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62-953: New York Harbor is a bay that covers all of the Upper Bay and an extremely small portion of the Lower Bay . It is at the mouth of the Hudson River where it empties into New York/New Jersey Bight near the East River tidal estuary , and then into the Atlantic Ocean on the East Coast of the United States . New York Harbor is also known as Upper New York Bay , which is enclosed by the New York City boroughs of Manhattan , Brooklyn , and Staten Island and

124-414: A canoe party of Lenape. A party of his sailors may have taken on fresh water at a spring called "the watering place" on Staten Island—a monument stands in a tiny park on the corner of Bay Street and Victory Boulevard at the approximate spot—but Verrazzano's descriptions of the geography of the area are a bit ambiguous. It is fairly firmly held by historians that his ship anchored at the approximate location of

186-655: A constant phenomenon, although there have been improvements in some areas of the harbor complex in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. A 2019 study of the harbor identifies water quality trends in nine regions of the harbor, using data collected during 1996 to 2017. The Lower New York Bay region has the highest quality, due to frequent exchange of water with the Atlantic Ocean. The poorest regions are those with limited exchange of water flows: Newtown Creek , Flushing Bay and Jamaica Bay . High levels of nutrient pollution (nitrogen and phosphorus) were observed throughout

248-503: A cooling afternoon sea breeze in Sandy Hook, episodes of heat and high humidity can occur with heat index values > 105 °F (41 °C). Since 1981, the highest air temperature was 99.7 °F (37.6 °C) on August 9, 2001, and the highest daily average mean dew point was 78.0 °F (25.6 °C) on July 19, 2019. The average wettest month is July which correlates with the peak in thunderstorm activity. Since 1981,

310-617: A popular site for recreation sailing and kayaking . The harbor is traversed by the Staten Island Ferry , which runs between Whitehall Street at the southernmost tip of Manhattan near Battery Park ( South Ferry ) and St. George Ferry Terminal on Richmond Terrace in Staten Island near Richmond County Borough Hall and Richmond County Supreme Court. NY Waterway operates routes across the bay and through The Narrows to locations near Sandy Hook . The harbor supports

372-519: A radar station with 1960s-era computers. A Civil War-era 20-inch Rodman gun is also in the park; this was an experimental gun that was the largest type produced by either side of that war. North of Fort Hancock on the western part of the "hook" is an active station of the United States Coast Guard . This is one of the original Life Saving Stations built in 1848 at a site "on bay side, one-half mile south of point of Hook." The site

434-790: A rate exceeding those of the other U.S. forces. Bright city lights made it easier for German U-boats to spot targets at night, but local officials resisted suggestions that they follow London 's lead and blackout the lights of coastal cities. However, some lights were darkened, including those of the amusement parks in Coney Island , Brooklyn , and the Coney Island Light , and Sandy Hook Lighthouse . The Harbor reached its peak activity in March 1943 during World War II, with 543 ships at anchor awaiting assignment to convoy or berthing (with as many as 426 seagoing vessel already at one of

496-608: A similar suit was brought against the International Longshoremen's Association local. In March 2006, the Port passenger facility was to be transferred to Dubai Ports World . There was considerable security controversy over the ownership by a foreign corporation, particularly Arabic, of a U.S. port operation, this in spite of the fact the current operator was the British-based P&;O Ports , and

558-513: A staple for the diet of all classes of citizens both locally and regionally until the end of the 19th century, when the beds succumbed to pollution. Historically, it has played an extremely important role in the commerce of the New York metropolitan area . The Statue of Liberty National Monument recalls the immigrant experience during the late 19th and early 20th century. Since the 1950s, container ship traffic has been primarily routed through

620-606: A very diverse population of marine species, allowing for recreational fishing, most commonly for striped bass and bluefish. The original population of the 16th century New York Harbor, the Lenape , used the waterways for fishing and travel. In 1524 Giovanni da Verrazzano anchored in what is now called the Narrows , the strait between Staten Island and Long Island that connects the Upper and Lower New York Bay , where he received

682-477: Is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 6.3 °F (−14.3 °C). The average date of first spring leaf-out is March 23 and fall color typically peaks in early-November. There is a forest belonging to both Northeastern coastal forests & Atlantic coastal pine barrens . Deer live in the area and also many seabirds such as the nesting bird the least tern . And gulls such as American herring gull and Laughing gull and others native to

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744-545: Is a barrier spit in Middletown Township , Monmouth County, New Jersey , United States. The barrier spit, approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) in length and varying from 0.1 to 1.0 mile (0.16 to 1.61 km) wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore . It encloses the southern entrance of Lower New York Bay south of New York City , protecting it from the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean to

806-551: Is a large sand spit or barrier spit, the extension of a barrier peninsula along the coast of New Jersey, separated from the mainland by the estuary of the Shrewsbury River . On its western side, the peninsula encloses Sandy Hook Bay , a triangular arm of Raritan Bay . The 2,044-acre (8.27 km ) peninsula was discovered by Henry Hudson , and, historically, Sandy Hook has been a convenient anchorage for ships before proceeding into Upper New York Harbor . Sandy Hook

868-417: Is between 18 inches (46 cm) and 24 inches (61 cm), and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity. According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Sandy Hook would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern Cordgrass ( 73 ) with a dominant vegetation form of Coastal Prairie ( 20 ). The plant hardiness zone

930-523: Is known as Sandy Hook Bay. Since before the time of the Lenape , the Native American inhabitants of the area, the Lower Bay has sustained a rich marine ecosystem with multiple fish species and molluscs , especially oyster , clam and mussel beds. In the 20th century, due to increased population and industrial pollution, the water quality of the bay and its ability to support marine life

992-465: Is much healthier than it was 30 years ago." The Port of New York and New Jersey is the largest oil importing port and third largest container port in the nation. The commercial activity of the port of New York City, including the waterfronts of the five boroughs and nearby cities in New Jersey, since 1921 has been formalized under a single bi-state Port Authority of New York and New Jersey . Since

1054-582: Is one of the largest clothing optional beaches on the East Coast . Sandy Hook Lighthouse is located within the fort grounds, as is the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST), a magnet high school, part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District . At the entrance to Fort Hancock is Guardian Park, a plaza dominated by two Nike missiles. Some of the buildings of Fort Hancock are closed to

1116-534: Is open to visitation by the National Park Service. The Sandy Hook Proving Ground was used for many years—beginning after the Civil War until 1919, when the facility was moved to Aberdeen, Maryland —and was later the site of a Nike missile defense installation. The Sandy Hook Nike station is one of a very few stations that are still intact. Almost all of the fort's gun batteries are closed to

1178-549: Is part of Middletown Township, although not contiguous with the rest of the Township. Because the peninsula is also federal enclave, Middletown and the federal government have a Concurrent jurisdiction . The community of Highlands overlooks the southern part of the hook. Sandy Hook is owned by the federal government. Most of it is managed by the National Park Service and U.S. National Park Service rangers as

1240-657: Is still served by cruise lines , commuter ferries , and tourist excursion boats. Although most ferry service is private, the Staten Island Ferry is operated by the New York City Department of Transportation . Passenger ship facilities are New York Passenger Ship Terminal , the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal at Red Hook , and MOTBY at Bayonne . 40°40′06″N 74°02′44″W  /  40.66833°N 74.04556°W  / 40.66833; -74.04556 Lower New York Bay Roughly

1302-728: Is the responsibility of the bi-state Waterfront Commission . The commission was set up in 1953 (a year before the movie On the Waterfront ), to combat labor racketeering . It is held that the Gambino crime family controlled the New York waterfront and the Genovese crime family controlled the New Jersey side. In 1984 the Teamsters local was put under Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) trusteeship, and in 2005

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1364-476: Is wheelchair accessible. The northern tip of Sandy Hook is the traditional finish of the 16.1 mile Ederle-Burke Swim, which runs from the Battery at the tip of Manhattan Island through the Narrows and into Lower New York Bay . The first successful swim occurred in 1913, when New York lifeguard Alfred Brown came ashore in 13 hours, 38 minutes. As a prelude to her English Channel triumph, Gertrude Ederle swam

1426-629: The East River , which, despite its name, is actually a tidal strait . It provides the main passage for the waters of the Hudson River as it empties through the Narrows. The channel of the Hudson as it passes through the harbor is called the Anchorage Channel and is approximately 50 feet deep in the midpoint of the harbor. A project to replace two water mains between Brooklyn and Staten Island, which will eventually allow for dredging of

1488-693: The Hudson County, New Jersey municipalities of Jersey City and Bayonne . The name may also refer to the entirety of New York Bay including Lower New York Bay . The harbor is fed by the waters of the Hudson River (historically called the North River as it passes Manhattan ), as well as the Gowanus Canal . It is connected to Lower New York Bay by the Narrows , to Newark Bay by the Kill Van Kull , and to Long Island Sound by

1550-703: The Lightship Ambrose , which was superseded by the Ambrose Light . The bay contains popular beaches at Brighton Beach and Coney Island in Brooklyn . There are also beaches on Staten Island. Just outside the bay, facing the Atlantic, are the beaches of Sandy Hook and the Rockaways. Several lighthouses were built to aid navigation in and around Lower New York Bay, located both on land and in

1612-526: The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1878) discovered a new, deeper channel through the Narrows into New York Harbor. Previously, the passage was complex and shallow enough that loaded ships would wait outside the harbor until high tide, to avoid running into the huge sandbar, which was interrupted in a number of places by channels of fairly shallow depth: 21 feet (6.4 m) at low tide and 33 feet (10 m) at high tide. Because of

1674-638: The War Board labor ruling and ended on April 20, 1919 after new terms had been offered by both public and private port employers. After the United States entered World War II , the German navy's Operation Drumbeat set the top U-boat aces loose against the merchant fleet in U.S. territorial waters in January 1942, starting the Second happy time . The U-boat captains were able to silhouette target ships against

1736-671: The 1950s, the New York and Brooklyn commercial port has been almost completely eclipsed by the container ship facility at nearby Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal in Newark Bay , which is the largest such port on the Eastern Seaboard . The port has diminished in importance to passenger travel, but the Port Authority operates all three major airports, La Guardia (built 1939) and JFK/Idlewild (built 1948) in New York, and Newark (built 1928) in New Jersey. The harbor

1798-407: The 750 piers or docks). Eleven hundred warehouses with nearly 1.5 square miles (3.9 km) of enclosed space served freight along with 575 tugboats and 39 active shipyards , the largest being Brooklyn Navy Yard . With a large inventory of heavy equipment, this made New York Harbor the busiest in the world. Deterrence and investigation of criminal activity, especially relating to organized crime,

1860-740: The Code of Federal Regulations , as well as New Jersey State Code in instances where federal laws do not pertain. In Sandy Hook a misdemeanor could be a federal crime while outside the park it would be a minor infraction. Accommodations near Sandy Hook include bed and breakfasts such as the Sandy Hook Cottage and Seascape Manor, as well as Grand Lady by the Sea, and Nauvoo at Sandy Hook, which are all located in Highlands. Dining options have changed drastically since Superstorm Sandy , which destroyed

1922-641: The Kill Van Kull to Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal , where it is consolidated for easier automated transfer to land conveyance. As a consequence, the waterfront industries of the Harbor experienced a decline leading to diverse plans for revitalization, though important maritime uses remain at Red Hook , Port Jersey , MOTBY , Constable Hook , and parts of the Staten Island shore. Liberty State Park opened in 1976. In recent years, it has become

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1984-538: The Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area . The eastern shoreline consists of public beaches: North Beach, Gunnison Beach , and South Beach. The southern part of the spit consists of public beaches and fishing areas. The peninsula's ocean-facing beaches are considered among the finest in New Jersey and are a popular destination for recreation in summer when seasonal ferries bring beachgoers from its various docking points including NYC. Gunnison Beach

2046-409: The United States. The freight was ferried across by the competing railroads with small fleets of towboats , barges, and 323 car floats , specially designed barges with rails so cars could be rolled on. New York subsidized this service which undercut rival ports. Major road improvements allowing for trucking and containerization diminished the need. The harbor saw major federal investment at the end of

2108-603: The bay itself. The earliest, at Sandy Hook, was built in colonial times. In New Jersey : In New York : Within Lower New York Bay: There are two small artificial islands in Lower New York Bay, both located a mile offshore from South Beach, Staten Island . In the early 20th century, both islands were used as a quarantine station, housing immigrants found to have been carrying contagious diseases when they landed at Ellis Island . At

2170-448: The beaches yearly after March 15. Nude or partially nude sunbathers may be encountered at Gunnison Beach as it is clothing optional . In contrast, the western shore includes vast acres of sand and trails and a paved path without lifeguards or rest rooms. These stretches are favored by cyclists and kite surfers , and leashed dogs are permitted. Within Sandy Hook some laws and regulations are different. Sandy Hook falls under Title 36 of

2232-612: The century when Congress passed the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 . Over $ 1.2 million of initial funding was appropriated for the dredging of 40-foot-deep (12.2 m) channels at Bay Ridge , Red Hook , and Sandy Hook . The Statue of Liberty ( Liberty Enlightening the World ) stands on Liberty Island in the harbor, while the nearby main port of entry at Ellis Island processed 12 million arrivals from 1892 to 1954. The Statue of Liberty National Monument , encompassing both islands, recalls

2294-572: The channel to nearly 100 feet (30 m), was begun in April 2012. The harbor contains several islands including Governors Island , near the mouth of the East River, as well Ellis Island , Liberty Island , and Robbins Reef which are supported by a large underwater reef on the New Jersey side of the harbor. The reef was historically one of the largest oyster beds in the world and provided

2356-575: The completion in 1825 of the Erie Canal New York became the most important transshipping port between Europe and the interior of the United States, as well as coastwise destinations. By about 1840, more passengers and a greater tonnage of cargo came through the port of New York than all other major harbors in the country combined and by 1900 it was one of the great international ports. The Morris Canal carried anthracite and freight from Pennsylvania through New Jersey to its terminus at

2418-423: The difficulty of the navigation required, since 1694, New York had required all ships to be guided into the harbor by an experienced pilot. The new channel Gedney discovered was 2 feet (0.61 m) deeper, enough of an added margin that fully laden ships could come into the harbor even at slack tide. Gedney's Channel, as it came to be called, was also shorter than the previous channel, another benefit appreciated by

2480-550: The east. The Dutch called the area "Sant Hoek", with the English "Hook" deriving from the Dutch "Hoek" (corner, angle), meaning "spit of land". For over three centuries mariners tasked with guiding ships across the Sandy Hook bar have been known as Sandy Hook pilots . Most of Sandy Hook is owned and managed by the National Park Service as the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area . Geologically , Sandy Hook

2542-704: The entrance to Sandy Hook. A bicycle path parallels the motor road. The SeaStreak ferry serves Sandy Hook from Manhattan in summertime. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Sandy Hook has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ). Cfa climates are characterized by all months having an average temperature > 32.0 °F (0.0 °C), at least four months with an average temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (10.0 °C), at least one month with an average temperature ≥ 71.6 °F (22.0 °C) and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. Although most summer days feature slight-to-moderate humidity and

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2604-587: The fact that Orient Overseas Investment Limited , a company dominated by a Chinese Communist official, has the operating contract for Howland Hook Marine Terminal . An additional concern is the U.S. Customs "green lane" program, in which trusted shippers have fewer containers inspected, providing easier access for contraband material. The water quality in New York Harbor has been affected by centuries of shipping activity, industrial development and urbanization . Water pollution from these sources has been

2666-457: The glow of city lights, and attacked with relative impunity, in spite of U.S. naval concentrations within the Harbor. Casualties included the tankers Coimbria off Sandy Hook and Norness off Long Island. New York Harbor, as the major convoy embarkation point for the U.S., was effectively a staging area in the Battle of the Atlantic , with the U.S. Merchant Marine losses of 1 of 26 mariners,

2728-406: The green isles which rise from its bosom, like guardian centinels of the fair city, the setting sun stretched his horizontal beams farther and farther at each moment, as if to point out to us some new glory in the landscape. In 1824 the first American drydock was completed on the East River. Because of its location and depth, the Port grew rapidly with the introduction of steamships ; and then with

2790-806: The island's only eating location, the Sea Gulls' Nest Deck Restaurant. On the peninsula, various food trucks can be found and nearby is the locally known Bahr's Landing, Moby's and Something Fishy. The Mule Barn Tavern, located near the lighthouse, was opened in 2023. Local activities include the Sandy Hook All Woman Lifeguard Tournament in July, boat rentals for fishing, parties and tours, and paved path for biking, rollerblading, and walking. The Henry Hudson Trail , accessible from Highlands, New Jersey , stretches nine miles (14 km) from Aberdeen to Atlantic Highlands and

2852-423: The kind more beautiful than the harbour of New York. Various and lovely are the objects which meet the eye on every side, but the naming them would only be to give a list of words, without conveying the faintest idea of the scene. I doubt if ever the pencil of Turner could do it justice, bright and glorious as it rose upon us. We seemed to enter the harbour of New York upon waves of liquid gold, and as we darted past

2914-459: The modern Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge 's approach viaduct in Brooklyn. He also observed what he believed to be a large freshwater lake to the north (apparently Upper New York Bay). He apparently did not travel north to observe the existence of the Hudson River. In 1609 Henry Hudson entered the Harbor and explored a stretch of the river that now bears his name. His journey prompted others to explore

2976-578: The mouth of the Hudson in Jersey City . Portions in the harbor are now part of Liberty State Park . In 1870, the city established the Department of Docks to systematize waterfront development, with George B. McClellan as the first engineer in chief. By the turn of the 20th century numerous railroad terminals lined the western banks of the North River (Hudson River) in Hudson County, New Jersey , transporting passengers and freight from all over

3038-454: The northeastern portion of the Bay from the Narrows to Sandy Hook is known as the Lower Bay (named in relation to the neighboring Upper [New York] Bay); roughly the western portion of the Bay (including the portion at the mouth of New Jersey's Raritan River ) is called Raritan Bay ; and roughly the southeastern portion of the Bay (that is, the portion south and the portion southwest from Sandy Hook)

3100-552: The period of massive immigration to the United States at the turn of the 20th century While many stayed in the region, others spread across America, with more than 10 million leaving from the nearby Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal . After the war, the 1919 New York City Harbor Strike by the Marine Workers Union shut down the port for weeks. It started on January 9 and was paused on January 13 for arbitration. The strike resumed March 4 after workers rejected

3162-461: The public because their structural integrity in decay, and to preserve its profile for future visitors. A proposal was recently accepted to allow adaptive reuse of some of the buildings in Fort Hancock for private use. This partnership will hopefully help these historic structures to be maintained more effectively. The defunct U.S. Army post Fort Hancock at the north end of the peninsula

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3224-410: The public due to their hazardous condition. The exceptions to this are Battery Potter and Battery Gunnison. Battery Potter is open frequently for tours on the weekends, as well as Battery Gunnison which is being restored by volunteers and has two six-inch (152 mm) M1900 guns installed; the weapons were placed there in 1976. Guided tours show visitors a Nike missile, the missile firing platforms, and

3286-489: The region and engage in trade with the local population. The first permanent European settlement was started on Governors Island in 1624, and in Brooklyn eight years after that; soon these were connected by ferry operation. The colonial Dutch Director-General of New Netherland , Peter Stuyvesant , ordered construction of the first wharf on the Manhattan bank of the lower East River sheltered from winds and ice, which

3348-410: The same course in 1925, finishing in 7 hours, 11 minutes. The road that connects to Sandy Hook is Route 36 . The road to the peninsula branches from Route 36 at the northern end of Sea Bright becoming Hartshorne Drive within the park. The Highlands-Sea Bright Bridge crosses the Shrewsbury River and carries the road traffic of Route 36 from Highlands in the west to Sea Bright in the east, near

3410-473: The ship owners and the merchants they sold to. Gedney received the praise of the city, as well as an expensive silver service . In her 1832 book Domestic Manners of the Americans , Fanny Trollope wrote of her impressions upon entering New York Harbor for the first time: I have never seen the bay of Naples , I can therefore make no comparison, but my imagination is incapable of conceiving any thing of

3472-615: The start of World War II the United States Merchant Marine used both islands as a training station (which opened in 1938); the Quonset huts built during this period still stand on Swinburne Island. The other major use for the two islands during World War II were as anchorages for antisubmarine nets that fenced off New York Bay from the Atlantic Ocean to keep enemy submarines out. Both islands are now part of Gateway National Recreation Area . Fort Lafayette

3534-486: The various harbor regions, although there has been a general lowering trend in total nitrogen, and some other indicator parameters show improvements. The implementation of the Clean Water Act and related pollution control laws, along with cleanup programs and conservation measures throughout the region, have begun to yield some improvements since the 1970s. The study authors state that "the New York Harbor ecosystem

3596-424: The wettest calendar day was 5.61 inches (142 mm) on August 27, 2011. During the winter months, the average annual extreme minimum air temperature is 6.3 °F (−14.3 °C). Since 1981, the coldest air temperature was −3.0 °F (−19.4 °C) on January 21, 1985. Episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values < −3 °F (−19 °C). The average seasonal (Nov-Apr) snowfall total

3658-651: Was changed several times through the years due to a change in land or at the request of the War Department, which owned the land. This area is administered by the Department of Homeland Security and is closed to the general public. The beaches along the Atlantic shore of Sandy Hook—North Beach, Gunnison Beach and the Southern Beaches, A, B, C, D, E—feature parking lots, lifeguards, rest rooms and seasonal concession stands. They do not permit pets on

3720-434: Was completed late in 1648 and called Schreyers Hook Dock (near what is now Pearl and Broad Streets). This prepared New York as a leading port for the British colonies and then within the newly independent United States . In 1686, the British colonial officials gave the municipality control over the waterfront. In 1835, Lieutenant Thomas Gedney of the Survey of the Coast (renamed the United States Coast Survey in 1836 and

3782-512: Was on a small island in the Narrows, just off the Brooklyn shore. That island was removed during construction of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge . Coney Island , originally separated from the southern shore of Brooklyn by a narrow strait, has since been connected to the main part of Long Island by landfill, and is now a peninsula despite its name. 40°31′00″N 74°02′59″W  /  40.51667°N 74.04972°W  / 40.51667; -74.04972 Sandy Hook, New Jersey Sandy Hook

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3844-415: Was severely diminished. The water quality of the bay began to improve with the passage of the 1972 Clean Water Act . The main shipping channel through Lower New York Bay is the Ambrose Channel , 2,000 feet (600 meters) wide and dredged to a depth of 40 feet (12 meters). The channel is navigable by ships with up to a 37-foot draft at low tide. The entrance to the Ambrose Channel was marked for many years by

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