Whimsical and steeped in history, the Yankee Ferry is a dream location for photo, film production, and show-stopping events. Yankee was built in 1907 and is the last remaining Ellis Island ferry that brought immigrants from Ellis Island to Manhattan. She served the army in the first and second world wars, was in the first fleet to visit the Statue of Liberty and served Block Island for over 30 years. For the last twenty three years, she has been stewarded by Victoria and Richard MacKenzie-Childs, visionary artists and creators of the original iconic MacKenzie-Childs home-furnishings company. After losing the company in 2001, the couple bought Yankee Ferry and transformed it into their living and working space, weaving their visual brilliance into every inch of the place. Each room is meticulously curated and vibrantly populated with their art, lamps, and furniture, mixed in with the original historical features of this monument of New York history. 10,000 square feet, and 136 feet in length, the ferry boasts 4 levels, a huge top deck, a second-level promenade that wraps around the whole boat, a large passenger gallery converted into an open living space, 6 bedrooms, 1 living room, an office, 1 main galley (kitchen), 3 small kitchenettes, and 2 bathrooms. Each room is different, with small cozy cabins juxtaposed with the spacious passenger gallery, with its hanging oval dining table, and checkerboard floor. The top deck features panoramic views of the New York skyline in the distance contrasted with Staten Island's colorful industrial marine life in the foreground. Featured in Forbes, the New York Post, and the Gothamist, Yankee has been making its mark on New York City for over a hundred years. This is the first time it will be available for photo, video, and public events. Film and Video productions (as opposed to still photography) have an additional fee of +$150/hour (i.e. $325/hr (base) + $150/hr (film surcharge)) = $475/hr for film and video projects. This surcharge is due to the need for multiple scouts, heavier footprint, wear & tear, and EQ associated with these shoots. Please inquire, this fee may not apply to some small footprint recording for example to create BTS videos or socials content. Additional costs that apply to all productions: - 1x $60 per hr Site Rep Fee/ 1.5x ot - 1x $300 Cleaning Fee or more per day We require all bookings to put down a Security Deposit $1,000. This Security Deposit will be returned to your account within 5-10 business days assuming no damages occurred during your shoot. All persons planning to be onboard the ferry must sign a waiver. Absence of signed waivers can lead to the host canceling the booking. Someone from our team will be on site with you for the duration of the shoot to orient you in the space and also to verify head count and that all rules are followed. LAY OF THE LAND The ferry is docked in a working industrial marine shipyard, meaning that it is surrounded by the lively work of marine industry. Tug boats come in and out of the shipyard, and the cranes and machinery sit like strange birds on docks. During the work week, the shipyard can be quite loud, but in the evenings and on the weekends it usually quiets down. This is also why parking is variable depending on the work week. On weekends, there is much more free parking, but during the work day, the workers of the shipyard and the abutting furniture factory fill up the spaces to get to work. The energy and unusual beauty New York's marine industry has been a significant influence on the artistic vision of the ferry: juxtaposing metal valves with lace trim, and geometric patterns with gilded edges, challenging the meaning of luxury and beauty. Yankee Ferry is a working boat just as the other boats in the marina are. We must all simply coordinate our work around each other. If you have specific concerns about noise or parking, please do not hesitate to reach out and ask. ACCESSIBILITY: Cars can drive right up to the ferry, but then the boat itself is only accessible via a gang plank. The gang plan we have is made of metal and wood and has guard rails on the side. Depending on the tide, the step down from the gang plank onto the ferry will be more or less wide. There are footsteps available, and our team member on site can supervise and help in the process of boarding. The gang plank is relatively narrow, so larger equipment can be carried and handed from someone on the dock to someone on the ferry. As far as lighting, there is a lot of natural light on the second level and top deck, and there is less natural light on the first level. There are many, many lamps in every room, most of which were designed by Victoria and Richard. There are also some extension chords and clamp work lights available. BREAKDOWN OF THE FERRY: Lower level (the hull): this level is off limits and cannot be used for photography, film, or events. First Level: This is the level you enter into via the gang plank. When you enter, there is a set of french doors that lead into the "cargo deck." This is where cargo would have been loaded in and out of the ship when it was a working ferry. In homage to this, the port wall is lined will vintage suitcases stacked on top of each other. The cargo deck now functions as a workspace. The organization of the tools is an art piece of its own, each screw having its own little jar, each tool its painted outline. Even the rags hang on a bicycle tire suspended from a pulley system. To the left of the cargo deck is the bow, or the front of the ship. This small triangular space features a museum gallery, with pictures of Yankee Ferry dating back to it's christening in 1907, to the day the towers fell in 2001. To the right, further into the ferry, there is a narrow hallway, from which the first level bathroom, the control room or office, and one of the bedrooms can be accessed. Further down the hall leads to the salon, two bedrooms, and the galley (kitchen). These are the primary living quarters of the ferry, and every inch is gorgeously adorned and filled with color, contrast, and surprises. Second Level: This level is accessible via two sets of stairs, one in the bow and one in the living quarters. It features the passenger gallery; a large open room with checkerboard floors, a grand piano, creative seating arrangements featuring one of a kind designs, and a large oval dining table hanging from four pulleys. At the back there is also a small and quaint cabin (bedroom), and the second bathroom. The second level also features the promenade, which is an outdoor section akin to a porch that wraps around the whole circumference of the boat. The promenade as well as the passenger gallery features the original wooden benches that Ellis Island immigrants would have sat on during their journey to Manhattan. Top deck: The top deck features the Captain's quarters, which has been transformed into a living space with two bedrooms and a quaint shared kitchen. It features the original steering wheel and communications system of the ferry. Apart from the Captain's quarters, the top deck is open air, stretching the majority of the length of the ship, and featuring the ferry's iconic smoke stack.