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The Topic
NYC's waterfront is roughly 600 miles long. Include metropolitan New Jersey and Westchester, and the total increases to over 1000 miles. This metropolitan waterfront is as diverse as it is long. Its uses range from oil depots, cruise ship terminals and modern container ports to marinas, recreational esplanades, and bathing beaches. Contrary to reputation and expectation, the harbor, its shores and its waterways are integral to the region's economy and quality of life.
The Context
The harbor is one of the few places in the metropolitan area where large spaces still exist and where usage patterns are dynamic. Unlike most urban land areas, the regions' waterways belong to everyone. Consequently, many uses compete for the same space. Diverse concurrent uses and a clash of competing interests shape the character of today's metropolitan maritime crossroads. In the shared world of the waterfront, issues are complex, and political values intermingle. Within each issue is a frothy mixture of economics and ecology, community and bureaucracy, freedom of action and the desire to be protected from the actions of others. Improving water quality makes the competition among users more robust. Fish, waterfowl, birds of prey, and marshlands are returning. Recreational uses proliferate, competing with other uses. In commerce, long-term harbor users are expanding operations. Growth in trade requires smarter port operations and more acreage for containers. Deeper dredging of ship channels and expanded municipal facilities are planned. Privately owned ferries crisscross the waters carrying commuters by the tens of thousands. Despite all this, the waterfront is still part of larger natural processes. Twice a day, vast seas flood into and ebb from the harbor, which determine the pace of maritime commerce. Daily, the waters change the harbor's geography, creating and denying access to mudflats, shellfish, docks and harbors. Flux at the water's edge holds peril and promise.

Researching ...

Preliminary Mayor's Management Report
An interim look at the performance of various city agencies was released yesterday in a report called the Preliminary Mayor's Management Report. Published annually, it takes a look at the city's performance in the first four months of the fiscal year and forecasts performance expectations. Much of the information can be broken down by individual agency, issue, or community. Some significant highlights were: Sewer back up complaints jumped by 23 percent; the average response time to heat complaints rose by 50 percent (although stays within the goal of seven hours); and major felony crimes in schools were nearly a third lower than the same quarter last year. (February 15, 2008)

Preserving Jamaica Bay
With the marshes of Jamaica Bay rapidly disappearing, the city Department of Environmental Protection has issued a two-volume report proposing strategies to restore and maintain the vital wildlife habitat. Among other measures, the Jamaica Bay Watershed Protection Plan calls for reducing discharges into the bay. Such discharges, particularly of nitrogen from wastewater treatment plants, have been blamed for much of the area’s degradation. (October 10, 2007)

Grading Beaches
New Yorkers for Parks has issued a report card on the seven Department of Parks and Recreation beaches. The advocacy group rated them in four areas – bathrooms, drinking fountains, pathways and shoreline – and concluded, “Overall, beach performance is poor.” Midland Park on Staten Island got the highest grades, while, under the report’s ratings, Coney Island/Brighton Beach and Wolfe’s Pond scored worst. (July 18, 2007)

Caring For Emerging Waterfront Parks
New York City’s tremendous success in revitalizing its waterfront will require about $ 100 million a year to meet new management and operating needs, according a new report by Regional Plan Association. Close to 700 acres and 58 miles of new waterfront parks, greenways and other public spaces are being created in all five boroughs. To ensure that this legacy is well maintained and managed in the public interest, the Association has recommended more than a dozen specific policy recommendations to ensure that responsible public agencies have the resources and authority to take a primary stewardship role. (June 17, 2007)

Staten Island Ferry Fare
The Independent Budget Office estimates that if the Staten Island Ferry would start charging a fare of one dollar, but charge it only to tourists (commuters who lived or worked in Staten Island would be exempt), “costs would exceed fare revenues within the first seven years of operation. At a fare of two dollars, however, there would be an operating surplus for the foreseeable future.” All passengers have ridden the ferry for free since 1997, when a 50-cent fare was eliminated. (November 13, 2006)

Gateway National Recreation Area
Gateway is a bi-state park with "units" in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Gateway is part of the National Park System.
Bronx River Alliance
The Bronx River Alliance serves as a coordinated voice for the river and works in harmonious partnership to protect, improve and restore the Bronx River corridor and greenway so that they can be healthy ecological, recreational, educational and economic resources for the communities through which the river flows.
Hudson River Park Trust
The "Trust" is a governmental entity reposible for building a park on the west side of Manhattan in the area bounded by West Street, Battery Park, Battery Park City and West 59th Street. It's Board is appointed and largely controlled by the Governor and the Mayor.
Downtown Boathouse
Describes the City's largest boathouse for human-powered craft and home of the free kayak trip. It has a very interesting table showing Hudson River tides and currents.
Working Waterfront Association
Maritime and environmental advocates, providing education, new initiatives and programs that foster waterfront planning, safety, and access for the New York and New Jersey Harbor Estuary. WWA acts as a catalyst for communication between diverse port interests. WWA facilitates cooperative 'smart growth'.
NYC Swim
This site lists swimming events in the New York area.
Jamaica Bay / Bronx River and Other Water Newsletters from Treebranch
The place to sign up for Newsletters from TreeBranch on a variety of waterfront and open space topics.
New York City Community Sailing Association
A not-for-profit providing affordable public access to New York City's waterways. NYCCSA provides sail training and non-instructional sailing. They also provide instruction to public high school students at a nominal cost. The association operates from Pier 25 in Tribeca.
Coastal Resources
New York Department of State Division of Costal Resources links to specific waterfront areas and plans around the city, including Fresh Kills
Waterfront Slide Show
A Gotham Gazette photo essay on New York's Waterfront.
At Sea in the City
by William Kornblum

Heartbeats in the Muck: A Dramatic Look at the History, sea Life and Environment of New York Harbor
by John Waldman

Manhattan Water-Bound
by Anne Buttenwieser

The Meadowlands
by Robert Sullivan

The Riverkeepers
by John Cronin and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

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