The waterfront building in the foreground is Whitehall Terminal , located at the southern tip of Manhattan in New York City . Whitehall Terminal serves as the Manhattan departure point for the famous Staten Island Ferry, one of the busiest ferry routes in the United States . The free ferry service connects Manhattan with Staten Island, carrying millions of passengers each year across New York Harbor. Behind the terminal rises the skyline of Lower Manhattan, where modern office towers stand alongside historic waterfront buildings, illustrating the dense urban landscape that defines New York City’s financial district.