79th Street Boat Basin

The 79th Street Boat Basin is a marina located in the Hudson River on the Upper West Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan, on Riverside Park at the foot of West 79th Street. Maintained and operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, it is the only facility in the city that allows year-round residency in boats.Hajela, Deepti via the Associated Press. [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/10/new-york-city-marina-living-is-shipshape/ "New York City marina living is shipshape"] , "The Washington Times", July 10, 2008. Accessed August 1, 2008.]

History

The boat basin was constructed in 1937, during the tenure of Robert Moses as Parks Commissioner, to offer a place for boats to dock during the summer, as part of the grand architectural multi-level entry and exit from the Henry Hudson Parkway under the name of the "79th Street Grade Crossing Elimination Structure", and first proposed in 1924. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70713FF395D13728DDDAC0994DE405B848FF1D3&scp=1&sq=79th%20Street%20Grade%20Crossing%20Elimination%20Structure&st=cse "WEST SIDE TRAFFIC TO RUN ON 4 LEVELS; Grade Elimination Structure at 79th St. Announced as Part of Park Plan. MOTORISTS TO BE AIDED Express Highway Will Pass Over Central Tracks With Pedestrian Arcade Below."] , "The New York Times", June 15, 1934. Accessed August 2, 2008.] Designed by Gilmore David Clarke, the Works Projects Administration provided $5.1 million for the project, which included an underground parking garage (still functioning) and a restaurant as well as the marina. [ [http://www.nycroads.com/roads/henry-hudson/ Henry Hudson Parkway] .] By the 1960s, though the restaurant was long gone, the majority of slips were occupied by year-round boaters.Ramirez, Anthony. [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/nyregion/19boat.html "For Perhaps $490 a Month, a Home on the Hudson River"] , "The New York Times", February 19, 2008. Accessed August 1, 2008.]

In 1979, the city sought to cancel a 1977 concession agreement with Nichols Yacht Yards to operate the marina, claiming that Nichols had underreported revenue and had acted as an "absentee slumlord". Boat owners would manage the marina until a suitable operator would be found. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30F17F8355410728DDDAD0894D9415B898BF1D3&scp=7&sq=%2279th+street+boat+basin%22+nichols&st=p "Group of Boat Owners To Run Basin as City Acts to Oust Operator; Comptroller's Audits Critical"] , "The New York Times", November 4, 1979. Accessed August 1, 2008.] Though Nichols obtained an injunction blocking the dismissal in December 1979, [Thomas Jr., Robert McG. [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F2061FF6385A12728DDDAE0894DA415B898BF1D3&scp=8&sq=%2279th+street+boat+basin%22+nichols&st=p "Boat Basin's Operator Blocks a City Attempt To Cancel Concession; 2 Avenues Open to City"] , "The New York Times", December 7, 1979. Accessed August 1, 2008.] the firm's operation of the facility ended in 1982, with Nichols having spent $250,000 in legal fees to battle the city and counter a rent strike by boat owners. [Tierney, John. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE1DD1E31F936A35753C1A967958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 "Manhattan Boat People: Lo Rnt, Riv Vu"] , "The New York Times", October 5, 1991. Accessed August 1, 2008. "Robert S. Bernstein, the president of Nichols Yacht Yards, which operated the boat basin from 1977 to 1982, said that his firm spent $250,000 in legal fees battling the city and tenants on the rent strike. 'It's the crummiest marina I have ever seen in my entire life," he said, blaming its deterioration on the city's refusal to raise rents to pay for improvements.'"]

In 1992, a five-year agreement was signed with boaters and the city, tying increases of nearly 25% in docking fees to improvements in facilities at the marina, such as new docks and electrical lines. By 1996, year-round residents had complained that the 18-month long project, implemented at a cost of $1.4 million, had been done in shoddy fashion. [Allon, Janet. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9905EEDC1639F93BA15752C0A960958260&scp=1&sq=%2279th+street+boat+basin%22&st=nyt "NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: WEST SIDE;Residents Say Marina Isn't Shipshape"] , "The New York Times", January 28, 1996. Accessed August 1, 2008.]

The city stopped issuing new year-round permits in 1994, seeking to make space available for seasonal boaters among the basin's 116 slips. After complaints were received, the Parks Department agreed to an increase to 52 year-round spots, which start at a yearly fee of $5,000, based on the size of the boat. By May 2009, the Department will require that all boats be seaworthy. As of February 2008, there were 19 boats that were considered unseaworthy and that would need to made operational "in case of an emergency evacuation".

Year-round residents include "Mad Magazine" writer Dick DeBartolo who uses a boat as his office. Malcolm Forbes, Aristotle Onassis, Mario Puzo and Frank Sinatra have all used the basin to moor their boats. In the 1960s, Roy Cohn docked his 95-foot yacht here, and used it to entertain the city's political leaders. [Montgomery, Paul L. [http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F10912FF3C5D0C7A8DDDAB0894D9484D81 "Roy Cohn finds politics brings new prominence"] , "The New York Times", February 19, 1981. Accessed August 1, 2008. "In the early 1960's, in his industrialist phase, when he had his 95-foot yacht Defiance berthed at the 79th Street Boat Basin, Mr. Cohn used to invite Carmine G. De Sapio and other Tammany Hall leaders out for cruises to talk over the perennial topics - who was in, who was out, who wanted what from whom."]

ervices

The Boat Basin is also used as a launch site for kayaks, canoes and sailboats. The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater often docks here, as part of its mission of informing the public about environmental and pollution issues in the Hudson River. [http://www.riversideparkfund.org/visit/?c=History-of-the-Park History of the Park] , Riverside Park Fund. Accessed August 1, 2008.]

The granite and fieldstone open rotunda surrounded by a Guastavino tiled arcade overlooks the marina, and is the site of the open-air O’Neals’ West 79th Street Boat Basin Café.

As of May 2008, seasonal docking fees are $108 per linear foot (or a minimum of $2,700) for the summer (May 1 to October 31) and $88 per linear foot (or a minimum of $2,200) during the winter(November 1 to April 30). [http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_things_to_do/facilities/marinas/html/79th_boat_basin.html West 79th Street Boat Basin] , New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Accessed August 1, 2008.] Total dock fee revenue was over $240,000 in 2007, with more revenue taken in from the higher fees paid for part-time boaters. As of February 2008, there was a waiting list of 450 boaters seeking part-time docking privileges during the summer.

A boat pump-out system connects directly to boats to allow for sewage disposal. Along with a fresh-water line system, the service is provided at no additional cost by the Parks Department. All other services — including electricity, telephone, television and Internet access — must be paid for by boat owners, individually.

Filming

The Boat Basin has been a popular filming location. The Park's Department's web page for the basin even lists details for obtaining film permits among things to do at the marina. The 1998 film "You've Got Mail" has Tom Hanks and his relatives living on yachts in the basin. [Maslin, Janet. [http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9505EEDE113DF93BA25751C1A96E958260 "Film Review: You've Got Mail (1998)"] , "The New York Times", December 18, 1998. Accessed August 1, 2008. "Dabney Coleman and John Randolph play the much-married fathers, and at one point three generations of lonely male Foxes find themselves luxuriously ensconced on family boats at the 79th Street Boat Basin."]

References

External links

* [http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_things_to_do/facilities/marinas/html/79th_boat_basin.html West 79th Street Boat Basin]