Bayonne

Posted by rmichals on January 19, 2012 None comments

Bayonne is a great example of why sea level rise will have an impact on everyone in the metropolitan area no matter where you live. The parts of Bayonne that are predicted to face permanent inundation are primarily on its east coast where it houses energy infrastructure and two large fingers of landfill that jut out into the harbor that host a container port. (The northern one is is actually in Jersey City.) All of us depend on this infrastructure to create life as we know it.

Bayonne across the Kill Van Kull, January 16, 2012

Two tankers were in port when I was at Bard Avenue along the Kill Van Kull on Monday.

Mount Hope, tanker, Bayonne, NJ, January, 16, 2012

Altesse, tanker, Bayonne, NJ, January 16, 2012

Going north across Constable Hook after a number of tank farms, there is the Bayonne Golf Club. It is built on a former garbage dump. According to nbcsports in 2006, the
Initiation fee is $175,000 for locals and $75,000 for national or international members and then a member must pay $10,000 annual dues. I have seen the ferry that goes between Lower Manhattan and the golf course. I couldn’t make this up. The golf course is 100 feet above sea level, having been elevated with sludge from the harbor according to golfcoursegurus.com so no fear that you will lose your initiation fee because the course is under water.

Bayonne Golf Club Clubhouse, Constable Hool, Bayonne, NJ, January 18, 2012

Running along the north side of the golf course is a section of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway. I learned about this walkway by going on a walk through Bayonne last April offered by Shorewalkers led by Craig Nunn. He is extremely knowledgeable about New Jersey history. If you get a chance to go on one of his walks, I highly recommend it.

Pretty much everything that you can see across the water from the walkway faces the challenge of sea level rise. Lets start with Alexan CityViews.

Bayonne, NJ, January 18, 2012

Looking at google maps, this apartment complex wasn’t even built yet when they took the satellite photo of this area. It is isolated from other residential areas and shopping on the west by route 440. On the east extends the pier. I noticed a fair amount of truck traffic. Reviews on yelp are not good.

This apartment complex is at the western base of a long man-made rectangular finger of land that was once called MOTBY-Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne and has been renamed The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor. At the end are the Cape Liberty Cruise Port, Bayonne Dry Dock and Repair Corp. and the Tear of Grief 9/11 memorial. There is a remnant of MOTBY on the water tower.

Here you can see the cranes of Global Marine Terminal.

Global Marine Terminal, Jersey City, NJ, January 18, 2012

As I was out on this section of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, I saw a Bald Eagle. I have seen them before in New Mexico but never here in the east. I thought at first it was a very large gull. It was carrying a rat. I have to admit I am still a bit amazed. I read at the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife that there are now over 100 pairs of Bald Eagles in New Jersey. Good news.

Bald Eagle, Constable Hook, Bayonne, NJ, January 18, 2012

Sunset Park-Bush Terminal

Posted by rmichals on January 3, 2012 3 comments

On Friday, I took a walk around the Bush Terminal with Sean McGoldrick who knows this complex well. We started at 39th Street.

39th Street and 2nd Avenue, Sunset Park, Brooklyn, December 30, 2011

As you look along 39th Street, I think you get a sense of the mixed state of development of the Bush Terminal, much of it now known as Industry City. From left to right, 168 39th Street has been renovated and is partially occupied, 80 39th Street has not been renovated and is partially occupied and 52 39th Street is abandoned.

It is from 39th St to 53rd street east of 1st Avenue that the Coastal Resilience map predicts the greatest damage from sea level rise. Climatealtas predicts a slightly different scenario with damage all along the pier areas from 54th to 26th. Either way, Sunset Park’s deep water, that in many ways is a great asset, will need to be considered.

Here is 52 39th St from the other side looking north.

52 39th Street, Sunset Park, Brooklyn, December 30, 2011

Here you can see how the building is built out into the water which would have been fantastic for shipping whatever one made or stored in 52.

South side of 52 39th Street, Sunset Park, Brooklyn, NY, December 30, 2011

South of 52 is this building.

40th Street, Bush Terminal, Sunset Park, Brooklyn, NY, December 30, 2011

Out from it extends the one pier that does not appear to be included in any redevelopment plans.

40th Street, Upper New York Bay, Brooklyn, NY, December 30, 2011

The next pier as you go south is slated for cement production according to the Brooklyn CB7 197-A plan.

Bush Perminal Pier 6, Sunset Park, Brooklyn, NY, December 30, 2011

43rd Street, Sunset Park, Brooklyn, NY, December 30, 2011

All of what we had seen so far seemed more or less as it had been the last time I had been here in the summer of 2009. But looking south, things are really in the process of transformation.

Bush Terminal Piers Park, Brooklyn, NY, December 30, 2011

Work was ongoing even on this Friday before the New Year holiday weekend. It is already possible to get a sense of how lovely it will be. It looks like it could be ready to open this year but I can’t find a confirmation of this.

Bush Terminal Piers Park, Brooklyn, NY, December 30, 2011

At least it must have been relatively easy to get clean dirt to the site.

Bush Terminal Piers Park, Brooklyn, NY, December 30, 2011

The views of course will be spectacular. From here you can see the Goldman Sacks Tower in Jersey City.

Bush Terminal Piers Park, Brooklyn, NY, December 30, 2011

And of course Lower Manhattan.

Bush Terminal Piers Park, Brooklyn, NY, December 30, 2011

Bush Terminal Piers, Brooklyn, NY, December 30, 2011

Then we walked south and went into some of the Industry City buildings. From the top of one that was particularly nicely renovated, we could see out over the Southern Brooklyn Marine Terminal. The Axis Group looks like they are already storing a few cars here. And on the far pier it looks like the new recycling facility is underway.

Southern Brooklyn Marine Terminal, Brooklyn, NY, December 30, 2011

Randall’s Island

Posted by rmichals on December 21, 2011 None comments

I have gone to the combined Randall-Ward’s Island twice in the last few weeks. The edges of Randall’s Island will be slightly eroded by sea level rise but my real interest here was the thought that I could get a view of the shoreline of East Harlem and the Bronx as well as the big power plant in Astoria all of which are predicted to suffer some inundation. I also have very fond memories of bicycling on the island in the 60s with my family which added to my interest in photographing here. The warm fuzzy nostalgia was quickly eroded when I got off the M35 at what is now the the Charles Gay Assessment Shelter/Clarke Thomas Men’s Shelter, 234 beds, the Keener Men’s Shelter, 292 beds and the Schwartz Men’s Shelter, 335 beds. (info from the Coalition for the Homeless website.) The first is run by HelpUSA and the other two by Volunteers of America. It seems that the Koch adminstration first put an emergency shelter here. This NYT article from 1981 says that homeless men prefer the Ward’s Island shelter to one in the Catskills that was being used at the time. For a different view of the shelters, scroll down on this page of city-data to the post by wearemightierthanthesword written in October of this year.

When I got off the bus, I thought I could get down to the water by walking down the road between the shelter buildings and the Psychiatric Center. In fact, there are fences to prevent any cross over. Then I tried walking between the buildings only to find more fences. Finally, I started out under the Triborough Bridge overpass towards the east side of the island and a man approached me to ask if I was lost. I admitted that I was. He said, “You must be looking for the Tennis Center!” Never having even heard of the Tennis Center, I replied, “Yes, how do I get there?” Given the evident misery in the men around me since I had gotten on the bus, my actual purpose in being there seemed irrelevant. This experience made me question what I am doing. Not sure what to do with this yet.

I followed the man’s directions and ended up on Randall’s Island by the Tennis Center. As described in New York’s Other Islands by Sharon Seitz and Stuart Miller, Randall’s Island has been transformed by Karen Cohen’s Randall’s Island Sports Foundation.

Tennis Center, Randall's Island, NY, NY, December 19, 2011

There has been some wetlands restoration in the area where I assume Randall’s and Ward’s Islands were once separated by water.

Randall-Ward's Island, NY, NY, December 8, 2011

There is a great view of the Astoria power plant complex from behind the Tennis Center.

ConEd Astoria LNG Plant, Queens, NY, December 8, 2011

The train trestle is quite lovely.

Randall's Island, NY, NY, December 8, 2011

Randall/s Island, NY, NY, December 8, 2011

This week, I went back accompanied by my friend and photographer, Nina Young. The clouds rolled in more or less as we arrived. We explored the Bronx Kill before it was just too dark and sullen to continue. In the Bronx, we could see an encampment outside the New York Post fence by the water.

Bronx, Ny, from Randall's Island, NY, NY, December 19, 2011

The Bronx Kill is very narrow. This was near high tide. The water was coming in. Signs mark this as a protected wetland.

Bronx Kill, Randall's Island, NY, NY, December 19, 2011

There is ongoing work including on this bridge which looks very different than it did in this blog post which I am going to guess was 2009.

Randall's Island, NY, NY, December 19, 2011

The water was very clear.

Bronx Kill, NY, December 19, 2011

Much of what is on the Bronx side makes a strong contrast to the manicured playing fields of the new Randall’s Island.

Bronx Kill, NY, December 19, 2011

At the end of the Bronx Kill where it meets the Harlem River on the Bronx side is predicted to be permanently inundated by 2100. Given what is there now, I doubt anyone will care.

The Bronx Kill from Randall's Island, NY, NY, December 19, 2011

Bergen Beach

Posted by rmichals on December 15, 2011 None comments

Last Monday, I went to a spot in Bergen Beach along Paedergat Basin off of Avenue V with Will Elkins who has put together the New York City Lighter Log, for which he collected over 1900 plastic disposable lighters from waterfront sites. This spot in Bergen Beach had the highest total of lighters found.

Bergen Beach, Brooklyn, NY, December 12, 2011

As we walked in towards Paerdegat Basin, there is a small pond, almost lovely except for the plastic strewn around.

Bergen Beach, Brooklyn, NY, December 12, 2011

There is bigger stuff too. Will pointed out an suv around the corner.

Bergen Beach, Brooklyn, NY, December 12, 2011

Then we walked out towards the basin itself. This geography has been drastically altered over the last century. Compare the present to 1924 on the NYC DoITT map. Now this area is forecast to be permanently inundated by 2100 according to the University of Arizona Geosciences sea level rise map and the climate atlas map. Here one would expect the marsh to migrate upland. There is space for this to happen.

Bergen Beach, Brooklyn, NY, December 12, 2011

The accumulation of plastic is astounding. At the top of Paerdegat Basin is the Paerdegat Basin CSO Facility that was turned on last May. Theoretically it removes 100% of floatables. So is all this stuff really from before May 2011?

Bergen Beach, Brooklyn, NY, December 12, 2011

Bergen Beach, Brooklyn, NY, December 12, 2011

Bergen Beach, Brooklyn, NY, December 12, 2011

Newtown Creek

Posted by rmichals on December 1, 2011 None comments

Last Sunday, Bill Schuck took me and Steve Lang out on the Newtown Creek in his boat. Riding low in the water gives one a whole different perspective.

Metro Terminals Corporation, 498 Kingsland Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, November 27, 2011

We rowed out to Meeker Avenue and back. We amused more than one security guard.

Bill Schuck and Steve Lang on the Newtown Creek, Brooklyn, NY, November 27, 2011

When we set it out it was an hour or two after high tide. The high tide water line was still visible. With 2 feet more of water, the Newtown Creek will be going over its bulkheads at high tide.

49 Ash Street, Brooklyn, NY, November 27, 2011

The bulkhead varies tremendously around the creek from property to property. From what I understand it is the responsibility of the owner of the property, not the city, to maintain the bulkhead. Bill mentioned that the cost for the GMDC to fix its bulkhead-this is one building-was in the millions. Now take this and multiply by NYC’s 520 miles of coast line. Bulkhead for protection against sea level rise may or may not be an economically viable solution.

Newtwon Creek, Queens, NY, November 27, 2011

Here it looks like the water, even now, comes up to the top of the wood bulkhead. At least there is a little embankment.

Newtown Creek, Queens, NY, November 27, 2011

We did pass one area of very new and relatively high bulkhead. It fronted 50 Bridgewater St. This was once the Texaco terminal but now is Peerless Importers. This is one of the places that oil was seeping from the big spill under Greenpoint into the creek. Bill thought that this bulkhead might be part of the effort to prevent further seepage into the creek.

50 Bridgewater St., Brooklyn, NY, November 27, 2011

B P Amoco still has an installation here.

B P Amoco, 125 Apollo Street, Brooklyn, NY, November 27, 2011

B P Amoco, 125 Apollo Street, Brooklyn, NY, November 27, 2011

The Newtown Creek also hosts a large recycling facility run by Sims Metal Management. Moving recycling by barge is a great way to reduce truck traffic.

Sims Metal Manaagement, Long Island City, Queens, Ny, November 27, 2011

And while these pictures show plastic recycling, much of what goes on here is metal. Scrap metal is one of New York’s top 25 exports by dollar value. Crains New York doesn’t specify quantity but names scrap metal and waste paper as major exports to China.

Sims Metal Management, Long Island City, Queens, NY, November 27, 2011

Across from Sims on the Brooklyn side is an unused marine transfer station and the Newtown Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, Brooklyn, NY, November 27, 2011

It never ceases to amaze me how much of New York’s waterfront is used for parking. I suppose this kind of flexible use could be considered a good thing. If there is threat of a storm, you can move your vehicle. One the other hand, it shows how little the waterfront was valued in the past.

Long Island City, Queens, NY, November 27, 2011

Waterfront living is now an easy sale at least to developers. As you can see here on the other side of the creek, Hunter’s Point has seen an incredible amount of building with more to come. That whole area is low-lying and consequently threatened with sea level rise.

Newtown Creek, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY, November 27, 2011

Thank you Bill for a great trip!

Hoboken

Posted by rmichals on November 14, 2011 None comments

The fact that the west part of New York harbor is called New Jersey is the consequence of the Duke of York, who according to Gotham, had never been here and gave away all of the colony between the Hudson and Delaware Rivers in 1665. An indirect consequence of this giveaway so long ago is that an insightful planning document like the New York State Sea level Rise Task Force Report only deals with the area under its political jurisdiction. As the Hudson rises, both sides of the river will be affected. Different maps project different scenarios for Hoboken. The University of Arizona Geosciences map shows the water cutting deep inland. If this prediction turns out to be true, Hoboken will be one of the areas in the metropolitan area where a residential neighborhood relatively far from the water’s edge will be affected. Other maps show the rising water levels as affecting the Hoboken waterfront only.

From Hoboken, the view of Lower Manhattan and Battery Park City, in particular, is spectacular. Both Hoboken and Battery Park City were created by landfill. The question will be how to protect them as tides rise.

Lower Manhattan, July 20, 2011

Lower Manhattan, November 7, 2011

The Hoboken waterfront is being redeveloped just as the waterfronts in New York City are, often by the same designers.

Pier C Park, Hoboken, NJ, November 2, 2011

Hoboken, NJ, November 7, 2011

Hoboken is a transportation hub, with trains, light rail, the Path, and ferries all converging at the old Erie Lackawanna terminal.

Hoboken, NJ, November 2, 2011

Hoboken, NJ, November 7, 2011

Then of course that are all the condos, many of them right on the water.

Looking toward Weekhawken Cove from the 14th Street pier, Hoboken, NJ, November 2, 2011

Weehawken Cove from the 14th St. pier, Hoboken, NJ, November 7, 2011

King Tide, Manhattan Bridge, Coney Island

Posted by rmichals on November 4, 2011 None comments

On October 26th and 27th, the tides were particularly high due to the alignment of the sun and the moon’s gravitational pull. This alignment happens twice a year and is sometimes called the king tide. The NY-NY Harbor Estuary Program in an effort directed by Kate Boicourt asked people to photograph the high tide on October 26th and 27th and then photograph the high tide in the same location for comparison. While the king tide is not a product of sea level rise, the idea is to get some idea of the impact of rising tides.

On October 26th, I went to the part of the Brooklyn Bridge park that is between the bridges to capture the high tide which I think was about 8:25am. And it was higher than usual.

Brooklyn Bridge Park, October 26, 2011, 7:53am

Just as written in the Times, the water covered the bottom step of the five steps of the amphitheater there as well as occasionally lapping over the fourth step.

Brooklyn Bridge Park, October 26, 2011, 8:27am

When I went back yesterday, at high tide, which was at 3:53pm, the water not only didn’t reach the top of the steps but didn’t even completely cover the rocks below it.

Brooklyn Bridge Park, November 3, 2011, 3:44pm

Under the Manhattan Bridge is another little beach. I took two comparison shots there as well. The difference was striking as during the king tide the water came well up the pathway that leads down to the little beach there. There was a little dog there barking at it each time it came up. Yesterday at high tide the water did not come up beyond the beach at all.

Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn, October 26, 2011, 8:20am

Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn, November 3, 2011, 4:02pm

This was shot from the same beach down at the water’s edge. I like the odd combination of the soft romantic water and the dreary landscape of the East River.

Under the Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn, November 3, 2011

I also went to Coney Island to make tide comparison shots. It was raining on the morning of October 27th so the fact that the beach at Coney is so close to the subway determined my selection of a location. I think high tide was at 8:35am on the day of the king tide and on Wednesday, it was at 1:55pm.
Here is the west side of the pier:

Coney Island, October 27, 2011, 8:37am

Coney Island, November 2, 2011, 1;41PM

Here is the east side of the pier:

Coney Island, October 27, 2011, 8:22am

Coney Island, November 2, 2011, 2:06pm

At Coney Island, the difference between the two tides was less clear than at Brooklyn Bridge Park. The water was very calm on October 27th while the waves were big for Coney Island on November 2nd. So when you look at the jetties in the photos, you can see that the water was deeper on the king tide but it was coming up the beach almost as far on November 2nd, I think due to the wave action. Nothing is simple!

Making these comparison shots really brought home for me the complexity of the factors involved in sea level rise. So if sea level rises 3 feet by 2100, the king tides would add a couple of feet to that a couple of times a year potentially making the tide level on those days five feet higher than today.

Arthur Kill

Posted by rmichals on October 28, 2011 None comments

On Sunday, October 16th, I went on the Working Harbor Committee’s Circumnavigation of Staten Island. In the harbor, heading to the Red Hook Container port was Hood Island. Will Van Dorp of tugster, told me that was probably carrying bananas from Ecuador.

Hood Island, October 16, 2011

The other product being moved around was petroleum.

Kill Van Kull, October 16, 2011

Our water taxi passed between Staten Island and Shooter’s Island.

Newark Bay, October 16, 2011

Right after turning south into the Arthur Kill is the New York Container Terminal on the Staten Island side. This stretch of Staten Island is not projected be inundated with sea level rise.

New York Container Port, Staten Island, 2011

It is south of the Goethals Bridge that the most impact will be felt. On the Staten Island side, it is Bloomfield that will be hardest hit. The Coastal Resilience Long Island Sound map puts the damage fairly far inland going all the way to Route 440. On the New Jersey side, from here to Carteret is where the Arthur Kill will widen most significantly.

Bayway Refinery, Linden, NJ, October 16, 2011

Arthur Kill, October 16, 2011

Arthur Kill, October 16, 2011

In all the sea level rise projections, Tremley Point disappears. This is a castle made of sand.

Tremley Point, October 16, 2011

What none of these individual images show is just how much oil storage, transportation, and production these is along the Arthur Kill. I hope and have to assume that all of this will be obsolete by 2100.

Arthur Kill. October 16, 2011

Arthur Kill, October 16, 2011

Arthur Kill, October 16, 2011

Arthur Kill, October 16, 2011

Arthur Kill, October 16, 2011

Arthur Kill, October 16, 2011

Arthur Kill, October 16, 2011

Arthur Kill, October 16, 2011

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Coney Island

Posted by rmichals on October 17, 2011 None comments

Coney Island when viewed from Staten Island or the bay looks like its own city, a dense cluster of buildings at the end of Brooklyn. It looks so vulnerable, its rim of sandy flat beach offering no protection from the ocean.

The University of Arizona climateGem sea level rise map predicts that Coney Island will become three islands by 2100, with Brighton Beach remaining a tab jutting out from the rest of Brooklyn. One island would constitute Sea Gate and the streets to the west of 30th Street. The second would be around the amusements. The third would be at the Manhattan Beach end including a strip along Oriental Boulevard and some of the Kingsborough campus.

Coney Island Beach, Brooklyn, NY, October 5, 2011


To simplify, from 20th to 30th Streets, from the ocean to Coney Island Creek is projected to be underwater. It is hard to imagine that Coney Island won’t be radically reconfigured by sea level rise whether or not the prediction made by the computer algorithm that has drawn the University of Arizona map is completely accurate or not.

Haber Houses, W. 25th St., Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, October 5, 2011


Haber House’s three 14 story buildings are home to 455 senior citizens.

Sea Park East, Surf Avenue, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, October 5, 2011


Sea Park East has 332 units. Originally built in 1975 as Mitchell-Lama, it is now owned by The Arker Company and continues to receive subsidies from HUD. The buildings were renovated in 2002-2004. Hard to imagine that the building will make it to 2100 as it needed serious work less than 30 years after being built. On the positive side, the development is part of a New York State energy efficiency program that is attempting to reduce energy consumption by a 26%. Across Surf Avenue, the Parks department stores beach equipment over the winter.

Harry and Jeanette Weinber Pavillon, Sea Park East, W. 28th Street, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, October 6, 2011


Given the population density of Coney Island, it is surprisingly quiet on many streets.

Poseidon Playground, W. 27th St., Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, October 6, 2011


Even after school, Poseidon Playground is empty.

Surf and W. 30th St., Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, October 5, 2011

Some small stores and the bus stop bring some activity to this part of Surf Avenue.

Surf Avenue, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, October 5, 2011

Mermaid Ave. and W. 29th St, Coney island, Brooklyn, NY, october 5, 2011


Both the University of Arizona map and the Coastal Resilience map predict worse damage to the east of W. 29th Street. On a beautiful fall day it is hard to see why this might be.

Carey Gardens, Mermaid Avenue, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, October 5, 2011


The three buildings of Carey Gardens are home to 1,697 people.

Mermaid Avenue, W. 23rd St., Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, October 5, 2011

Our Lady of Solace Church, Mermaid Avenue, W. 17th St., Coney island, Brooklyn, NY, October 5, 2011


Mermaid Avenue from W. 29th Street to Stillwell is predicted to be underwater in 2100 though this area would then be right on the edge of a small island that would be formed around Surf Avenue from W. 19th to W. 8th St.

Larry's Auto Radiator Repair, Neptune Avenue, W. 15th St., Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, October 5, 2011

Neptune Avenue is predicted to be underwater from W. 29th St. to almost W. 5th Street.

Lary's Auto Radiator Repair, Neptune Ave., W. 15th Street, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, October 5, 2011

Larry's Auto Radiator Repair, Neptune Ave., W. 15th St., Coney island, Brooklyn, NY, October 5, 2011

Larry's Auto Radiator Repair, Neptune Ave., W. 15th St., Coney island, Brooklyn, NY, October 5, 2011

Larry's Auto Radiator Repair, Neptune Ave., W. 15th St., Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, October 5, 2011

I felt like I stumbled into Marlon Brando’s roof in “On the Waterfront.”

W. 15th St., Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, October 5, 2011

Surf Avenue, W. 10th St., Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, October 6, 2011


This stretch of Surf Avenue is predicted to be part of a small island by 2100.

Lower Manhattan, the East Side

Posted by rmichals on October 7, 2011 None comments

From Bowling Green to the Brooklyn Bridge, everything to the east of Water Street will be affected by rising sea levels. This strip has been created by landfill over the years since 1660 as can be seen in this map by Racontours. It is part of New York City’s heart both past and present. Phillip Lopate in Waterfront: A Walk Around Manhattan does a fantastic job of detailing the past and present of this area.

The plaza in front of the Whitehall Terminal of the Staten Island ferry often serves as a stage.

Whitehall Terminal, New York, NY, September 26, 2011

It is hard to see these buildings as vulnerable. On the left stands 2 New York Plaza. On the right is 55 Water Street, which in exchange for being allowed to have 3.68 million square feet paid for the redesign of Jeanette Square which is now home to the the New York Vietnam Veteran’s memorial. Once Coenties Slip would have been found between these buildings. (AIA Guide to New York City.)

New York, NY, September 30, 2011

Of all the photos, I have taken of this spot, I like the ones taken on an overcast morning best as they match the somber mood.

Reflecting Pool, New York vietnam Veteran's Memorial

Ferries for Brooklyn and New Jersey leave from Pier 11 at the foot of Wall Street. On the left can be seen 1 Financial Square.

Pier 11, New York, NY, August 23, 2011

The Continental Center has 1 million square feet of office space. I worked there, installing the Continental Insurance art collection when I first got out of school. I will never forget one of the office workers looking at a Cindy Sherman and asking me if I knew her. In other words, if you don’t know the person why hang his or her photograph up on the wall? He had a point. The image meant something to me but did not mean anything to him.

Continental Center, 180 Maiden Lane, New York, NY, September 30, 2011

Until 2005, the Fulton Fish Market was next to the seaport. Now it is in the Bronx. As Lopate notes in Waterfront the fish has been trucked into the market since the early 1970s making the East River location unnecessary.

old Fulton Fish Market, Mew York, NY, September 30, 2011

North of the Brooklyn Bridge, everything changes.

East River, New York, NY, September 30, 2011

East River, New York, NY, September 26, 2011

Right along the river runs the FDR Drive.

FDR Drive, New York, NY, September 26, 2011

My favorite chapter of Lopate’s Waterfront is Ode to the Projects. In it he gives the history behind the large swathe of public housing that was built along the East River. Only those buildings right along the FDR below Jefferson Street fall into the area predicted to be hit by sea level rise by 2100.

Smith Houses, South Street, New York, NY, September 30, 2011

Under the Manhattan Bridge.

East River Walkway, New York, NY, September 30, 2011

There is then a stretch from the Manhattan Bridge to the East River park that is used for parking and construction vehicles. Across the river, in Brooklyn, Con Edison’s Hudson Avenue Generating Station can be seen.

East River Bikeway, New York, NY, September 26, 2011