We’ve all seen the Sex and the City episode where we learned Carrie Bradshaw’s greatest love is New York City, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun with a man of the seas. Here’s where to meet sailors during Fleet Week.
Climb aboard their boat: Get on their turf! You can meet sailors on U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and Naval Academy Yard Patrol boats during the day (from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.) at Pier 90, the Intrepid’s Pier 86, the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and Staten Island’s Homeport Pier all week. Check the schedule to see exactly when each boat is open.
Go to Times Square (really!): Think about it: Most sailors are tourists. We suggest hitting up Times Square to find sailors taking pictures with Elmo or attending Broadway shows. You can also catch them at Navy band concerts throughout the week: Wednesday from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at the South Street Seaport, Thursday in Washington Square Park from 4-5 p.m., Friday in Times Square from 8-9:15 p.m. and again on Saturday and Sunday from 5-6:30 p.m.
Try a dive bar: According to Yelp reviewers, popular Fleet Week bars include Rudy’s and McSorley’s. A 2011 CBS article claimed that other dives like O’Lunney’s and Jake’s Dilemma were popular among the sea men.
Tinder: Sailors know the only direction to swipe is right.
