In 1953, Frank Barry, Gerald O'Driscoll, Helen Mitchell, William Moran, and Frank Clair founded Circle Line, the nautical sightseeing operation, providing cruises which circled Manhattan.

Operating as Circle Line-Statue of Liberty Ferry, Inc., this offshoot was contracted by the United States Department of Interior National Park Service to provide exclusive ferry service to both Liberty Island and Ellis Island in 1954.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Meyer and Moran, sought to lend a hand in the revitalization of lower Manhattan.

On November 3, 2008 New York Water Taxi announced that they had purchased Circle Line Downtown.

[2] Circle Line Downtown operates sightseeing cruises that sails past many New York landmarks including the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island Immigration Museum, the One World Trade Center Freedom Tower, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, in addition to the Shark Speedboat and other seasonal cruises.