Brooklyn Boat, mansions, gardens, and waterfront

Let's take a 33-minute ride on the NYC Ferry from Wall Street to Sunset Park, Brooklyn. (Get a ticket by purchasing them on the dock or downloading the NYC Ferry app.) Then we'll walk south on the promenade skirting the water, which offers wonderful views of the harbor and shorebirds. We'll take a few detours, to explore a botanical gardens and view some of Bay Ridge's old, magnificent mansions. We'll continue south along the water to the Verrazano Bridge, then return by subway.
If you'd rather skip the ferry, you can meet us at 2:28 on the dock at Sunset Park/Brooklyn Army Terminal
DON'T BE LATE: THE FERRY LEAVES AT 1:55 PM
DISTANCE: About 4 miles
FINISH AT: Around 5:30 PM though you can leave earlier, of course.
LATE LUNCH/SNACK : Bring your own food 2
COST: $1 for me plus a ferry ticket:
TICKET: Buy a one-way ticket on the pier or download the NYC Ferry app from the App Store or Google Play Store. $4.50 regular, $1.50 seniors. We'll return by the R train in Bay Ridge.
TRANSPORTATION TO PIER 11: 1,2,3 train (closest) or 4,5,6 train, all to Wall St. Then walk east to the river, cross South St., and turn right, reaching Pier 11 in a block or two.