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This article refers to the North River, the lower section of the Hudson. For other meanings, see North River (disambiguation).
North River in red, between New Jersey and Manhattan, if defined as the entire portion of the Hudson west of Manhattan.
View of the North River from atop the
Palisades, New Jersey
is an alternate name for the southernmost portion of the
Hudson River in the vicinity of
New York City. The colonial name for the entire Hudson given to it by the Dutch in the early seventeenth century, the term fell out of general use for most of the river's 300+ mile course during the early 1900s. However it still retains currency in the New York City area as an alternate or additional name among local mariners and others as well as appearing on some
nautical charts and maps. The term also lives on in the names of a variety of Manhattan facilities along the waterway such as the
North River piers,
North River Tunnels, and the
North River Wastewater Treatment Plant..
At different times "North River" has referred to the entire Hudson; the portion of it running between
Manhattan and
New Jersey; and/or just the short length flowing between
Lower Manhattan and
Hoboken, New Jersey roughly corresponding to the location of the North River Piers. Its history is strongly connected to New York City's
shipping industry, which disappeared rapidly in the mid-20th century due to the opening of the
Holland Tunnel (which connected Manhattan Island to New Jersey), the advent of
containerization, and other factors.
"North River" on maps
Hagstrom Maps, the leading mapmaker in the New York City area, has labeled all or part of the Hudson adjacent to Manhattan as "North River" on several of its maps. For instance, on a 1997 Hagstrom
Map of Manhattan, the stretch of river between
Hoboken, New Jersey and
Lower Manhattan (roughly corresponding to the location of the
North River piers) was labeled "North River", with the label "Hudson River" used above
Midtown Manhattan.
On a 2000 map of "Northern Approaches to New York City" (part of Hagstrom's
New York [State] Road Map), the entire river adjacent to Manhattan was labeled "Hudson River (North River)", with just "Hudson River" (no parenthetical) appearing further north at
Tappan Zee. The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's current charts call the river west of Manhattan merely the "Hudson", and the
United States Geological Survey lists "North River" as an alternative name of the Hudson River without qualifying it as any particular portion of the river.
Origin of the name
The origin of the name
North River is generally attributed to the
Dutch, in describing the names of the rivers in their American
New Netherland colony, designating what is now the Hudson as the
North River, the
Connecticut as the
Fresh River, and the
Delaware as the
South River. Another story of its origin has it that the rivers connected to
New York Harbor are named the "North" River and
"East" River based on what direction of travel they permit.
North River piers
Lower Manhattan circa 1931. East River piers are in the foreground; the North River and North River piers stretch off into the background.
Chelsea Piers, with the
Lusitania docked, circa 1910
Piers along the Hudson shore of Manhattan were formerly used for shipping and berthing a number of ocean-going ships. In shipping notices, they were designated as, for example, "Pier 14, North River". Most of the piers that once existed in lower Manhattan have fallen into disuse or have been destroyed, although a number have been adapted to new uses. As with the river, the name "North River piers" has largely been supplanted by "Hudson River piers", or just by a pier and number, e.g., "Pier 54".
The remaining piers range from Pier 25 at
North Moore Street, scheduled to be rebuilt in 2009, to Pier 99 at
59th Street, which houses the West 59th Street Marine Transfer Station, used by the
New York City Sanitation Department. Many of these piers and the waterfront between them are part of the
Hudson River Park which stretches from
59th Street to
the Battery. The park, a joint project between
New York City and
New York State commenced in 1998, consists of several non-contiguous parcels of land and piers totaling , plus another of the river itself. Several piers are actively being rebuilt as part of the park project, with approximately 40% of the planned work complete as of early 2009.
Piers above Pier 40 have addresses approximately that of Manhattan's numbered streets plus 40 – thus North River Pier 86 is at West 46th Street.
Historical and current use
- Pier 34 is a pair of narrow piers which connect to a ventilation building for the Holland Tunnel. Pier 79 connects to a Lincoln Tunnel vent shaft.
- Pier 51 and 84 house two water-themed playgrounds, part of the Hudson River Park project.
- The Chelsea Piers entertainment complex is located at piers 59 through 62, from West 17th to West 22nd Street. In the early 1900s, Chelsea Piers was used by the Cunard and White Star lines, and was the intended destination of the Titanic as well as the final berth of the Lusitania.
- Pier 84 is a stop for New York Water Taxi and has a bicycle rental shop and other businesses serving primarily tourists.
- Pier 94 was formerly part of the Passenger Ship Terminal, and now houses the "Unconvention Center", the second-largest exhibition hall in New York City.
See also
