The Second Act of Colin Jost and Pete Davidson’s Ferry Is Upon Us

In 2022, two of Staten Island’s most prominent residents who are not members of the Wu-Tang Clan bought a boat. And while celebrities turning their sights on all things nautical isn’t that surprising — just ask Jeff Bezos — the choice of vessel that Colin Jost and Pete Davidson made was a little unconventional. Specifically, it was a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry — the kind of thing that could become an intriguing destination in the right hands, or an utter logistical nightmare if not cultivated properly.

Two years after their ambitious purchase, we’re about to get a sense of what Jost and Davidson (and third partner Paul Italia) have done with the place. As Curbed’s Clio Chang reports, the repurposed ferry is set to host a Fashion Week event for Tommy Hilfiger. To that end, the vessel is currently docked at South Street Seaport. And while a high-profile Fashion Week show taking place on a (decommissioned) Staten Island Ferry sounds like the stuff of a Stefon bit, this is very real.

The version of the ferry that the Tommy Hilfiger show guests will experience won’t be the final form the renovated boat takes. Curbed’s reporting notes that a series of renovations are still underway that will result in the ferry containing a hotel and several bars — which certainly sounds like an appealing destination.

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Last month, Women’s Wear Daily was the first to report on this unconventional choice for a high-profile event. Jost and Davidson’s ferry won’t be the only boat in New York City with a very different second act: from the Frying Pan to the Intrepid Museum, the city’s waterfront abounds with repurposed vessels whose working days are behind them. (To say nothing of the now-defunct Boatel at the Rockaways.) This Fashion Week event should offer an enticing blend of the next addition to their number.