Houseboats in New York City

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. Lewine, Edward (1999-05-23). "Living Aboard". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  2. Clancy, Jane (1970-07-19). "Houseboats Barge In On Leisure Scene". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  3. 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. 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. 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.
  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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