Journey to IKEA in Brooklyn

On a Sunday evening one night, I took a subway to the deserted Financial District in search of Pier 11. Follow Wall Street down to the East River and go a half block further south, and you'll find it. Pier 11 is where the "IKEA express" docks from Manhattan Island. It is a New York Water Taxi that takes one to the IKEA superstore in Red Hook (Roode Hoek in Dutch), a neighborhood in Brooklyn. The store is right on the waterfront. On weekends, it's a free ride. Otherwise, it's 5 dollars per ride unless one spends 10 dollars at the IKEA store, and then a 5-dollar credit is received in return. I think that's a pretty good deal. Especially at the chance to sight-see a bit in New York's harbor. I got a good view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Governors Island, though it was overcast and drizzly. But I call that a perfect evening to visit IKEA, and have a cup of coffee, and some Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam and lingonberry drink in their cafeteria, all for $3.65 which seems like such a bargain for being in New York City. And...I could have had unlimited refills of coffee. But alas, I had to go venture through the maze of showrooms before the store was going to close. They have directional lines on the floor so customers won't get lost. By the time I made it all the way through, it was closing time, so I quickly grabbed a few Swedish groceries near the checkout lanes to take back with me. I knew already that I had missed the last Water Taxi going back, but it was no problem, I thought, because I could just as well take a bus (B61) to downtown Brooklyn and catch a subway (F train) back.

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