Colin Jost Shares New Details on His Staten Island Ferry Plan with Pete Davidson
“I thought… if you put that on a dock in Manhattan, you’ve suddenly got a building on the waterfront,” the “SNL” star said.
Colin Jost is offering more updates on the Staten Island ferry he bought with Pete Davidson.
On a new episode of “SmartLess,” available one week early on SiriusXM, the “Saturday Night Live” star expanded on the already well-known purchase, sharing new specifics about the ferry’s future, its financial reality, and how close it may be to becoming something real.
Stream the full episode anytime on the SiriusXM app.
Not just a joke purchase
Jost and Davidson’s purchase of the decommissioned ferry for about $280,000 has been widely covered since it was first announced. At the time, Jost framed it as a kind of unconventional real estate play, pointing to the boat’s size (roughly 70,000 square feet) and potential as a waterfront destination.
On “SmartLess,” he reiterated that thinking:
“I thought in a real estate way… if you put that on a dock in Manhattan, you’ve suddenly got basically a building on the waterfront.”
But he pushed back on the narrative that the ferry has been a money pit.
“It’s very misreported that it is some sort of crazy money pit,” Jost said, adding that they’ve already hosted events on the vessel and recouped much of what they’ve invested so far.
A clearer vision for what’s next
While earlier reports floated broad ideas like turning the ferry into a hotel or entertainment space, Jost offered more concrete and varied concepts this time around.
He said the long-term goal is to secure a permanent dock, something he suggested they may be getting close to.
From there, he envisions a dual-purpose destination:a full-time entertainment venue that can host events and parties, plus a more casual, community-style space inspired by the kind of swim clubs he grew up with on Staten Island
“I could imagine creating a place like that that’s not like a weird fancy members club, but it’s actually more middle class in Manhattan,” he said.
Jost also joked that the concept could evolve into something like “a cruise ship that doesn’t leave.”
