New York Harbor, Seaport in New York, US
The Port of New York is a major seaport on the East Coast of the United States, centered around the Upper Bay and Lower Bay where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Cruise ship terminals are found in Manhattan and Brooklyn, while most cargo container activity has shifted to the port of Newark, across the river in New Jersey.
The harbor was first noted by Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524, and the port grew into one of the world's busiest during the 1800s when immigrants and goods poured through daily. After World War II, air travel and the rise of other ports reduced its role, and by the 1960s Rotterdam had taken the top spot globally.
In Manhattan, the South Street Seaport area preserves old warehouses and docks that give a sense of what the working waterfront once looked like. Today people gather there to walk along the water and look out at ships passing through the harbor.
The most accessible parts of the port for visitors are around South Street Seaport in Manhattan and the cruise terminals in Manhattan and Brooklyn. If you want to see active cargo operations, keep in mind that the main freight terminals are across the river in New Jersey and are not open to the public.
Sandy Hook Light, located at the entrance to the harbor, is the oldest lighthouse still in operation in the United States, guiding ships safely into the bay since the 18th century. It sits within the harbor area and can be visited today.
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