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New Yorkers have lived on houseboats since the 19th century, docking across several boroughs. [1] Historically, houseboat dwellers were typically men who worked on barges in the Hudson River. [1] Since the 1940s, houseboat inhabitants have mostly chosen to live aboard for pleasure. [1] Boats offer cheap housing, good views, and privacy. [1] [2] In 1999, it was estimated to be several hundred houseboats in the city. [1]

Newtown Creek

Several houseboats are docked on the Newtown Creek. [3] These include the MV Schamonchi, a former Martha's Vineyard Ferry that ended up in Brooklyn when it was decommissioned and sold in 2005. [3] The Schamonchi served as a squat and a party space, and owners paid to dock it at 190 Morgan. [3] [4] Other boats are rented out to tenants. [5] Most boats are docked on city land, without a marina, so owners do not pay to park their boat. [6] Boat dwellers have faced eviction several times from the city's Small Business Services Department and the Transportation Department. [3]

Hudson River

The 79th Street Boat Basin is a marina on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. People have lived there since the 1960s, when the Parks Department leased the marina to third-party management companies, who allowed for live-aboards. [1] [7] In the 1970s, rents were about $200 per month. [1] The 1990s brought disputes between boat dwellers and the city, which resumed management in 1989. [8] It was home to roughly 60 people when the marina closed in 2021 for renovation. [7]

In the 1990s, the Floating Neutrinos junk raft Town Hall was anchored off Pier 25. [9] [10]

Houseboats are also located at the Newport Marina in Jersey City. [1]

Rockaways

Rockaway, Queens, is also a popular place for docking houseboats. [11] [12] Chef Ben Sargent had a houseboat there which was sunk by renters. [13] Marina 59 allows overnight stays but not full-time habitation. [13] This marina was the site of the Boatel, a popular boat hotel that ran for several years before closing after Hurricane Sandy. [14]

Other houseboat locations

City Island in the Bronx is also a location for houseboat dwellers. [1] [2] Great Kills Harbor in Staten Island is another marina where people live on boats. [1] Inwood was home to two sites of houseboats: on the Harlem River near 207th St, and along the Spuyten Duyvil near Inwood Hill. [15]

Prison ships

Prisoners have lived on ships throughout New York City's history, including American prisoners of war held by British ships during the Revolutionary War, [16] commemorated by the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument in Fort Greene Park. Currently the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center, a floating jail barge, is docked near Rikers Island. [17]

Further reading

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lewine, Edward (1999-05-23). "Living Aboard". The New York Times. ISSN  0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  2. ^ a b Clancy, Jane (1970-07-19). "Houseboats Barge In On Leisure Scene". The New York Times. ISSN  0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  3. ^ a b c d Dugan, Kevin T.; Lombard, Amy (2021-08-19). "Is the Party Over for New York's Outlaw Houseboats?". The New York Times. ISSN  0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  4. ^ "Hipsters forced off floating crash pad". 2013-10-14. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  5. ^ Member, Community (2021-10-12). "Meet the Greenpoint Artist Who Lived in a Boat on Newtown Creek". Greenpointers. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  6. ^ "For Some New York Liveaboards, the Party's Over". Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  7. ^ a b Bice, Emily (2023-01-25). "How To Live on a Boat in NYC". CitySignal. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  8. ^ "Home with waterfront view means houseboat from some in NYC". The Herald-Times. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  9. ^ Stamler, Bernard (1999-10-03). "NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: TRIBECA; Lift Anchor, Hudson Park Orders Houseboat". The New York Times. ISSN  0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  10. ^ "Town Hall, an American Raft". www.floatingneutrinos.com. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  11. ^ "Modern Bohemian Meets Coastal Cool In This NYC Houseboat". Architectural Digest. 2020-12-21. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  12. ^ Houseboat Living in New York City | HGTV, retrieved 2023-07-02
  13. ^ a b Jul 19, Nathan TempeyPublished; Jul 19, 2016Modified; 2016Share (2016-07-19). "'Dishonest Party Folk' Sink Celebrity Chef's Far Rockaway Airbnb Houseboat". Gothamist. Retrieved 2023-04-22.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( link)
  14. ^ Mulkerrins, Jane (2012-01-27). "Boat hotel at Rockaway Beach, New York". The Guardian. ISSN  0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  15. ^ admin (2012-03-07). "Inwood's Forgotten Houseboat Colonies". | My Inwood. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  16. ^ "The New York Prison Ships in the American Revolution". U.S. Naval Institute. 1935-03-01. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  17. ^ "Department of Correction". www.nyc.gov. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
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