What: Free fare on the new East River Ferry service
Where: Stops include Long Island City, Greenpoint, North Williamsburg, South Williamsburg, Atlantic Avenue, Governor’s Island, East 34th Street and Pier 11 in Manhattan.
When: June 13–24
Why: To celebrate its new ferry route connecting Manhattan to Brooklyn, Queens and Governor’s Island, NY Waterway is offering free rides on the East River Ferry for a limited time. Service will run every 20 minutes year-round during peak hours, and at least every hour the rest of the time. In an attempt to reduce harmful emissions, spokesperson Julie Halpin said the route will utilize ferries from a 33-boat fleet that runs on a diesel blend, which is more than 80 percent ultra low sulfur. By spring of next year, the fleet’s fuel will be 100 percent ultra low sulfur diesel.
Cost: Free June 13–24; normal fare will then be $4 for a one-way ticket/$12 for a day pass/$140 for a monthly pass
How to get there: Varies according to location. Visit nywaterway.com for more details.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram