, very sweet and attentive. I'll admit I'm the annoying customer who asks a million questions before I go someplace, but Colin was absolutely awesome about answering all my questions and making sure my concerns were taken care of. This is such a gem of a place, and my friends and I will absolutely be back. We had a crew of about 25, and all purchased launch tickets ahead ($20pp). They allowed us to bring our own food, and drinks were very reasonable (for NYC, at least) at their bar upstairs. They also offer catering and an open bar option, definitely inquire if you're interested for a party. It's a great way to spend a day on the water, have some drinks, and enjoy the views of Manhattan, Jersey City, and Ellis Island. A must go!! read more

INCREDIBLE!!! How have I lived in NYC for almost 10 years and never heard of the Honorable William Wall?! This is by far the best place to drink outside in Jersey City or NYC, I'm not really sure what state this part of the ocean belongs to. Pro Tip #1: Willy Wall is a solo barge in the middle of the water. So the only way to get here is by boat. Google Honorable William Wall, and buy tix in advance. Pro Tip #2: The boat picks up at 2 locations in Jersey City - one in Surf City, and the other at Warren Street. Pro Tip #3: BYOF (Bring your own FOOD!) There's no food for sale on Willy Wall, so BYO. I saw everything from elaborate 3 course steak dinners come out of a picnic basket, to advanced meat and cheese plate, to a good ole bag of Doritos. So bring what you'd like. It's fantastic - full bar onboard with lots of great rose, wine, beer and cocktail options. They make a wicked strong dark and stormy. The views are unlike anything you have experienced before. Look one way and you're starring at Lady Liberty, another and say hello to Ellis Island, and take a final turn and look at the entire skyline of Manhattan. Not bad. We arrived around 6p on a beautiful sunny Saturday evening, and left until one of the last boat rides back around 9:15p. Warning - the crow did start to get a little weird that time of night. Odd things were happening. But overall a phenomenal experience. Drop everything, head to the pier, and hop a boat to the truly Honorable Willy Wall. read more

Despite terrible weather, my group still had a great time. But that almost didn't happen. With all the various directions and instructions they provide before you arrive, there is no mention of parking. There is not a designated lot. When I arrived and inquired, it was like I was the first person who had ever asked. I was given vague, verbal directions that turned out to be a wild goose chase. Luckily I arrived early. After 25 minutes, we just made our launch after some tense, unnecessary moments. A customer's experience covers ALL aspects of your journey with a company. You fell short. Think big picture and figure out a process!! read more

I experienced the William Wall Clubhouse as a birthday outing and we had a great time!! For me, it was such a unique experience to take two boats to a bar that was on a boat! The representative was so great because the folks we were meeting at the ferry was late due to torrential rain (yeah, that happened), so they let us take the boat that arrived when our party did. By the time we reached the bar the rain had stopped and it was a beautiful afternoon. I will be back! read more

Honorable William Wall - My birthday celebration with family and friends! - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Pros: 1. music 2. booze 3. great views 4. friendly staff 5. indoor seating with comfy leather chairs 6. top deck outdoor seating with tables Cons: 1. transportation back to NYC (after 8:00pm) is a little cumbersome (check their website, they outline the options fairly well) 2. bottom deck has no outdoor seating so a few people just sat on the ground :-/ Tips: 1. bring food!! only pretzels available for snacking while seated at the bar area 2. take the 5:15pm (first boat) leaving NYC to increase your likelihood of getting a table (they go quickly!) read more

Honorable William Wall - View of NYC - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

The Honorable William Wall is Manhattan Sailing Club's floating bar. You catch the taxi at the North Cove Marina in Battery Park City, right near the World Financial Center. The taxi ride is $10 total, you pay on the way there and not on the way back. The bar itself is very cool with great views of the city, the statue of liberty, and Ellis Island. The drinks are standard, you can get beer, wine, and some basic cocktails. The prices are what you would expect for this kind of venue, we ordered three bud lights and it came to $20. Those who are prone to sea sickness be warned, the bar rocks back and forth at any slight wave action. I was feeling nauseated pretty quickly once aboard. During the week you can buy tickets in advance online, but on Saturdays you just have to show up and wait in line. The bar closes at ten though, so get there fairly early. OH and the coolest thing - there is no food served at the bar, so they encourage you to pack a picnic to eat along with your purchased drinks. Overall, I think this is a fun thing to do with friends in the summer. I would recommend it for a casual Saturday night. read more

Had a great night! Beautiful views of manhattan, great drinks, bring your own food and friendly service!

Booked a ticket with pickup from Manhattan today. Turned up and the ferry terminal was closed. Called up and spoke to a lady who was rude and not at all helpful but just said it was a mistake on their website and they do not do pickups from Manhattan on the weekend and that we needed to go to jersey city (which would have been a $50 Uber and we would have missed the pick up time). She sounded annoyed to deal with the situation and said she had been fielding other calls about it today - if they already knew it was an issue why didn't they call customers that had booked in advance? Terrible experience overall - will be asking for a refund for our tickets and not rebooking read more

The best kept secret and my favorite little spot. Bring your own snacks out for a picnic and enjoy drinks from the bar!!! Best views of Manhattan and amazing service!!! The crew and captain are very friendly and accommodating!! read more

Honorable William Wall - Sail races and views from the Honorable William Wall - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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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 worth a visit. read more

The most amazing secret spot in New York!! Perfect place to relax, bring your own snacks, and enjoy a cold cocktail or glass of rosé with the most incredible city views!!! The captain and crew are amazing, they are so friendly and make you feel right at home. I promise you will not be disappointed!!! read more

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My friends and I went on the "Willy Wall" boat on a Friday night. The boat wasnt packed at all and we were able to get a table with seats! It's BYOF (Bring Your Own Food). The drinks were a bit expensive but id say it was worth it for the views! We had a great view of the One world trade center building, empire state building and lady liberty! This is the perfect place the bring your out-of-town friends for an awesome view of the city! After last call, the staff brings you back to a bar called Surf City in Jersey City which is also a really nice bar on the water with some fire pits! Will be back next summer! read more

Terrible experience getting there and getting back and even worse customer service. I bought the 5:15 ticket but didn't get to the William Wall Clubhouse until 6:20. It took 3 boats and over 1 hour to get from the WFC Ferry Terminal to the Clubhouse. We tried to call them to make sure we were on the right boats, but no one picked up. It's confusing since we needed to take 3 boats! When we finally got on the third boat, they handed us a sheet giving us time schedules and instructions on how to get home. It said the last ferry was at 8:30 and if we were to take it, we need to take the 8:15 boat that leaves the Clubhouse. So we get on that boat but when we get to the slip in NJ, they told us that the boat was no longer running and that we had to walk 12 mins to take the NY Waterway ferry, and pay another $6 dollars. Just like that, no apologies, no explanation. If I knew that we could not get on the last boat, then I would have stayed longer since with all the delays, I was only on the William Wall Clubhouse for less than 2 hours. I called them to explain the situation and they said "its not their responsibility for how you get to their clubhouse or how you get home once you get off the clubhouse". How irresponsible is it? Beware: 1. They don't take responsibility for anything besides when you are at the Clubhouse. 2. If you take any ferry besides the 5:15, expect to stand the entire time you are at the Clubhouse because everyone who was on the 5:15 ferry took up all the outside tables. There are only about 10 tables. 3. If anything goes wrong, your own your own because no one picks up if you call them. 4. You're ticket cost of $20 pays for the gas the Clubhouse runs on and the salaries of the staff. I thought that's what the expensive drinks covered! If you want to be on a boat in NY, I would recommend the North River Lobster Company. The boat picks you up from Manhattan, it departs every 1.5 hour starting from 1-10:30 unlike the Clubhouse which is so strict with only 4 departures and you have to buy a ticket specific to a departure time, no flexibility at all. With the North River Lobster Company, you can get on any of the departure times. AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY TO GET ON THE NORTH RIVER LOBSTER COMPANY! IT'S FREE. Plus the boat tours NYC while you drink and eat, it doesn't just sit at the Pier. The boat must run on solar power and the staff must all be volunteers! read more

So I'm visiting Brooklyn and saw this place and wanted to check it out. Although, I was slightly disappointed that it is not a boat tour but instead a stationary boat in the Hudson, I was extremely disappointed by the staff. The crew that took us to the boat didn't help me on or off the boat(I was wearing heels and a long dress) and were not welcoming at all. Then once we got on the "wall" we went to the bottom floor. Here, we sat with another party, and the captain only addressed them and did not even acknowledge our party which was extremely rude. We then asked to request a song, and were immediately dismissed because the captain said they had "critical repairs to make" so changing the music was at the bottom of the list. As u can imagine, this is not comforting to here when u r sitting in a stationary boat in the middle of the water. We then saw the captain eating a sandwich sitting looking out to the water so I guess he got to the repairs(?!). The rum punch was horrible and super expensive but the view was nice. We then left the boat after two hours and on our way out of the boat to the shuttle, we witnessed the captain yelling at the young woman in front of us to "move along!" in her face! I was so disturbed and I just wanted to get back to my car immediately. Overall super disappointing,also the yacht club is just a trailer... read more

A DESTINATION that's what it is plain and simple. People ask about all the touristy spots but this is an experience you must do. Lift the anchor on your life and experience one of NYCs hidden gems ... before it's not a hidden gem read more

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 take a million photos, 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 unforgettable. read more

If this were my first time I would give it four stars, but it was my second time going to the William Wall. The William Wall itself is really great. Amazing views of Manhattan and really interesting venue for drinks. The big problem is the trip there and back. It used to be (I think up until last year), the boat would pick you up from the marina behind the World Financial Center and take you straight to the William Wall (a barge in middle of the Hudson). This year they pick you up from the Ferry Terminal (behind the World Financial Center) and drops you off in Jersey City, and you wait for the boat to pick you up and then take you back to the World Financial Center. Worse, you need to leave the William Wall by 8:15 in order to catch the 8:30 ferry back to the city from Jersey City. Also, the cost of your ticket only covers the trip there and does not cover the trip back, which isn't clear when you are paying(costs $7 a person to get back). Getting to the William Wall used to be part of the fun, but now it is just a headache and I don't think it is worth going more than once. read more