Great news for those who like to shop at B&H, view the North River, walk the High Line.

[bford]

I wasn't wrong about the river name; it's just that it is apparently out of date and I never noticed. Nothing to do with tourists and foreigners.

You were wrong in that it is used by many New Yorkers. That's all.

Have to agree with you about your photo...not its best side, heh heh. Or, maybe it doesn't have a "best side," but I just enjoy sitting in one spot and watching the people. Most of the times I've been there, it was after some purchase at B&H that I wanted to test while in the neighborhood in case it was defective. The first shots of my GH3, my DP2M, and a few lenses got their first use there. And, I've always been lucky in that I've had good weather, even in winter.

I also own a DP2M. Great camera.

So, I like the place, although I wish it had better views of the Nor...er...Hud...er...that river!

You could have done better and actually gone to the river.

Thanks for your thoughts.

--

"Knowledge is good." Emil Faber

 

[bford]

Nice! I go to NYC from time to time and I really like the High Line. I can't see it as anything other than well designed and a really nice spot to see some of the city's most amazing architecture. Since it travels over so many things, it wound't have really worked to tear it down and make a park on ground level... no room on the ground!

The ridiculous amount of money the city has paid to transform and maintain the High Line could have been put towards property purchases for a proper park.

In light of that, it seems like a pretty silly thing to bring up! Even if there was space on ground level for such a thing a park only as wide as this space wouldn't really work... For that sort of thing there's Central Park, Inwood Park and probably some others.

What's silly is making an extremely narrow park twenty five feet high on ugly and old elevated train tracks. No one in their right mind would chose that over a proper park that is actual part of the ground.

Even though the High Line has some of the features of what we'd consider a park, like landscaping and places to sit and contemplate, I think that it's better to thing of it as more of a "walkway" and less of a "park." It gives one a views of the city that wouldn't be possible otherwise and that's the real beauty of it. If you're looking at it as a park and something that should be spacious in very direction and have really big old trees you're looking at it from the wrong sort of perspective...

In that case proper and modern walkways can be built to suit that purpose. In fact, that would be a good idea for all throughout the city.

The High Line is the result of well meaning but misguided and sentimental people with too much influence for the city's good.

 

[Corkcampbell]

Actually gone down to the river. Ah, no. I've walked along it many times and don't remember taking a photo. As I wrote, the reason that I was on the High Line (and other places nearby) was to test new hardware. I'm sure that I deleted the photos shortly after checking them. There is one video I kept and put on YouTube about the "talking bench" but I think that's all I've kept.

My photography interests have changed over the years, shifting much more to the video arena, and to shooting/recording unusual things, or events that involve friends, my students, etc. I'm no longer the kind of person who is going to wander around Paris or Monument Valley with a camera bag. Perhaps a GoPro. So, if I were to shoot something on the river, it would probably be if I had happened to be in the right place when the plane landed in the river a few years ago, if the Titanic would suddenly bob to the surface, or if that Dreadnoughtsaurus that's been in the papers the last couple of days came out of the water and started walking up 34th Street. Of course, in the latter case I'd probably get crushed while trying to change lenses....

A good example is my plans for the next couple of weeks. I will visit Beijing for a couple of days to attend the opening ceremonies of the university where I worked for a decade until a year ago. I will probably take snaps and videos of teachers and students I know. Then I head for Pyongyang and points south and west of that city and will take whatever videos and shots that I think interesting. To give example of what I consider interesting, during previous visits there I filmed a pig farm that we found when lost, myself teaching for a few minutes in a major high school and a student talent performance afterwards, people worshipping in front of huge statures of the Kims, fraternizing with soldiers on the north side of the DMZ, etc. None of these recordings or shots will win any awards, but my friends and students were very interested. I managed to get a long video of last year's big military parade - right on the curb. It was unplanned and I had the wrong lens on the camera so everything was too close and too fast...however, the video has gained 32,000 views on YouTube and I've received emails from military people (and even part of the Dutch government, supposedly) asking for stills of some kind of new, portable anti-tank missile device that was spotted in the video.

That's what I enjoy doing, which is more like journalism than photography, and I really like it. That DP2M that I tested on the High Line last July took one of my favorite photos ever a week later in Pyongyang. Another accident; took it while getting out of a car. I've posted it a couple times before so you may have seen it, but will add it again here for those not familiar with the DP2M - yeah, Sigma, I'm advertising for you. Not the perfect shot, of course, but it's what I get enjoyment from. There's also a story about what happened immediately after the shot was taken which endears it to me even more. Another reason to include it is in reference to your interest in the DPM cameras. It was never post-processed, just converted from RAW to JPEG. In fact, these are the lower-resolution, email versions, I think. Wonderful camera. It's already packed away for my trip, along with its batteries and flash (which I don't think I've ever used, although I used the flash built into my original DP2 for fill, which still works fine). This photo tells a story, of course. However, I'm not sure what the story is, ha ha. But the faces on the veteran and the woman show incredible pain and suffering, in my opinion, which is in great contrast to the kid's antics.

Original:



Cropped version:



--
"Knowledge is good." Emil Faber

 

[Doug Haag]

It is amazing what you can learn with Google, that ancient and hopelessly out-of-date guide.

First I looked up the Skylight Diner (assuming it was probably named SkyLINE). But no. The SkyLIGHT Diner is well a well known and highly rated (3 stars) eatery on 34th St., near the Javits Convention Center.

But that is in mid-town. So that can't be right because I just always assumed that B&H was downtown and you said that one should eat there after shopping at B&H and visiting the Highline.

So I Googled B&H and that took me to a map that showed that their Superstore is on 34th St. and 9th Ave., near the Skykight Diner and just a handful of blocks from the end of the Highline elevated park.

But then came the real shocker. I zoomed in and scrolled across the Google Map to the river. Then I scrolled along the river to find a name. And, lo and behold, there it was. Right in the middle of the river, opposite the 79th St. boat docks, was the name --- NORTH RIVER.

So now I assume that bford will be contacting Google to inform them that their maps are old fashioned and out of date.

I have been up and down the Hudson in that area on a private sailing vessel. The Hudson is the quickest way to get a large boat from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, where I live You go up the Hudson to just north of Albany, and then take the Erie Canal (modern name: The New York State Barge Canal) the width of New York state to Buffalo on Lake Erie (that's a nine or ten day trip). I always thought I was passing Manhattan on the Hudson River and now learn from friend Google (and you) that it is the North River.

 

[Corkcampbell]

Yeah, boy. Thanks! I hope that every doubter reads it. Actually, I was trying to be polite in my earlier posts, especially since a couple of people who have lived in NYC a lot longer than me criticized my using the term...but I've actually heard it used a lot over the years, perhaps by people involved in some way with the river...I don't remember.

Great Lakes area? I was in Michigan from high school through college; my step-mother is from Toledo. The rest of the family is pretty-much gone. I will return to the States in about a year and need to choose a place to live. The three choices, right now, are Seattle (in the lead for various reasons), upstate New York, and Traverse City. As you can guess, Traverse City and upstate NY have similar forests, climate, etc. Of course, there's no Mackinac Island near Albany...

My father used to take small boat trips each year with friends and several boats (speedboats, nothing fancy). One of the routes they did was the same one you described. I was too young to go and had school, and I don't think "the guys" wanted kids along anyway. They would do the Mississippi, the Saint Lawrence, and other routes I don't even remember. I remember one time seeing a photo of their little boats tied up outside the stadium in Pittsburg where the two rivers meet (I believe). It was a nice life - they'd decide on a daily basis whether to sleep in the boats, on the shore, or get a hotel room. If the route didn't end up back in Michigan, the wives would meet with the boat trailers wherever they finished. We lived in Grand Rapids at that time.

Yeah, B&H is two or three blocks directly west of Penn Station, just past the post office, which is the only thing left related to the original Penn Station, and the diner is across the street. I had no idea it was rated; I just figured it was a neighborhood diner with boring food (which I like sometimes) but friendly service and customers.

Thanks again!

--
"Knowledge is good." Emil Faber

 

[Corkcampbell]

Found it and snapped a photo.

Actually, bford wasn't disputing the name as much as that I made a remark indicating that many people use the name. That, indeed, was my recollection. Well, I've been gone for awhile (except for annual visits during which rivers are not usually discussed) so he probably has a point.

However, even knowing that a can of worms will be opened after I said that we should move on, I may just be petty enough to send a copy of the map to the first replier who stated that there is no North River. No gray area in that comment.

Hmmm....dilemma, dilemma....should I be mature, or....

I understand bford's feelings that a ground level park should have been built. But, I rather like the High Line's uniqueness, which almost forces you to walk the length of it back and forth and look at all of the activity in the streets below, as well as the construction of the new buildings going up along it - most of them somewhat boring, in my opinion, but I'm no architecture critic. Plus, the park seems to attract a kinda eclectic group of people, from middle school groups, to tourists, to exercise junkies, people walking and daydreaming (I'm probably in that group), etc. The elevators taking people to street level are a nice touch and help the handicapped, of course. I especially like looking east at the older buildings, some of which are attracting murals and large ads just for the audience that the High Line provides.

 

[Corkcampbell]

Moderator - please don't change the thread title. Let "North River" stand. Thanks.









--
"Knowledge is good." Emil Faber

 

[Corkcampbell]

Sorry about the "upstate" comment. The Hudson river is also labeled the North river on Google maps, as pointed out below by another poster. I'm going to send a copy of the map to the first replier, and, yes, I have learned that, apparently, I am the only person on the planet still using that name.

Anyway, I have a question about your second photo. I don't remember that mural; when was the photo taken? I hate to think that I'm so lame that I missed it. I like all three photos, by the way, and they are examples of why walking the High Line can be fun.

All of this discussion about the High Line and whatever that durn river is called has made me want to move my next trip to NY up to tomorrow!

 

[bford]

It is amazing what you can learn with Google, that ancient and hopelessly out-of-date guide.

First I looked up the Skylight Diner (assuming it was probably named SkyLINE). But no. The SkyLIGHT Diner is well a well known and highly rated (3 stars) eatery on 34th St., near the Javits Convention Center.

But that is in mid-town. So that can't be right because I just always assumed that B&H was downtown and you said that one should eat there after shopping at B&H and visiting the Highline.

So I Googled B&H and that took me to a map that showed that their Superstore is on 34th St. and 9th Ave., near the Skykight Diner and just a handful of blocks from the end of the Highline elevated park.

But then came the real shocker. I zoomed in and scrolled across the Google Map to the river. Then I scrolled along the river to find a name. And, lo and behold, there it was. Right in the middle of the river, opposite the 79th St. boat docks, was the name --- NORTH RIVER.

So now I assume that bford will be contacting Google to inform them that their maps are old fashioned and out of date.

Why not? That name is "old fashioned and out of date." But how would you know that as someone from Toledo?

I have been up and down the Hudson in that area on a private sailing vessel. The Hudson is the quickest way to get a large boat from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, where I live You go up the Hudson to just north of Albany, and then take the Erie Canal (modern name: The New York State Barge Canal) the width of New York state to Buffalo on Lake Erie (that's a nine or ten day trip). I always thought I was passing Manhattan on the Hudson River and now learn from friend Google (and you) that it is the North River.

It is the Hudson River.

It takes quite a bit of arrogance to think you somehow know better than the people of the city in question. And then some people wonder why New Yorkers are quick to correct certain tourists.

 

[bford]

Moderator - please don't change the thread title. Let "North River" stand. Thanks.

You could change the part of your post where you say "many ordinary people" say North River. That is simply not true.

--
"Knowledge is good." Emil Faber

 

[bford]

Found it and snapped a photo.

Actually, bford wasn't disputing the name as much as that I made a remark indicating that many people use the name.

Correct.

That, indeed, was my recollection. Well, I've been gone for awhile (except for annual visits during which rivers are not usually discussed) so he probably has a point.

However, even knowing that a can of worms will be opened after I said that we should move on, I may just be petty enough to send a copy of the map to the first replier who stated that there is no North River. No gray area in that comment.

The thing is, for the vast majority of New Yorkers from NYC there is no such a thing as the North River.

Hmmm....dilemma, dilemma....should I be mature, or....

I understand bford's feelings that a ground level park should have been built. But, I rather like the High Line's uniqueness, which almost forces you to walk the length of it back and forth and look at all of the activity in the streets below, as well as the construction of the new buildings going up along it - most of them somewhat boring, in my opinion, but I'm no architecture critic. Plus, the park seems to attract a kinda eclectic group of people, from middle school groups, to tourists, to exercise junkies, people walking and daydreaming (I'm probably in that group), etc. The elevators taking people to street level are a nice touch and help the handicapped, of course. I especially like looking east at the older buildings, some of which are attracting murals and large ads just for the audience that the High Line provides.

--
"Knowledge is good." Emil Faber

 

[richarddd]

Fun fact: the East River is not a river.

Thanks for the info on the High Line.

--
My Flickr Photostream

 

[Corkcampbell]

C'mon bford, lighten up. I said that I understood your position (shared by others) and that I was apparently wrong about how many people use the term. Doug Haag's story was actually a little amusing, light-hearted, well-written, and I enjoyed it. I'm referring not only to the comments about the North River being on the map, but the search for the diner, B&H, etc. He certainly wasn't being arrogant and I took his last comment to be more of a joke, and I think that you should, too.

You have more knowledge than some on this thread as you recognized that the name is correct, just that it is no longer used. That was useful for me.

However, the replier who wrote that there is no North River was clearly wrong and let's hope that this was a history lesson for him - I'll probably send a copy of the map to him. That, to me, was arrogance because the person apparently never checked, and probably should make a light apology. I learned that just typing "North River" into Wikipedia brings up the explanation and story. Another poster or two mentioned that as well.

As for history lessons, I learned that the name comes from the Dutch, which surprised me as it doesn't sound Dutch (but then, what do I know about the Dutch language?), so I'm assuming the British or whoever must have translated it at some point...well, no, they probably did the Hudson thing.

 

[Corkcampbell]

Yeah, I learned that about the "East River" before, and then forgot about it until today when following up what someone else wrote about the Hudson. It's part of the Hudson's estuary (sp?). Had no idea that this thread would end up discussing rivers...

Learned a couple of things today. Thanks!

--
"Knowledge is good." Emil Faber

 

[Corkcampbell]

mgd43: "Are you shuuuure"....are you SHUUURE...?" From the courtroom scene in "My Cousin Vinny."



--
"Knowledge is good." Emil Faber

 

[bford]

C'mon bford, lighten up. I said that I understood your position (shared by others) and that I was apparently wrong about how many people use the term. Doug Haag's story was actually a little amusing, light-hearted, well-written, and I enjoyed it. I'm referring not only to the comments about the North River being on the map, but the search for the diner, B&H, etc. He certainly wasn't being arrogant and I took his last comment to be more of a joke, and I think that you should, too.

No, it was arrogant. It's arrogant to think you would know better about a place than the locals would. The smugness that went along with it only reinforced that.

You have more knowledge than some on this thread as you recognized that the name is correct, just that it is no longer used. That was useful for me.

However, the replier who wrote that there is no North River was clearly wrong and let's hope that this was a history lesson for him - I'll probably send a copy of the map to him.

That New Yorker wrote: "In NYC we have an East River, a Hudson River, and a Harlem River but no North River."

The key words in that statement are "we have." That's not a matter of "history."

That, to me, was arrogance because the person apparently never checked, and probably should make a light apology.

No, he wasn't being arrogant at all. First, he's a New Yorker so he should be given the benefit of the doubt. Second, and most importantly, he was not talking about "history."

I learned that just typing "North River" into Wikipedia brings up the explanation and story. Another poster or two mentioned that as well.

As for history lessons, I learned that the name comes from the Dutch, which surprised me as it doesn't sound Dutch (but then, what do I know about the Dutch language?), so I'm assuming the British or whoever must have translated it at some point...well, no, they probably did the Hudson thing.

--
"Knowledge is good." Emil Faber

 

[Corkcampbell]

Who said anything about history? I believe that's present tense used below (Wikipedia). Apparently, I fall into the "others" category mentioned. Well, I'm taking the dog out, and have a couple of movies to watch - 8:00 PM here - so we can continue this later, perhaps in 2016, after the election?



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 in the United States. The colonial name for the entire Hudson was 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 as an alternate or additional name among local mariners and others as well as appearing on some nautical charts 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.

--

"Knowledge is good." Emil Faber

 

[bford]

Who said anything about history?

You did. That was your word, which is why I quoted the word, and you acknowledged that it is not a contemporary name.

I believe that's present tense used below (Wikipedia). Apparently, I fall into the "others" category mentioned. Well, I'm taking the dog out, and have a couple of movies to watch - 8:00 PM here - so we can continue this later, perhaps in 2016, after the election?

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 in the United States. The colonial name for the entire Hudson was 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 as an alternate or additional name among local mariners and others as well as appearing on some nautical charts 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.

As should be apparent by now, it is a very uncommonly used term amongst New Yorkers from NYC.

--

"Knowledge is good." Emil Faber

 

[Bobo Hodls]

It is amazing what you can learn with Google, that ancient and hopelessly out-of-date guide.

First I looked up the Skylight Diner (assuming it was probably named SkyLINE). But no. The SkyLIGHT Diner is well a well known and highly rated (3 stars) eatery on 34th St., near the Javits Convention Center.

But that is in mid-town. So that can't be right because I just always assumed that B&H was downtown and you said that one should eat there after shopping at B&H and visiting the Highline.

So I Googled B&H and that took me to a map that showed that their Superstore is on 34th St. and 9th Ave., near the Skykight Diner and just a handful of blocks from the end of the Highline elevated park.

But then came the real shocker. I zoomed in and scrolled across the Google Map to the river. Then I scrolled along the river to find a name. And, lo and behold, there it was. Right in the middle of the river, opposite the 79th St. boat docks, was the name --- NORTH RIVER.

So now I assume that bford will be contacting Google to inform them that their maps are old fashioned and out of date.

Why not? That name is "old fashioned and out of date." But how would you know that as someone from Toledo?

I have been up and down the Hudson in that area on a private sailing vessel. The Hudson is the quickest way to get a large boat from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, where I live You go up the Hudson to just north of Albany, and then take the Erie Canal (modern name: The New York State Barge Canal) the width of New York state to Buffalo on Lake Erie (that's a nine or ten day trip). I always thought I was passing Manhattan on the Hudson River and now learn from friend Google (and you) that it is the North River.

It is the Hudson River.

It takes quite a bit of arrogance to think you somehow know better than the people of the city in question. And then some people wonder why New Yorkers are quick to correct certain tourists.

It takes quite a bit of something or other to make a mountain out of this molehill, as well.

I noticed on a map a few weeks ago the lower Hudson had a "North River" label. Didn't dwell on it much, and thought the reminder through this topic very interesting. Just as is the roots of locations that were named by the Dutch might be found to be interesting.

Maybe we'll cross paths along the shores of the North River one day, and can discuss it further.

 

[bford]

It is amazing what you can learn with Google, that ancient and hopelessly out-of-date guide.

First I looked up the Skylight Diner (assuming it was probably named SkyLINE). But no. The SkyLIGHT Diner is well a well known and highly rated (3 stars) eatery on 34th St., near the Javits Convention Center.

But that is in mid-town. So that can't be right because I just always assumed that B&H was downtown and you said that one should eat there after shopping at B&H and visiting the Highline.

So I Googled B&H and that took me to a map that showed that their Superstore is on 34th St. and 9th Ave., near the Skykight Diner and just a handful of blocks from the end of the Highline elevated park.

But then came the real shocker. I zoomed in and scrolled across the Google Map to the river. Then I scrolled along the river to find a name. And, lo and behold, there it was. Right in the middle of the river, opposite the 79th St. boat docks, was the name --- NORTH RIVER.

So now I assume that bford will be contacting Google to inform them that their maps are old fashioned and out of date.

Why not? That name is "old fashioned and out of date." But how would you know that as someone from Toledo?

I have been up and down the Hudson in that area on a private sailing vessel. The Hudson is the quickest way to get a large boat from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, where I live You go up the Hudson to just north of Albany, and then take the Erie Canal (modern name: The New York State Barge Canal) the width of New York state to Buffalo on Lake Erie (that's a nine or ten day trip). I always thought I was passing Manhattan on the Hudson River and now learn from friend Google (and you) that it is the North River.

It is the Hudson River.

It takes quite a bit of arrogance to think you somehow know better than the people of the city in question. And then some people wonder why New Yorkers are quick to correct certain tourists.

It takes quite a bit of something or other to make a mountain out of this molehill, as well.

I noticed on a map a few weeks ago the lower Hudson had a "North River" label. Didn't dwell on it much, and thought the reminder through this topic very interesting. Just as is the roots of locations that were named by the Dutch might be found to be interesting.

Maybe we'll cross paths along the shores of the North River one day, and can discuss it further.

When people spread misinformation about your hometown and persist in doing so then it deserves a response. Your doing it your self with your final comment. That's quite a "bit of something, or egging on, "for someone criticizing others for making "a mountain out of this molehill?

--
...Bob, NYC
http://www.bobtullis.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobtullis/
.
"Well, sometimes the magic works. . . Sometimes, it doesn't." - Chief Dan George, Little Big Man
.