New York Harbor

New York Harbor is a big bay at the end of the Hudson River, near the East River on the East Coast of the United States. It includes the Upper Bay and is often called Upper New York Bay. The harbor is next to parts of New York City, like Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, and also touches places in Hudson County, New Jersey, such as Jersey City and Bayonne.

New York Harbor is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. It is very important for shipping and transportation, helping many ships and boats travel safely. Because of its size and location, it has been a key place for trade and travel for a long time.

Overview

The harbor is fed by the waters of the Hudson River, also known as the North River as it passes Manhattan, and the Gowanus Canal. It connects to Lower New York Bay through the Narrows, to Newark Bay by the Kill Van Kull, and to Long Island Sound by the East River, which is a tidal strait.

The harbor includes several islands such as Governors Island, Ellis Island, Liberty Island, and Robbins Reef. Historically, the harbor was very important for trade in the New York metropolitan area. Today, it is used for recreation like sailing and kayaking, and it supports many types of fish, including striped bass and bluefish. The Staten Island Ferry travels between Manhattan and Staten Island.

History

Colonial era

The Lenape people used the waterways of New York Harbor for fishing and travel. In 1524, Giovanni da Verrazzano anchored in what is now called the Narrows, the narrow waterway between Staten Island and Long Island. He also saw what he thought was a large freshwater lake to the north, but did not reach the Hudson River. In 1609, Henry Hudson entered the harbor and explored part of the river that now bears his name. This encouraged more exploration and trade with the local people.

The first permanent European settlement began on Governors Island in 1624, and later in Brooklyn. These settlements were connected by ferry. Peter Stuyvesant, the leader of the Dutch colony of New Netherland, built the first wharf on the Manhattan side of the East River in 1648. This helped New York become an important port for the British colonies and later the United States.

19th century

In 1835, Lieutenant Thomas Gedney found a deeper channel through the Narrows into New York Harbor. This made it easier for ships to enter the harbor without waiting for high tide. In 1824, the first American drydock was built on the East River. The Port grew quickly with the introduction of steamships and the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825. By about 1840, New York handled more passengers and cargo than all other major harbors in the country combined. By 1900, it was one of the great international ports.

In 1870, the city created the Department of Docks to organize development along the waterfront. By the early 1900s, many railroad terminals lined the western banks of the Hudson River in New Jersey. The harbor received major federal funding at the end of the century for dredging deeper channels.

The Statue of Liberty stands on Liberty Island in the harbor, and nearby Ellis Island was the main port of entry for immigrants from 1892 to 1954. Many immigrants stayed in the area, while others moved across America.

20th century

Post–World War I

After World War I, a strike by workers shut down the port for weeks in 1919. The strike began in January and ended in April after new terms were agreed upon.

World War II

After the United States entered World War II, German submarines attacked ships near the harbor. The harbor was very active during the war, with many ships waiting to join convoys or dock. It was the busiest port in the world at its peak in March 1943.

Post–World War II

Efforts to prevent crime, especially organized crime, were led by the Waterfront Commission starting in 1953. There were concerns in 2006 when a foreign company was set to take over some port operations.

Water quality

The water in New York Harbor has changed over time because of ships, factories, and cities growing up around it. Pollution from these sources has been a problem, but things have gotten better in some places since the late 1900s.

A study from 2019 looked at water quality in nine parts of the harbor. The water in Lower New York Bay is the cleanest because it mixes often with the Atlantic Ocean. The water is less clean in places like Newtown Creek, Flushing Bay, and Jamaica Bay, where water doesn’t mix as much. There is still too much of certain nutrients, but overall, the water quality has been slowly improving. Laws like the Clean Water Act and many cleanup efforts have helped make the harbor healthier.

Container shipping and air travel

Main article: Port of New York and New Jersey

The Port of New York and New Jersey is very important for bringing goods into the country. It is the biggest place for bringing in oil and one of the biggest spots for large ships that carry many containers. Many busy ports and water areas around New York City and nearby cities in New Jersey work together under one group called the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Since the 1950s, most of the work has moved to a big shipping spot at Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal in Newark Bay, which is the largest on the Eastern Seaboard. The port is not as busy for passengers anymore, but the Port Authority takes care of three big airports: La Guardia and JFK/Idlewild in New York, and Newark in New Jersey.

Ferries and cruise ships

The harbor is still used by cruise lines, commuter ferries, and tourist boats. Most ferry services are private, but the Staten Island Ferry is run by the New York City Department of Transportation. Passenger ships use the New York Passenger Ship Terminal, the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal at Red Hook, and MOTBY at Bayonne.