In June, I graduated from MIT and am now working at Broadridge Financial in Jersey City, right next to New York. I searched in Craigslist to find a suitable place of residence and encounter a rater intriguing posting titled “Living on the Hudson River”. One month later, I became the title.
The ferry with the Manhattan skyline in the background (source: nj.com)
Why did I want to live on a boat? My goal in life is to try out as many different living arrangements as possible. I want to live not only in the depths of an African jungle but also in the middle of an metropolitan city. I want to live like I have not a cent in the world and also as if I’m the Roman Emperor. This marked a rare and excellent opportunity for my goal in life and I jumped on it.
The owners of the boat, Victoria and Richard, bought the boat in 2003 and renovated it. Unfortunately, the motors of the ferry have long stopped working and therefore there will be no cruises around the Hudson River. The owners filled the ferry with of homemade art that they exhibit in an art show every couple months. One of my favorite is the lamp made of seashell and corral. There is also an enormous painting fixed to the ceiling on top of my bed. I have always wanted to do something like that except with a giant monitor for a literally laid-back movie experience
The beautiful painting that I fall asleep to every night
The boat is about 100 feet long, four levels. The bottommost level is the engine/machinery level while the second level composes of the living quarters. The third level contains rows of benches as well as an grand piano. They attached the dining table and chairs to the ceiling with rope for an intriguing dinner experience. Whenever the boat rocks around, the table as well as the chairs sway with the motion of the boat. Its a ingenious way of keeping food items from tipping over. On the top level lies the captain’s quarter, which is the only room on the boat that has air conditioning. There is also a giant hammock on the top level, which is my favorite hang out place on the boat. I love watching the night sky from the hammock. True, New York is the worst place for star gazing, but I still love it.
Favorite hangout spot
Normally the boat’s swaying does not get past ten degrees from horizontal. One night I was dreaming and I was trying to survive an earthquake. Then I saw the movie Inception and decided that the boat’s swaying x10 translated to an earthquake in my dream. I have gotten so used to it that people have observed me swaying from side to side on land.
The living room of the Yankee, filled with homemade art
Contrary to popular opinion,, the boat has all of the common amenities of a typical apartment, including bathroom, shower, bathtub, kitchen, and heating. There are a few extra hassles going about your daily business though. The shower needs to be swiped with a wiper after showers to prevent molding. The sink needs to be dried after every use because of rusting problem. But hey, every living arrangement has its pet peeves.
If anything should happen to the boat..
When I found out that the ferry was fully furnished, all my worries went the window. I hate furniture and household item shopping and I’m lucky that I have to do none of it. My room came complete with a bed, desk, chair, and a fan (a must in east coast summer). I have more drawer and closet space than I can every use. The kitchen also come fully equipped with a wide array of pots, pans, and silverware. All of the utilities are included with the rent, but the ferry does not have internet though. I have to go to the marina building in order to have access.
Here is a Youtube video about the boat
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