North River is an alternate name for the southernmost portion of the Hudson River in the vicinity of New York City and northeastern New Jersey.[1][2][3][4][5][6] 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.[7] However it still retains currency as an alternate or additional name among local mariners and others[8][9][10] as well as appearing on some nautical charts[11] and maps. The term is used for infrastructure on and under the river, 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 approximate 160-mile portion of the Hudson below its confluence with the Mohawk River, which is under tidal influence; the portion of it running between Manhattan and New Jersey; and/or just the short length flowing between Lower Manhattan and Hudson County, New Jersey. Its history is strongly connected to New York Harbor's shipping industry, which shifted primarily to Port Newark in the mid-20th century due to the construction of the Holland Tunnel and other river crossings and the advent of containerization.[12]
The names for the lower portion of the river appear have remained interchangeable for centuries. In 1909, construction of two tunnels projects was under way: one called the North River Tunnels, the other, the Hudson Tubes. That year the Hudson-Fulton Celebration, commemorating the first European to record navigating the river, Henry Hudson, and the first man to use paddle steamer named the North River Steamboat to sail up it, Robert Fulton, was celebrated, leading to controversy over what the waterway should be called.[13][14][15]
Contents |
The origin of the name North River is generally attributed to the Dutch. In describing the major rivers in the New Netherland colony, they called what is now the Hudson the North River, the Connecticut the Fresh River, and the Delaware the South River.[16] Another theory is that the "North" River and "East" River were so named for the direction of travel they permitted once having entered the Upper New York Bay.[17]
In 1808 the Secretary of the Treasury, Albert Gallatin, issued his report of proposed locations for transportation and communication internal improvements of national importance. The North River figures prominently among his proposals as the best route toward western and northern lands; similar routes were chosen for the Erie Canal and other early canals built by the state of New York. He notes the following in reference to the North and Hudson Rivers:[18]
Hagstrom Maps, the leading mapmaker in the New York metropolitan 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 Hudson County, 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 lower river the "Hudson",[19] 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.[20]
Piers along the Hudson shore of Manhattan were formerly used for shipping and berthing ocean-going ships.[21] In shipping notices, they were designated as, for example, "Pier 14, North River". Most of the piers that once existed in lower Manhattan fell into disuse or were destroyed in the last half of the 20th century, 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 N. Moore Street, scheduled to be rebuilt in 2009,[22] 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 125 acres (0.51 km2), plus another 400 acres (1.6 km2) of the river itself.[23] Several piers are being rebuilt as part of the park project, with approximately 40% of the planned work complete as of early 2009.[24]
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.
Prior to the opening of the North River Tunnels and the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad tubes in the early 1900s,[29] passengers and freight were required to cross the river for travel to points east. This led to an extensive network of intermodal terminals, railyards, ferry slips, docks, barges, and carfloats. The west shore of the river from the mid 19th to the mid 20th century was home to expansive facilities operated by competing railroads.[30] Most are now gone, allowing for public access to the waterfront at piers, parks, promenades and marinas along the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway. New ferry slips and terminals exclusively for pedestrian use have been built.
| Crossing | Carries | Location | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Hudson Tubes | Port Authority Trans-Hudson | Exchange Place and World Trade Center | |
| Holland Tunnel | I-78 NJ 139 |
Jersey City and Lower Manhattan | |
| Uptown Hudson Tubes | Port Authority Trans-Hudson | Jersey City and Midtown Manhattan | |
| North River Tunnels | Amtrak New Jersey Transit |
Weehawken and Midtown Manhattan | |
| (part of New York Tunnel Extension between North Bergen and Long Island City) | |||
| Lincoln Tunnel | NJ 495 NY 495 |
Weehawken and Midtown Manhattan | |
| George Washington Bridge | I-95 New Jersey Turnpike US 1 US 9 US 46 |
Fort Lee and Upper Manhattan | |
The last crossing to be built was the south tube of the Lincoln Tunnel in 1957, and in 1962 anothe deck was added to the GWB Bridge.[31] Since 2003, various proposals have been made to add a new train line including a 7 Subway extension, Access to the Region's Core, and the Gateway Project.
