Trains, Transit, and Tunnels: Understanding the Bay Ridge Branch and the Interborough Express | Episode 265

PAST PROGRAM | Virtual Programs

With the recent release of a feasibility study by the MTA on the “Interborough Express,” a little-known stretch of train tracks is suddenly in the news. The Bay Ridge Branch is a critical link in the freight rail network of New York Harbor and Long Island, carrying goods like construction materials, chemicals, and beer, and connecting with the Hell Gate Bridge and the city’s last cross-harbor rail barge terminal. This proposal would utilize the branch for both freight and commuter rail service, linking with the NYC subway and providing a direct route through southern and eastern Brooklyn and Queens without the need to travel through Manhattan. In this virtual program, we will look at the history of the Bay Ridge Branch, its current use and future potential, and its connection to the long-planned Cross-Harbor Rail Tunnel.

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Titanic Homecoming: A Quiet Sea Project with Charlie Deroko | Episode 228

PAST PROGRAM | Virtual Programs

In 1998, a 15-ton, 26-foot-by-12-foot section of Titanic’s hull was salvaged from the wreck. Since its raising, this powerful remnant of that ship of near-mythic status has been on exhibit at the MGM Luxor Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. Charlie Deroko, marine surveyor and retired waterfront director for the South Street Seaport Museum, joins us to discuss his project “A Quiet Sea,” which seeks to bring this artifact to New York City to symbolically complete Titanic’s maiden voyage.

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Virtual Tour of Upper Manhattan Waterways with Classic Harbor Line | Episode 207

PAST PROGRAM | Virtual Programs

Join us for another virtual boat tour aboard a beautiful motor yacht with our friends at Classic Harbor Line. This time we will be heading north, exploring the very northern tip of Manhattan. We will get beautiful views of the Palisades and George Washington Bridge, then tuck inside the narrow confines of the Harlem River and under more than a dozen road, rail, and foot bridges that connect Manhattan to the Bronx. Along the way we will discuss visible landmarks like Yankee Stadium, the Cloisters, and the Harlem River Houses, as well as the extensive rail and barge infrastructure in the area, and the fascinating story of how the famed Spuyten Duyvil was blasted from a meandering backwater into a navigable ship canal.

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Virtual Harbor Tour with Classic Harbor Line | Episode 192

PAST PROGRAM | Virtual Programs

Join us for another virtual boat tour, this time aboard a beautiful motor yacht with our friends at Classic Harbor Line. Starting at Chelsea Piers, we will head down the Hudson, past Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, and around the northern Upper Bay. Along the way, we will discuss the evolution of the skylines on both sides of the river, highlight the maritime history still visible in the landscape, and share insights on the working of the harbor today.

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