The President of North Cove Management is Michael Fortenbaugh, who is also the director of The Manhattan Sailing School. A resident of the area, which is known as Battery Park City, he is passionate about making lower Manhattan thrive. Even before he assumed the presidency of North Cove Management, he was engaged in reviving seafaring activity in the neighborhood. He has said: “On the one year anniversary of 9/11, I was privileged to serve as Chair of the committee that created ‘Sail for America.’ More than one thousand sailboats filled the harbor as a tribute to those who were lost and a demonstration of the spirit of America. On that day, I realized that if we just kept working hard, everything would turn out for the best.” And he presently affirms that it has: “Lower Manhattan is now New York City’s most vibrant community. The residential population has more than doubled since 2001. North Cove is right in the center of this mix. Around the marina is a great esplanade with linden trees, grass, flowers, and ornamental greenery. All sorts of people walk by from corporate executives to movie stars and other celebrities. Keep your eyes open and when you see a person behind a large hat and sunglasses, see if you recognize them.”

Physically, The North Cove is backed by The World Financial Center, designed by architect César Pelli. His book Observations for Young Architects could well be enjoyed during a yacht charter that includes a port stop in New York. At the time it was built, The World Financial Center was hailed by architecture critics as the finest collection of buildings in New York since those at Rockefeller Center. It certainly makes for a majestic, uplifting sight when seen in approach from the harbor with sunlight glinting off its surfaces. At its center is the Winter Garden, with 16 palm trees in a soaring atrium. The Center is enlivened by arts presentations and festivals, and it serves as headquarters to many of the financial world’s towering giants. Walking the streets of the area, one notes a persistent and delightful scent of money being made.

As a marina, The North Cove is service oriented. It offers three docking options: floating docks, seawalls, and Mediterranean mooring slips. At this time, its maximum length over all is 180ft. Visitors to The North Cove enjoy wireless Internet access. Laura Migliozzi of North Cove Management says: “North Cove specializes in customer service. We solve all the captain’s problems when they arrive at the marina. For the past two years, we have had Heineken Beer as a marina sponsor. Every time a megayacht pulls into the marina, they are greeted with a case of Heineken and a welcome package that includes things like yachting magazines, where to provision, maps of the area, and events of Lower Manhattan.”

When I asked Laura if visitors are provided with insider tips on New York City hot spots, she said: “Oh yes. We give information along those lines directly to the person asking, because everyone wants a different New York experience. We will advise them on where to head after hearing about the specific mood and occasion, as well as what the end goals are of their outing.”

The North Cove’s Website (www.thenorthcove.com) has a Recent Visitors page where you may see which yachts have come a calling of late. Many highly desirable charterable yachts berthed here in the year following the grand reopening. Drumbeat, for instance, is a 173-foot sailing yacht with cream-colored linen and silk carpet in the master suite. The Codecasa-built, 160-foot Te Manu has an oval-shaped main dining room paneled in gloss cherry. Il Cigno (the name is Italian for swan), is 138′ and has underwater lighting for night viewing of marine life.

At The North Cove, that marine life could well include seals, which have been sighted with some frequency in New York harbor lately. If you do not see seals, then you might see a blue heron flying in glory across the waterway. Then again, racing giant Dame Ellen MacArthur has berthed her trimaran here. The Harbor Lights festival in December, when yachts in The North Cove put on a scintillating display of lights, is a local favorite. By including The North Cove in your yacht charter itinerary, you will surely verify that New York perpetually earns its moniker as The Greatest City in the World. If it weren’t for my living two blocks from Lincoln Center, I might just contract a yacht to be in The North Cove this coming September 24, when the Metropolitan Opera will open its 2007–2008 season with a star-studded performance of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor.