By Sunayana Prabhu
HIGHLANDS – If driving to New York to catch a Mets baseball game this season sounds daunting, ferries are ready to set sail from Highlands to Citi Field and return you after the game. After a decade-long absence, Seastreak has officially resumed its ferry service to Citi Field for New York Mets games, bringing fans a scenic and hassle-free alternative to the notoriously congested drive to Queens.
“We haven’t run the service to Citi Field in 10 years because there wasn’t a dock space available there, but we finally secured a place to land near Citi Field,” said James Barker, vice president sales and marketing, Seastreak. “It’s something that people have been asking us to do for years and years. We’ve been trying to get it done. It looks like now we’re finally able to do it again, and people are very happy and excited about it.”
The high-speed ferry departs from Highlands with an additional pickup in Staten Island and docks at 1 World’s Fair Marina in Flushing, New York, a short walk from Citi Field. The trip takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes from Highlands and approximately 45 minutes from Staten Island. Return trips depart 45 minutes after the final out of the game.
Seastreak first operated the service more than a decade ago, but lost access to a publicly owned dock space at Citi Field due to a long-term construction project years ago. “Every year we check on it, see where it progressed, and it’s kind of just been on pause,” Barker said. Efforts to bring the service back also stalled for years due to COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions and protocols.
Barker noted that it wasn’t until this year that an alternative landing site became available. “Now there’s a different dock that we’re able to land at and we’ve secured it for the season. We’ve been trying for years and we’re happy we finally made it happen,” Barker said.
Currently, the ferry service is offered on weekends for most Mets home games. Fans can purchase ferry-only tickets or combo packages that include game admission. Passengers can get pregame show coverage aboard the vessel.
“You can eat on the boat, we have a bar available and the breeze,” Barker said. “The feedback from that has been so positive so far. People are thrilled.”
The service launched in early May and is expected to run for about 20 more games this season. While not at full capacity yet, Barker noted demand has been high.
He said he is “hopeful” Seastreak can use the leased dock for other events. Future plans include expanding the service to other events at Citi Field, like concerts, and the U.S. Open Tennis Championships held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens.
“There are concerts, like big stadium acts, that we can likely bring people to,” he said. “We’re thinking about adding tennis trips come U.S. Open time – August and September.”
For fans traveling from New Jersey and Staten Island, the ferry offers a convenient alternative to sitting in traffic or paying for parking and tolls. For those considering attending a Mets game by ferry, Barker says the benefits are obvious.
“If you look at a map, it’s a no-brainer,” Barker said. “You avoid the length of the trip in driving, which can be well over two hours.” Additionally, he said the return can get more challenging as “everybody’s leaving the stadium at the same time, (it) can be a real nightmare, so much that people just don’t really attend the Mets games with any frequency from around here, because it’s such a pain.”
“If you’re not a commuter with Seastreak, sometimes you do forget how accessible that is, and how beautiful it is,” he added.
The article originally appeared in the June 5 – 11, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
