The Big Apple: Summer In The City

With a little more than two weeks left before I depart for New York City, you can be sure that I am fully engaged in all aspects of planning for the summer that is currently getting underway.

One of the reasons I love New York City so much, is the amazing range of free events that take place right across the five boroughs every summer. Once flights, accommodation, and food is accounted for, I will spend very little on high-priced events and activities during my stay. Having said that, I have already booked a series of concerts that have caught my attention at the City Winery and Highline Ballroom, but apart from these, and maybe one or two others, most of my entertainment will come from low cost music venues or the incredible array of free events available to every visitor and New Yorker.

The official New York City visitors site, NYCgo should be at the top of everyone’s list of websites when researching things to do—not just over the summer, but all year round. Here is a sampling of some of the summer concerts, movies and theatre events on offer, the vast majority of which are completely free:

Free Summer Movies…

You can watch a free movie every night of the week somewhere across the five boroughs. More than 130 sessions are currently scheduled, but be quick, in some instances the free summer film series have already begun. What you can expect to see: La La Land, Life of Pi, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Lego Batman Movie, The Big Lebowski, Blazing Saddles, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Muppet Movie, Logan, The Secret Life of Pets, Finding Dory, Selma, and Hidden Figures, just to name a baker’s dozen from the extensive smorgasbord on offer.

See Also: New York City Parks Summer Movies…

If you don’t want to spend your evenings watching movies, you can always catch some live music.

Free Summer Concerts…

The best things in life really are free, especially when it comes to NYC's summer concerts. Every May through August (Yes, the free summer concert season has also begun), you can hear live music of all kinds across the City without spending a dime. Whether it's punk on Staten Island, indie rock on the Manhattan waterfront, a classy night outdoors with the Metropolitan Opera or a diverse lineup of jazz and world music at SummerStage and Celebrate Brooklyn!, New York City's free open air performances are sure to please music lovers of all tastes. So what are you waiting for? Get out your digital calendars and start booking in your full summer concert schedule.

Other Free Concert Seasons

SummerStage…

Celebrate Brooklyn!…

Lincoln Center Out of Doors…

New York City Parks Summer Concerts…

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I’m not sure what it is about Brookfield Place… that draws me in like a magnet whenever I find myself in Lower Manhattan. One of the attractions is definitely the relief from the city’s heat and humidity that the vast atrium provides. Other draws are the numerous food outlets on site, clean restrooms (Yay!), and the schedule of free events programmed over the summer, which include art installations and music events. While not as extensive as other free musical offerings around the city, the location of Brookfield Place by the Hudson River still makes it a fine spot to rest and recuperate while enjoying the live music on offer. 

The stunning setting for the annual Lowdown Hudson Music Fest

The main events at Brookfield Place are the gigs at the annual Lowdown Hudson Music Fest:

Lowdown Hudson Music Fest Presents Common, and OK GO

Arts Brookfield’s annual summer music festival, the Lowdown Hudson Music Fest, returns to the heart of downtown New York for its seventh summer on July 18 and 19. Bringing fun, lively, world-class musical talent to the picturesque Waterfront Plaza at Brookfield Place, this year’s festival will be headlined by rapper and producer Common on Tuesday, July 18, and quirky veteran rockers OK GO on Wednesday, July 19. Both shows are free to attend and open to the public. In keeping with the summer festival vibe, shows are standing room only and will feature a festival bar. Event is rain or shine, except for extreme weather conditions.

Lowdown Hudson Music Fest…

Tuesday, July 18: COMMON

Wednesday, July 19: OK GO

Other events at Brookfield Place

Brookfield Place Events…

Brookfield Place Après Wednesdays…

New York City Parks Summer Theatre…

These free theatre shows include performances of Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor, on the Bryant Park lawn; and the Bard’s Richard III at Carroll Park, Brooklyn. Children can enjoy live performances of Charlotte’s Web, and Madagascar at the Sobelsohn Playground in Forest Park, Queens; and Cinderella Samba, at Dry Harbor Playground also in Forest Park, Queens.

Free Tours…

And as if all the above were not enough, visitors can also join one of the many free tours that take place across the city. These include tours arranged by Big Apple Greeter, Central Park Conservancy, Tours by Foot, Grand Central Partnership, the Greenwich Village Alliance, and many others.

You can be sure dear reader, that the above collection represents just a fraction of the hundreds of events and activities, many of which are free or low cost, that will be taking place across New York City this, and every summer. Personally, I can't wait to immerse myself in the cultural heart of the this amazing metropolis once again.

On Ya Bike, New York!

Rue Rossini bike share rack in Paris, France

Well, it has been a long time coming, but New York City has finally caught up with many other major cities around the world with the recent introduction of the new Citi Bike, bicycle sharing program. The system will see 10,000 bicycles spread among 600 bike racks ― most of which will initially be located on Manhattan below 59th Street, and in Brooklyn in an area roughly bordered by the East River, Atlantic Avenue, Nostrad Avenue and up around the Williamsburg Bridge (see map here…).

Alta Bicycle Share, is the company running the program, while Citigroup has paid $41 million for naming rights over the next five years―hence the name, Citi Bike.

It may seem counter-intuitive to introduce bicycles onto New York City’s traffic clogged streets, but in fact since 2007, the city has added more than 250 miles of bike lanes, and the number of New Yorkers commuting to work by bike is now approaching 20,000 people, according to Department of Transportation statistics.

Recently, around 32,000 cyclists took part in the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, organised by Bike New York and the New York City Department of Transportation. The event gave participants the opportunity of riding along a 40 mile, car-free route through all five New York boroughs.

Current Citi Bike rental fees

Annual membership to use the Citi Bike system is US$95.00. So popular was the initial offering that it sold out all 5,000 “founding memberships” in less than 48 hours. Annual membership signups for Citi Bike have now passed 8,000 participants, and this number continues to increase slowly but steadily.

If you are planning to make use of the bike share program, I strongly advise you to read through the relevant sections of the City Bike New York website, especially the FrequentlyAsked Questions and the Pricing section.

The city's Department of Transportation has been pushing the bike share concept for years as an affordable commuting option, however the program stalled twice over the last year―once due to a programming glitch, and again after Superstorm Sandy damaged many of the bicycles and stands late in 2012. Despite this, the push to create bike lanes and rental programs has propelled New York into seventh place in Bicycle Magazine's list of bike friendly cities.

An Accident Waiting To Happen?

So much for the good news. The less than good news is that riding bicycles around city streets―any city street―can be a very dangerous enterprise, and riding on New York’s streets may be even more so. According to a Rutgers University study New York City had the highest fatality rate from bike accidents in North America (from 2004 to 2009). In 2010, there were 368 bicycle related crashes, 19 of which resulted in a fatality. The Department of Transportation reports that in 97 percent of fatal bicycle accidents in New York City, the rider was not wearing a helmet.

Clearly it is incumbent on all bike riders to exercise great caution while on the road, whether they use Citi Bike or have their own bicycles.

Citi Bike share station (Image: Nancy Borowick)

So how do you stay safe?

• Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
• Wear a well secured helmet.
• Obey road signs and traffic laws.
• Don’t try to beat changing traffic lights.
• Be aware of other road users who may not notice your approach. Some of the worst offenders are people getting out of parked cars, and pedestrians talking or texting on cell phones.
• Don’t wear headphones, you want to hear approaching vehicles―especially those behind you.
• Use lights for night riding. I have a flashing white headlight, a flashing red tail-light, and always wear a bright yellow safety jacket fitted with reflective strips at night.
• Ride with the flow of traffic, not against it.
• Use bike lanes — that’s why they are there!
• Make yourself visible and audible. Equip your bike with a bell and lights, and wear bright colors.

I know some of these safety tips may not make you look trendy or fashionable, but they will increase your visibility and ability to stay safe. And just because the use of bicycle helmets is not mandated by law in New York, does not mean it is safe to ride a bike without one. Do yourself a favor―be seen and be safe.

For a real world look at how bike share systems work, take a look at this video from Melbourne, Australia: How To Use Melbourne Bike Share

More Information

City Bike New York…

Bike New York…

Melbourne Bike Share...

Famous Letters and 1880s Brooklyn

The Reading List today looks at the letters of famous (and infamous) writers of notes, letters and other correspondence. Appropriately enough, we begin with …

Letters of Note

Letters of Note is an attempt to gather and sort fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams, faxes, and memos. Scans/photos where possible. Fakes will be sneered at. Updated every weekday.

Fascinating correspondence from such luminaries as the writers Kurt Vonnegut, Mark Twain, and Charles Bukowski. There is correspondence from Francis Ford Coppola to Marlon Brando; from Hunter S. Thompson to a 'Production Executive' at indie movie studio The Shooting Gallery; and a very creepy letter from Mark Chapman (the man who killed John Lennon), to an unnamed person enquiring about the possibility of auctioning his copy of Double Fantasy. The very same copy that Lennon had signed just hours before Chapman shot him! Read more...

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Brooklyn Daily Eagle Archives

Now here is something right out of the vaults. It is an online collection of The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, a newspaper that has been in publication since 1841.

Incredibly, the early issues of the paper, dating from 1841 until 1902, have been archived by the Brooklyn Public Library, and readers and researchers can trawl their way through 60 years worth of publications for specific names, events, and other historic information.

The screen shot here shows the cover of the edition for Thursday, May 24, 1883. It was on this day that the Brooklyn Bridge was officially opened, and in a special 12 edition, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle covered all the major particulars of the opening including guest lists, speakers, a history of the construction project, and a whole lot more.

It is fascinating stuff, and history buffs looking to capture a sense of what it must have been like living in New York City and in particular Brooklyn during the late 1880s, will get a lot out of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle archives.

Newtown Creek Tour

Newtown Creek barges © Bernie Ente

The recent Circumnavigate Staten Island tour was completely sold out, and the next Working Harbor tour is sure to do the same, if only because the two hour tour of Brooklyn’s Newtown Creek is an incredible bargain at just $10.

The good news gets better because not one, but two tours of Newtown Creek are being conducted on the same day, so you have two chances of securing a place on these popular tours. Here are the details:

When: Sunday, 23 October, 2011

What: Two Cruises – 10:00 am to 12:00 noon; and 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Where: Departs from Pier 17, South Street Seaport at the foot of Fulton Street, Downtown Manhattan 

Getting There

Take the A C J Z 2 3 4 or 5 Train to Fulton Street and walk east to Pier 17

Souvenir Tour Brochure with historical information and vintage maps.

The cruise takes place rain or shine. 

Purchase tickets here... 

The Newtown Creek tour is organised by the Working Harbor Committee and the Newtown Creek Alliance. 

The low $10 price is made possible by funding from the NewYork City Environmental Fund (NYCEF) for Newtown Creek, which in turn is part of the Hudson River Foundation. 

To stay informed about upcoming Hidden Harbor Tours bookmark the Working Harbor website…

New York City Ghost Bike

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In Greece, roadside memorials to accident victims take the form of miniature churches, which tend to be adorned with candles, an image of the deceased, and other small mementos. In Australia, roadside memorials to accident victims have also been commonplace over the past 20 years or so, although these tend to be small and generally unobtrusive – often no more than bunches of flowers tied to a lamp post or left on the verge of a highway where an accident took place.

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I don’t know if ‘Ghost Bikes’, as they are called, are unique to New York City, but sadly more and more of these distinctive roadside memorials are being set up at the site of fatal collisions between bike riders and motor vehicles.

I discovered the ghost bike pictured here while walking through the Brooklyn suburb of Greenpoint during my 2008 visit to New York City. Unfortunately, I didn’t make a note of exactly where the bike was located, but I often wonder if it is still there.

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NYC Hidden Harbor Tour, September 2011

I’ve written before about my voyage on the wonderful Hidden Harbor Tours that operate on the New York harbor, so I won’t repeat myself here.

I just want to let you know that the last sunset Hidden Harbor tour is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 27, and if you are looking for one of those unique experiences that most visitors to New York City miss out on, then you should seriously consider joining this tour. Here are the details:

Sunset Hidden Harbor Brooklyn Waterfront Tour

Tuesday, 27 September

Departs from Pier 16 at 5:30 pm

Image: Brooklyn Bridge with work boat © Bernie Ente | Inset: Dan Wiley

Special Guest Speaker: Dan Wiley

Dan Wiley is a Community Coordinator for Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez in southwest Brooklyn, NY, and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University in the urban design studio.

Working in the Congressional office since 2000, he has coordinated planning projects and initiatives spanning waterfront communities from the Brooklyn Navy Yard and downtown Brooklyn southwest to Red Hook, Gowanus and Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

He also served (1993-1999) as an Education Coordinator at Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment. He holds an MA degree in Urban Geography from Hunter College, CUNY (2007), a BFA degree from Cooper Union (1987) and was a fellow at the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program (1988). He serves on the board of Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP). His work can be found in If You Lived Here: The City in Art, Theory, and Social Activism, Seattle: Bay Press, 1991.

For Information on all Hidden Harbor Tours, and to purchase tickets, Click Here...

Hidden Harbor Tours are organised and run by the Working Harbor Committee… 

Newark Bay, Hidden Harbor Tour

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It is with a real sense of déjà vu that I write this today, because it is almost exactly a year ago that I took part in one of the New York Working Harbor Committee’s ‘Hidden Harbor’ tours along the Brooklyn waterfront. I wrote about this trip in a previous post so I won’t repeat myself too much here.

With regard to New York City’s harbor, the Working Harbor Committee (WHC) exists to “…strengthen awareness of the working harbor's history and vitality today, and its opportunities for the future, by:
· Involving people in learning how the harbor works and what it does;
· Educating people in the rich and challenging history of the harbor;
· Making people aware of the need to build and sustain the working harbor.”
(Source: Working Harbor Committee…)

To this end, the WHC arranges a series of tours, dubbed ‘Hidden Harbor Tours’ throughout the warmer months of the year – typically from May to October. Tours always have guest speakers and commentary from knowledgeable experts who have worked extensively on New York harbor, all of whom are able to shed extra insights into the history and hidden secrets of the areas you cruise through.

As I am on the WHC’s mailing list, I get regular monthly updates and reminders about upcoming tours and events. Reminders that only serve to make me miss New York City and its magnificent harbor even more, now that I am ten thousand miles away in Australia. Even more so, as I shiver through a freezing Adelaide winter, and think about the heat and humidity of a New York summer.

Although the next Hidden Harbor Tour is tomorrow (July 12), and therefore almost certainly too late for anyone reading this to take advantage of, there are several more tours scheduled for the remainder of the year, and I thought they were worth bringing to your attention if you were going to be in New York City between now and the end of October.

Tuesday, 12 July - Newark Bay Tour
Special Guest Speaker: Lucy Ambrosino-Marchak, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Lucy Ambrosino is the Manager of Outreach for the Port Commerce Department of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where she has been since 1990.

Departs from Pier 16 at 6:15pm (at the end of Fulton Street, South Street Seaport).

This tour passes by the Red Hook Container Terminal and visits Erie Basin, home of Hughes Brothers Barges and Reinauer Tugs before crossing the harbor toward Staten Island. It then enters Kill Van Kull, the area's busiest waterway dividing Staten Island and Bayonne, passing tug yards, oil docks and marine repair facilities. It then passes under the Bayonne Bridge and visits the giant container ports of Newark Bay, Port Newark and Port Elizabeth where the world's largest container ships tie up. On the way back, we pass by Military Ocean Terminal, the 9/11 Teardrop Memorial, the Robbin's Reef Lighthouse and another container port, ending up at sunset at the Statue of Liberty for a moment before returning to Pier 16.

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Tuesday, 26 July - Brooklyn Tour
Special Guest Speaker: Dan Wiley. Dan is a Community Coordinator to Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez in southwest Brooklyn. Working in the Congressional office since 2000, he has coordinated planning projects and initiatives spanning waterfront communities from the Brooklyn Navy Yard and downtown Brooklyn southwest to Red Hook, Gowanus and Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

Departs from Pier 16 at 6:15pm (at the end of Fulton Street, South Street Seaport).

This tours goes north (actually east) on the East River to the former Brooklyn Navy Yard, passing under the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. The Navy Yard has three large graving docks and an active shipyard, as well as the home port of FDNY's fireboat division. We then travel south along the Brooklyn waterfront, passing the new Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Red Hook Container Terminal, Atlantic Basin, and Erie Basin, home of Hughes Brothers Barges and Reinauer Tugs. We continue into Gowanus Bay and along the Sunset Park waterfront, home of the former large Bush Terminals. We then cross over to the Statue of Liberty at sunset for a moment before returning to Pier 16.

Click Here to book for both tours… 

Price for both tours:
Adult; $29.00
Child: $15.00
Senior: $22.00
WHC Member: $22.00 (Working Harbor Committee members)
Intrepid Member: $22.00 (Intrepid Sea*Air*Space Museum members)

There are many more tours in August, September and October, so make sure you check the full list at the Working Harbor Committee (WHC) website.

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Go Folk Yourself Summerfest

I recently discovered the wonderful Kickstarter website. Kickstarter enables visitors from all around the world to provide financial support for projects of all types under the following general categories: Art, Comics, Dance, Design, Fashion, Film & Video, Food, Games, Music, Photography, Technology, Theater, and Writing & Publishing.

The idea works like this: individuals or groups seeking funding for their personal projects post details and offer a range of incentives to financial backers in the hope they will raise enough money to see them complete whatever project they are working on.

Kickstarter
In essence, Kickstarter is a great way to fund creative projects. The organisers behind the site believe that a good idea, communicated well, can spread fast and wide, and that a large group of people can be a tremendous source of money and encouragement. The internet of course, is perfectly suited to this type of concept, and the rise of Kickstarter, and similar sites, is a testament to the collective power of the internet, coupled with social networking and the ability for internet users to safely and securely make micro payments as low as one dollar.

Why do people, like myself, support projects? Some support projects because the know the people behind the project, others like me do it because they are hooked by the idea and the concept behind a particular venture. Still other people will support a project for the rewards offered by project creators, and so it goes.

Since Kickstarter is focused on creative projects, it is a great way for artists, filmmakers, musicians, designers, writers, illustrators, explorers, curators, performers, and others to bring their ideas to life.

While non-US citizens are able to pledge financial support for Kickstarter projects, they are currently unable to start their own projects. However, the Kickstarter team are working on this issue and hope to be able to offer ways for non-US citizens to launch their own projects via the site.

Scammers and Charlatans
“But wait a minute,” I hear you say, “what’s to stop people raising money for a non-existent project and simply pocketing the money.”

While there are no absolute guarantees that project creators will actually follow through and complete their projects, let alone start them, there are some safeguards built into the whole process. For a start, project creators have to ‘sell’ their ideas to potential backers. They do this by keeping in constant contact with backers through regular email and video updates and other forms of electronic contact. You can write to project organisers and ask them questions, or leave public comments on the project page, and interact with them in other ways.

In addition, most people seeking funding for their projects come to Kickstarter with a past history of work in the project area they are raising funds for. For example, if a band is raising money for their latest album, they may have already released other albums, or at the very least have a band website you can check out. They may also have Facebook, MySpace and Twitter profiles in the bands name where you can check that they are who they claim to be.

None of this guarantees that a project is legit. However, given that project organisers need to set a minimum of 30 days (and in many cases 60 days) to raise money for their ventures, backers have plenty of time to follow the project and withdraw their support if they think someone is running a scam.

Go Folk Yourself Summer Fest
A good example of this ‘due diligence’, can be seen with one of the projects I am currently supporting: the Go Folk Yourself Summer Fest, currently being planned for Williamsburg’s Cooper Park, Brooklyn, New York.

NOTE: If video doesn't load click on link to view on the GFY Kickstarter page

Go Folk Yourself (GFY) is a Music Video Newsblog that promotes independent artists in Brooklyn. This volunteer organization has organized over 15 shows in the past year, and is now planning to throw a free festival showcasing the best of Brooklyn’s independent and folk musicians!

Each show they produce is posted online, and the organization has its own website and YouTube page. Reading through the information on their Kickstarter page, reveals several video’s, updates, and a breakdown of the budget they have put together for their GFY Summer Fest.

As of this writing, the Go Folk Yourself Summer Fest has 43 Backers, $1,705 in pledges, and 26 days to reach their target of $5,500. If they don’t reach their target, project funding fails, and backers are not billed for their pledges.

To learn more about the way you can support Kickstarter projects, or start your own, make sure you read through the Frequently Asked Questions. As I wrote a few weeks ago in a piece called  It Doesn't Take Much to Make a Difference, there are a host of great ideas out there looking for support and funding, and Kickstarter and other sites like it make it easy to do this with a minimum of fuss and risk.

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Brooklyn Hidden Harbor Tour

Image: A view of Manhattan from out in New York Harbor

I’ve had a fascination for ships and the sea for as long as I can remember. It eventually reached its zenith in 1971 when I completed a five year apprenticeship as a shipwright with Adelaide Ship Construction. Unfortunately, as a career choice it was a case of too little too late. Towards the end of the 1960s and throughout the 1970s, Japan became the premier constructor of world shipping, and one by one the few shipyards around Australia began shutting down (and my budding career shut down with them).

However, to this day my interest in ships, boating, and a life on the ocean waves has never completely gone away, hence my nine hour outing up the Hudson River to Bear Mountain, and my participation on the Brooklyn Hidden Harbor tour organized by the New York based Working Harbor Committee.

Billed as a tour examining “Brooklyn’s Maritime Past, Present & Future”, this very popular two hour cruise took us under the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges as far as Newtown Creek before returning back down the East River for an absorbing journey among Brooklyn’s many hidden inlets, disused wharves, bays and shipping terminals.

Ongoing commentary was provided by Captain John Doswell (Working Harbor Committee), Venetia Lannon (Sr, Vice President, Maritime, of the New York City Economic Development Corporation), and several other people who had an extensive working knowledge of the waterways surrounding Manhattan.

Venetia Lannon in particular, spoke often about the competing interests fighting over the development of vast swathes of Brooklyn waterfront, on what is clearly prime real estate. As you can imagine, developers are keen to get a slice of the action – and the waterfront – and would love to fill the area with expensive high rise apartments, office blocks, and projects that take full advantage of the stunning views across the East River towards Manhattan.

Image: The tall ship Peking at the South Street Seaport Museum

Our journey began at Pier 16 at the South Street Seaport Museum. This historic district was once a major shipping centre for sailing vessels to and from Europe and other parts of the world, and is well worth a visit in its own right. The museum owns a fleet of historic vessels including the tall ships Peking and Wavertree, the lightship Ambrose, as well as tug boats, schooners and exhibits in Schermerhorn Row and other buildings.

After boarding the Zephyr, we headed out into New York harbour passing under the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. We were informed that beginning sometime in September, the Brooklyn Bridge will be undergoing major restoration work that is scheduled to take up to a year to complete! Pity then, the millions of tourists and visitors who will travel to see and photograph the bridge, only to find it obscured by scaffolding and canvas.

Passing under the Manhattan Bridge we cruised past Wallabout Bay were the Brooklyn Navy Yard is located. It was here at the Navy Yard that the nation's first ironclad ship, Monitor, was built and fitted with its revolutionary iron cladding at the Continental Iron Works in nearby Greenpoint, and in 1890, the ill-fated Maine was launched from the Yard's slipways.

Image: The start of something big – high rise apartments on the Brooklyn waterfront

In short order, here are just some of the tour highlights: Brooklyn Port Authority Piers (soon to become part of the new Brooklyn Bridge Park); the Fulton Ferry Landing, where Robert Fulton began the first ferry service in 1642; American Stevedoring (Brooklyn's only container port); Atlantic Basin (along with Howland Hook in Staten Island), one of only two cargo-handling docks left in the New York City; PortSide NewYork (a waterfront hub in Atlantic Basin with visiting historic vessels, charter and excursion boats, and a rest area for workboats); Erie Basin, so named as it was the southern terminus of the barge trade traffic that extended up the Hudson River through the Erie canal and west to the Great Lakes.

I think it was Venetia Lannon who pointed out that it was still possible to take a small craft up the Hudson River and along the Erie Canal to the Great Lakes, and from there enter the Mississippi River near Chicago, travel down the Mississippi exiting in Louisiana, before finally travelling up the east coast back to New York City. I’m not sure if anyone has attempted this trip but it would make a fascinating journey – and documentary.

On we cruised to Gowanus Bay, passing more prime real estate with great views of lower Manhattan and Governor’s Island. Out we went into the New York harbor anchorage and main channel where ships from all over the world as well as local barges can be seen anchored. This is the main shipping channel that begins in the Atlantic, passes under the Verrazano Bridge and continues north up the Hudson River as well as Brooklyn on the east and Staten Island on the west.

Image: Ships and barges at anchorage in New York harbor’s main shipping channel

We passed Robbins Reef Lighthouse, whose most famous Keeper was widow Kate Walker. From 1886 to 1919, she kept the light burning and raised two children, rowing them to school on Staten Island every day. Finally, we paused briefly just off the Statue of Liberty before return once again to Pier 16 and the South Street Seaport Museum, thus completing a fantastic look at parts of the Brooklyn waterfront rarely examined up close by visitors or locals.

I’ve already booked for the Working Harbor of New York and New Jersey tour, featuring the giant container ports in Newark Bay. This tour takes place on 17 August at 6:15 pm.

A repeat of the Brooklyn’s Maritime Past, Present & Future tour is scheduled for 14 September at 6:00 pm. Tickets for both tours are on sale now, as are tickets for other tours organized by the Working Harbor Committee.

A couple of notes about these boat tours:

• The tour vessel is the Zephyr, a large, luxurious excursion vessel
• The Zephyr is wheelchair accessible on the first deck, including heads (bathrooms)
• Tour price ($29.00, concessions available) includes 1 free domestic beer, wine or soft drink
• Hot dogs, pretzels, chips and nachos available for purchase
• Parking lots and metered parking is available at the Seaport
• Narration is generally by Capt. John Doswell and guests from the maritime industry

Since the Zephyr has at least two decks that are entirely enclosed and safe from the elements, it is my understanding that tours take place, rain, hail or shine!

Image: American Stevedoring (Brooklyn's only container port)

LINKS:

Click here to see a map of the Newark Hidden Harbor tour...

New York City’s Top 50 Neighbourhoods

~ Interesting feature in the April 19, 2010 issue of New York Magazine about the top 50 most livable New York neighbourhoods.

I was particularly pleased to see Greenpoint, Brooklyn at the number five spot.

I spent around six weeks at the Greenpoint YMCA on Meserole Avenue in 2008, and got to know my way around the neighbourhood reasonably well. I have written previously about my stay at the 'Y' in Greenpoint so I won’t repeat myself here (read Part One and Part Two if you want to know more).

By examining twelve broad categories including housing cost and quality; perception of safety; the number of public schools, shopping and services, food and restaurants and health and environment amongst others factors, the authors were able to compile a comprehensive and fascinating list.

Just for the record, here are the Top 10 most livable New York City neighbourhoods:

1. Park Slope
2. Lower East Side
3. Sunnyside
4. Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill
5. Greenpoint
6. Brooklyn Heights
7. Carroll Gardens and Gowanus
8. Murray Hill
9. Prospect Heights
10. East Village

Click to read the full report…

Greenpoint YMCA
99, Meserole Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 389-3700 or (212) 912-2260

Safe Travelling

~ My entry about an encounter with pickpockets in Greece (see Three Man Crush) got me thinking about the issue of safety and security while travelling. As I wrote then, this failed attempt at stealing my wallet, was the only negative experience regarding my personal safety I faced in seven months of travel.

The problem with having been brought up on a steady diet of feature films, television news items, and a host of TV shows old and new depicting life on the streets of major American cities, is that a traveller can end up thinking these shows represent 'real life' as it is being lived today. Modern programs such as the plethora of CSI-type dramas are full of multiple murders and psychopathic killers who seem to lurk on every city corner.

Thankfully, the reality of life in cities like New York, London, Paris, and Athens, Greece, is nowhere near as dramatic for the average traveller.

In New York, for example, it helps that the Greenpoint YMCA, where I stayed for a large part of my visit, is directly opposite the 94th Police Precinct building, which certainly promotes a feeling of safety - and maybe even a degree of complacency.

On the other hand, reading the police reports in the Greenpoint Star (the local paper), did alert me to the fact that I should not take my personal safety for granted. There will always be some individuals who are quite ready to attack and rob people in broad daylight, let alone late at night, which encouraged me to keep my wits about me. I decided to get about with a minimum of cash on me, and to leave my wallet and credit card back in my room whenever I went out and about. That way, if the unexpected did happen, I would hopefully only lose $50-60 dollars at most.

Of course, there was also the issue of the safety and security of my YMCA room, but the more I stayed there, the more relaxed I become about my fellow residents. Besides, in my Internet research for accommodation in New York, any discussion about the Greenpoint 'Y' only touched on the state of the bedrooms, bathrooms, and the helpfulness (or otherwise), of some staff. I did not see any reports from former residents complaining about having their rooms broken into or being robbed while staying there.

How about safety on public transport? My understanding is that the New York subway system is a lot safer than it used to be in the 1980's and 90s, and one of the things I soon noticed while travelling on the subway late at night was the number of young women travelling alone who still used the service. I figured that if the local women felt safe enough to travel alone on the subway system at 2am in the morning, then I had little to worry about. And so it proved.

I also spent several weeks at the North Brooklyn/Tweleve Towns YMCA (570 Jamaica Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11208. Phone: 718 277 1600 or 1601) in Cypress Hills (click here for map).

Initially, I felt a loss less comfortable walking through the neighbourhoods surrounding this facility, but once I relaxed and began to observe the daily life of the mostly Hispanic immigrants around me, I realised my initial fears were unfounded. Directly opposite the North Brooklyn 'Y' is the massive Highland Park. On several occasions I wandered through the park and saw baseball competitions taking place. I also watched as local youths played basketball, handball and tennis on a series of well kept playing courts. In addition, every evening the childrens playground with filled with the laughter and shouts of young children who were out with their parents or older siblings, enjoying the warm evening air.

The YMCA ran many programs for its members which were always well patronised, including volley ball, basket ball, aerobics classes, and more. Everytime I walked past the gym it was always busy and filled with sweating bodies working out on the equipment there. All this activity seemed to indicate a vibrant, active community going about its daily life just like any other American community.

At some point you just have to stop worrying, and remember why it is you are travelling in the first place - so relax and enjoy your travels wherever they may lead you.

New York Impressions

~ In a previous entry (My New York Marathon), I wrote about my first full day walking from Greenpoint, Brooklyn across the Williamsburg Bridge to Chinatown and the Lower East Side, down past City Hall, then back across the East River via the Brooklyn Bridge, and back to Greenpoint after passing through the Hasidic Jewish enclave in Williamsburg. Although I described in some detail my route on that extended - and exhausting - walk, on reading through it again, I see that it was light on my actual impressions of New York City. So I've decided to remedy that oversight in this post.

Some people travel only to see the famous attractions, while others travel to immerse themselves as much as possible in the locations they have chosen to visit. I prefer the immersive experience, and as such, I was happy to explore the city on foot as far as I was able to. Right from the start, I tried to blend in as much as I could with native New Yorkers. Of course, this was an almost impossible task given that everywhere I went I carried a digital still camera and a video camera - and nothing cries out 'tourist' more than someone running around taking lots of photographs of tall buildings and famous landmarks. However...

Maybe it's the songwriter and composer in me, but I loved listening to the sound and rhythm of the city. The wailing sirens of emergency service vehicles, the subway trains, the car horns, the whistles and shouts of traffic cops, and the constant hum a city like New York imparts 24 hours a day. But most of all, I tried to tune into the voices. The cadences and rhythms of the staff and regular customers at the Brooklyn diner where I ate breakfast each morning; the heavy accents of the Polish immigrants around Greenpoint; the Russians in Coney Island, and the Hasidic Jews of Williamsburg; and most common of all, the voices of so many African-Americans and Hispanics that now call New York City, home.

Although I was on my first visit to New York City, I had in a sense been there a thousand times before. In many respects I have grown up visiting New York vacariously over a period of some 50 years in the form of feature films, novels, television series, evening news reports, music videos, documentaries, and even Batman and Superman comics. However, it doesn't matter how many movies, television programs or other forms of second-hand experiences you use to form your opinions of New York City, nothing can match the experience of walking those city streets for yourself, taking in the scale of the place with your own eyes.

I loved the familiarity of the city, but even more I loved the serendipidous nature of simply wandering hapazardly around the neighbourhood of the Greenpoint YMCA and over to Manhattan and back again, all the while following anything that caught my attention, or looked or sounded interesting. In fact, New York is a city that engages all the senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and even feel.

New York was everything I expected it to be - and more. Bigger, louder, faster, brasher, taller, grander, and so on. It was also safer, friendlier, easier to get around, and surprisingly, cheaper than I expected it to be. Unfortunately, it was also dirtier. But then the city does have a permanent population of around eight million, which is boosted on any given day by thousands of visitors who help add to the problem of trash creation and disposal.

Browsing through the hundreds of photographs I took during those first days, I see images of brownstone buildings, fire escapes, stoops leading directly onto New York sidewalks, a bright yellow Hummer, Polish language business signs, graffiti and large murals adorning city walls, and colourful dispensers for the many free publications that can be found all over New York. Then there are the images of unusual and interesting architectural features that are waiting to be discovered right across the city. Everyone takes photographs of the skyscrapers, of course, but my eyes were also drawn towards the swirling iron rails and curved wooden seating on the forecourt of the US Social Security Administration building on Federal Plaza.

Another series of images tries to record many of the other buildings around City Hall: The New York City Supreme Court; the United States Courthouse, and the US Court of Appeals office where I saw my first protest by (presumably) court workers, over some matter of great importance - to them, at least.

And there, in the midst of all this legal activity, I also discovered the magnificent African Burial Ground Monument (designed by Haitian-American architect Rodney Leon). The monument preserves a site containing the remains of more than 400 African Americans buried during the 17th and 18th centuries. According to the Wikipedia entry on the burial ground, historians estimate there may have been 15,000-20,000 burials there. The site's excavation and study was regarded as the most important historic urban archeological project in the United States, which in turn has led to the site being designated a National Historic Landmark and National Monument.

My first photographs of the Brooklyn Bridge fail to do that magnificent structure any sort of justice and are hardly worth keeping - but I keep them anyway. What is it about the Brooklyn Bridge that makes it such an iconic attraction anyway? Why do hundreds, if not thousands of visitors line up every day to take photographs of this bridge, and why do they not also line up to take photographs of themselves standing on the Manhattan Bridge? Or the Williamsburg or Queensboro bridges? I don't know the answer, but I too stood on the Brooklyn Bridge and tried without much success to capture an angle; a vision; a unique perspective that hadn't been photographed a thousand times before.

Back on the Brooklyn side of the East River I stumbled across the first of many public art works that are scattered across New York. This was the wonderful NMS - Nature Matching System mural created by Tattfoo Tan (see image above) with the help of the DUMBO Neighborhood Association. This huge, beautiful work can be found directly beneath the Manhattan Bridge on Front Street, Brooklyn.

And so it went. My two months in New York passed far too quickly, and I only got to scratch the surface of this vast metropolis. That I will return next year for another look is a guarantee I am prepared to make right here and now. If you have yet to visit for yourself, I urge you to put the city at the top of your 'bucket list' and start your planning now.

My New York Marathon

~ The weather for the first full day of my New York adventure promised to be cloudy but fine (and bloody freezing).

And just so you are not expecting an account of my running of the New York marathon – a feat I am never going to perform – this entry refers to my marathon walking tour through Greenpoint, Brooklyn, across the Williamsburg Bridge to Chinatown and the Lower East Side, back across the East River via the Brooklyn Bridge, and on to my accommodations at the YMCA through the suburbs of Williamsburg and beyond.

I left the YMCA at around 9am and went for my first breakfast at the Manhattan 3 Decker Restaurant just down the road. The 'Y' gives you a voucher for free breakfast, which you redeem when you order your food. I had eggs, bacon, toast and fried potatoes (a bit like potato fritters), and coffee. You can sit up at the counter (just like you see in the movies), or you can sit at tables. I got the impression that if you are eating alone, they prefer you to eat at the counter where you occupy one seat instead of a table for four, but if there are several people dining, you are expected to sit at the tables.

After breakfast I went off to explore the neighbourhood, and before I knew it, I was at the Williamsburg Bridge. The bridge is one of several which spans the East River linking Long Island, where Brooklyn is, to Manhattan.

The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge across the East River connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Delancey Street with the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn on Long Island. Construction on the bridge, the second to cross the East River, began in 1896. The bridge opened on December 19, 1903 and was completed at a cost of $12,000,000. At the time it was constructed, the Williamsburg Bridge set the record for the longest suspension bridge span in the world – the main span of the bridge being 1600 feet (488 m) long. (Source: Wikipedia.org)

I was feeling pretty good, so away I went across the Williamsburg Bridge to Manhattan.

By the way, I was delighted to see that the final confrontation between Denzel Washington and John Travolta in the recent remake of The Taking of Pelham 123 took place on the same pedestrian walkway I myself used to cross the bridge to Manhattan. But I digress.

After crossing the bridge, I came to ground around the Lower East Side where Chinatown and Little Italy are located, and where I stumbled across the Lower East Side Tenement Museum at 97 Orchard Street.

The Lower East Side Tenement National Historic Site (designated a National Historic Landmark in April, 1994), preserves a six-story brick tenement building that was home to an estimated 7,000 people, from over 20 nations, between 1863 and 1935. In that year, the owner, rather than continue to modify the building, evicted the residents and the building was boarded up and sealed, leaving only the storefronts open for business. The building is able to convey a vivid sense of the deplorable living conditions experienced by its tenants, especially the top two floors which contain rooms, wallpaper, plumbing and paper preserved as they were found in 1988. (Source: Wikipedia.org)

By this time I had been walking for around three hours, and I knew I needed to sit down for a while, so I sat down in the museums little theatre to watch a couple of short videos about the history of the building. An hour later, feeling somewhat more refreshed, I went off through Chinatown in search of something to eat.

Bearing in mind the adage: “When in Rome, eat where the Romans do,” or something to that effect. I found a tiny little Chinese restaurant which seemed to be popular with the local population so I pointed to a couple of things on display in the window, and sat down to eat a full plate of rice, chicken, and vegetables. The whole meal cost me a whopping $3.00, which made it the cheapest meal by far on the whole trip.

Manhattan's Chinatown is one of the largest Chinese communities outside of Asia. After an enormous growth spurt during the 1990s, it has been declining in recent years, partly as a result of the terrorist events of September 11, 2001, which forced the relocation of many Chinese businesses and residents, and also as a result of Manhattan's high rent increases. Unlike most other urban Chinatowns, Manhattan's Chinatown is both a residential area as well as commercial area – most population estimates are in the range of 90,000 to 100,000 residents.

The only park in Chinatown, Columbus Park, was built on what was once the center of the infamous Five Points neighborhood of New York. During the 19th century, this was the most dangerous slum area of immigrant New York (as portrayed in the movie Gangs of New York). (Source: Wikipedia.org)

I was to return to Chinatown several times during my New York stay, but on this visit, my explorations where kept brief since I still had much to discover.

From Chinatown I headed down into the Financial District, and started noticing signs pointing to the Brooklyn Bridge. Well, it was on my list of must see attractions, so off I went.

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States, stretching 5,989 feet (1825 m) over the East River, connecting the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Upon completion in 1883, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world (the Williamsburg Bridge took that title 20 years later), the first steel-wire suspension bridge, and the first bridge to connect to Manhattan.

Originally referred to as the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, it was dubbed the Brooklyn Bridge in an 1867 letter to the editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and formally given that name by the city government in 1915. Since its opening, it has become an iconic part of the New York skyline, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964. (Source: Wikipedia.org)

Of course, hundreds of other tourists also had the bridge on their list of must see places, and sure enough, they had turned out to see one of New York City’s most iconic images at exactly the same time as I had. Undaunted, I headed out across the Bridge for the Long Island side, snapping photos, and shooting video as I went. Having made it to the other side, I figured there was no point in walking back to Manhattan, so I started out for Greenpoint.

Big mistake. I had no idea where I was going, except that I worked out that as long as I kept roughly parallel to the East River, and headed west, I would eventually get to Greenpoint.

By now it was around 4pm and I had been walking for some eight hours.

It was around this time that I also faced a problem I was to encounter constantly during my New York stay. Namely, the lack of accessible public toilets and restrooms throughout the city. Thankfully, the New York headquarters of the Jehovah’s Witnesses came to the rescue! Seriously. Tired, feet aching, and with a bladder fit to burst I entered this imposing building (located on Columbia Heights, Brooklyn), in search of desperate relief. An impeccably dressed young man pointed my towards the restrooms and I quickly found the salvation I was seeking!

Off I headed again, through Brooklyn Heights and Vinegar Hill, and on past the New York Naval yards. On a whim I decided to hop on a bus which seemed to be going in my direction. After a short ride I saw Driggs Avenue, and thought I must have been getting close to Greenpoint, so I jumped off the bus.

Big mistake. Again.

Up Driggs Avenue I plodded (or was it down?) towards Williamsburg, and stumbled headlong into the heart of the Orthodox Jewish community in New York.

Williamsburg is inhabited by tens of thousands of Hasidic Jews, most belonging to the Satmar Hasidic court. Satmar is among the fastest-growing communities in the world, as its families have a very high number of children. The Satmar community of Williamsburg is no exception, and typically celebrates eight to ten sholom zochors (male births), and the same number of female births, each week. In addition, each year the community celebrates between 300 and 400 weddings. To date there are over 60,000 Satmar hasidim living in Williamsburg. (Source: Wikipedia.org)

The sight of hundreds of Jewish men and boys dressed in traditional black outfits (long black coats, wide brimmed black hats, etc), was a sight to behold. There were men, women and kids everywhere, and all seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere. There were also men, women and young girls pushing prams around the streets, and not all of the prams had babies in them. Some were just being used to move stuff around the neighbourhood. From what I could hear, almost no-one spoke English. They were all speaking Yiddish – men, women, and children. In deed, the Wikipedia entry cited above confirms that the Satmar hasidim study almost exclusively in Yiddish in their schools.

It was like being caught in a time warp. It was as if I had crossed an invisible boundary into this community, and then just as oddly, crossed another invisible boundary out of it again.

By now, I was exhausted. I had been on my feet for close to ten hours and they were killing me. Some how or other, I found myself back on Bedford Avenue, and knew I was getting close to ‘home’. I decided I should have dinner before I want back to the 'Y', and discovered a Greek restaurant on Bedford called Socrates. I walked in and tired and close to collapse, I ordered a meal of roast beef and vegetables, which I ate without much enthusiasm or appetite.

I finally got back to the YMCA at around 8pm, almost twelve hours after first setting out that morning. I got my shoes off as quickly as I could. I didn’t think I was every going to walk again, my feet hurt so much.

After downloading all the photographs and video footage from my cameras onto my laptop, I finally collapsed into bed for a much needed rest.

And so ended my first full day in New York City.