Dispatches

Shantyboat under the Pulaski Bridge. Empire State off the bow. #shantyboat #nyc #brooklyn #queens

Sunny’s Bar in Red Hook, Brooklyn dive bar on the outside, dearly loved tavern inside

Jul 28, 2018

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Sunny’s Bar in Red Hook, Brooklyn dive bar on the outside, dearly loved tavern inside #shantyboat #eastriver #divebar #redhook #brooklyn #nyc

Benzy’s new 79 Leigh Valley tattoo

Jul 28, 2018

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Benzy’s new 79 Leigh Valley tattoo #shantyboat #waterfrontmuseum #sailorcostume #anchorshirt

Jul 28, 2018

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Join us at the Waterfront Museum in Red Hook, Brooklyn today Sat July 28th 1-5pm. Next Thu Aug 2nd we will host an artist talk at 7pm.

Welcome to Brooklyn

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Welcome to Brooklyn #secrethistory #underpassgasfire #artists

Secret History exhibition at Waterfront Museum in Red Hook Brooklyn

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Secret History exhibition at Waterfront Museum in Red Hook Brooklyn. Opening reception Sat July 28th 1-5pm. Artist Talk Aug 2nd 7-9pm #shantyboat #exhibition #artshow #rivers #hudsonriver #redhook #brooklyn #nyc

Geraniums on the stern of the Waterfront Museum barge

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Geraniums on the stern of the Waterfront Museum barge #shantyboat #waterfront #eastriver #redhook #brooklyn #nyc

Playing with mini George Rhodes kinetic sculpture at the Waterfront Museum in Red Hook, Brooklyn

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Playing with mini George Rhodes kinetic sculpture at the Waterfront Museum in Red Hook, Brooklyn #shantyboat #woodenboats #redhook #brooklyn #nyc

Secret History opening last night in Manhattan: five years of photographs on silk organza forming a multilayer and nonlinear narrative of the stories of river people

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Secret History opening last night in Manhattan: five years of photographs on silk organza forming a multilayer and nonlinear narrative of the stories of river people, excerpts of oral history interviews, and a conversation between water-based artists Marie Lorenz, Duke Riley (remote from his sailboat), and Wes Modes. @lorenzmarie @dukerileystudio @dgoats #shantyboat #artshow #secrethistory #publicspace…

Shantyboat upon waking under the Pulaski Bridge

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Shantyboat upon waking under the Pulaski Bridge #shantyboat #nblknd #nyc #greenpoint

Show prep

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Show prep #shantyboat #ArtShow #NYC

Hanging the show at WhiteBox. Five years of Secret History photographs, video, interviews, and artifacts

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Hanging the show at WhiteBox. Five years of Secret History photographs, video, interviews, and artifacts. #shantyboat #artshow #nyc

OMFG New York

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OMFG New York #shantyboat #toomuch #nyc

Hazel asleep with her dolphin

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Hazel asleep with her dolphin. #shantyboat @gooddoghazel #cattledogsofinstagram

Yolonda traces the path of the Mississippi River for the Secret History exhibition at WhiteBox tomorrow

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Yolonda traces the path of the Mississippi River for the Secret History exhibition at WhiteBox tomorrow. #shantyboat #exhibition #artshow

One of the weirder tasks I’ve done this week, rolling a 16 ft boat through the streets of Manhattan

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One of the weirder tasks I’ve done this week, rolling a 16 ft boat through the streets of Manhattan #shantyboat #boatinginnyc #

Living in NYC is a hairy business. Shipmate shearing

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Living in NYC is a hairy business. Shipmate shearing. #diyhaircut #shantyboat

Talk about adaptive ingenuity among river people: North Brooklyn Boat Club

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Talk about adaptive ingenuity among river people. At the North Brooklyn Boat Club, a long space between buildings no wider than a truck is used for hosting paddle trips, environmental education, resource reuse, and social gatherings. #NorthBrooklyn #Brooklyn #Shantyboat #NYC #BoatClub #paddling #Reuse @northbkboatclub

Just sitting on our back deck drinking my morning coffee…

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Just sitting on our back deck drinking my morning coffee looking up Newtown Creek to Manhattan and the Empire State #shantyboat #manhattan #nbrooklyn #newtowncreek

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My first major NYC show featuring five years of secret history photographs, video, audio, writing, and artifacts. Featuring A facilitated discussion with water-based artists Marie Lorenz, Duke Riley, Dylan Gauthier, and Wes Modes. Thu 26 July 6-8pm at WhiteBox Art Space on the Lower East Side. #Shantyboat #ArtExhibition #NYC #NewYork #LowerEastSide @whiteboxny #SocialPractice @lorenzmarie @dgoats…

As we are enjoying a nightcap, a party boat comes up Newtown Creek with what appears to be a boatload of Hasidim dancing to a Klezmer band

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As we are enjoying a nightcap, a party boat comes up Newtown Creek with what appears to be a boatload of Hasidim dancing to a Klezmer band which breaks into a tune “Say hello to the shantyboat. Shantyboat! shantyboat!” Until they were well out of hearing. WTF? Such a strange and wonderful welcome. #shantyboat #klezmer…

Best welcome ever at the North Brooklyn Boat Club

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Best welcome ever at the North Brooklyn Boat Club. Felt like meeting old friends. Benzy said it was are “We Made It Point” #shantyboat #wemadeit @northbkboatclub #pbr

An unprecidented view out the shantyboat backdoor

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An unprecidented view out the shantyboat backdoor. #shantyboat #nyc #manhattan #eastriver

Queensboro Bridge across Roosevelt Island with the little shantyboat on the East River heading toward Brooklyn

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Queensboro Bridge across Roosevelt Island with the little shantyboat on the East River heading toward Brooklyn #shantyboat #rooseveltisland #eastriver #brooklyn

Will I ever get tired of New York cityscapes across the water? Not bloody likely

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Will I ever get tired of New York cityscapes across the water? Not bloody likely. #shantyboat #cityscape #nyc #eastriver

Benzy skippering on the East River

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Benzy skippering on the East River #shantyboat #eastriver #nyc

The city from the Harlem River

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The city from the Harlem River #shantyboat #harlemriver #nyc

Big sky over and big waves around Manhattan on the Harlem River. An inopportune wind blows north

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Big sky over and big waves around Manhattan on the Harlem River. An inopportune wind blows north #Shantyboat #AccidentalHaiku #HarlemRiver #NYC

Here what I know about the Bronx: Don DeLillo’s Underworld, Bronx accents, and this photo. We’re between Manhattan and the Bronx

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Here what I know about the Bronx: Don DeLillo’s Underworld, Bronx accents, and this photo. We’re between Manhattan and the Bronx. #shantyboat #bronx #manhattan

We enter the Harlem River!

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We enter the Harlem River! #shantyboat #harlemriver #bronx

We are going to be entering fucking New York City in a fucking Shantyboat. Pardon my language and my excitement

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We are going to be entering fucking New York City in a fucking Shantyboat. Pardon my language and my excitement #Shantyboat #NYC #AbsurdistPranks

Re-launching under the George Washington Bridge on the Hudson river on a pretty choppy day

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Re-launching under the George Washington Bridge on the Hudson river on a pretty choppy day. #Shantyboat #ChoppyWater #HudsonRiver

Accidentally passed by the childhood home my favorite early 20th Century realist painters, Edward Hopper

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Accidentally passed by the childhood home my favorite early 20th Century realist painters, Edward Hopper. #shantyboat #painters #painting #realists #moody

Triptych: How to trailer a shanty boat in a strong crosswind on a homemade boat trailer

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Triptych: How to trailer a shanty boat in a strong crosswind on a homemade boat trailer #shantyboat #boattrailer #triptych

This brick found by Ginny Norfleet in her yard turned out to be the cornerstone of what was the first African church in the county

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This brick found by Ginny Norfleet in her yard turned out to be the cornerstone of what used to be the African Methodist Episcopal Bethel church, founded by enslaved people and free Blacks in 1846. The church was Rockland County‘s first African-American church. #shantyboat #brickyards #haverstraw #hudsonriver

Docknic in a storm

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Docknic in a storm. When you get tired of the relentless yaw and roll of your shantyboat #shantyboat #picnic #hudsonriver

Weighing our options: take out now or keep going down the Hudson to New York?

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Weighing our options: take out now or keep going down the Hudson to New York? Naturally, we want to go into the city by water, but we don’t want to die doing it. If we pull out now, where will we park the truck and trailered shantyboat? If we keep going, is there a protected…

Riverport Sailing School creating baby sailors.

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Riverport Sailing School creating baby sailors. #shantyboat #babysailors #rondoutcreek #hudsonriver

Maritime hitchhiking: Matt and Leanne offer us a ride in their fancy boat back to safety

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Maritime hitchhiking: We took the johnboat down into town for lunch, but by the time we headed back, the storm had kicked up large waves. We took the prudent course and turned back around. Matt and Leanne offered us a ride in their fancy boat back to the shantyboat. #shantyboat #rescue #hudsonriver #weather

Haverstraw and Ossining are the widest point on the Hudson River. Because of the long reaches winds can whip up fierce waves. It is debatable whether we should even be out on a day like today

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Haverstraw and Ossining are the widest point on the Hudson River. Because of the long reaches winds can whip up fierce waves. It is debatable whether we should even be out on a day like today. #LittleBigWaves shantyboat #hudsonriver #haverstraw #ossining

The bricks that built New York City, made Haverstraw wealthy and nearly spelled its doom

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The bricks that built New York City, made Haverstraw wealthy and nearly spelled its doom. #shantyboat #haverstraw #hudsonriver #brickyards

In the Haverstraw brickyards African and Italian workers lived and worked side by side…

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In the Haverstraw brickyards African and Italian workers lived and worked side by side, with possibly a majority of the workers being Black. Ginny Norfleet talked of everyone growing up having a Black grandma and an Italian grandma. Brickmaking made Haverstraw one of the richest towns on the Hudson River. The bricks made in Haverstraw…

“I am a proponent of highly walkable, human scale places in America.”

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“I am a proponent of highly walkable, human scale places in America.” Jared and Jerry Rodriguez, father and son, stopped by the boat to share stories with us. Both were a treasure trove of local history and, in fact, Jared gives long history walks in Haverstraw. Jerry recalled during his time in the Sea Scouts…

The charming curator, staff and artists of WhiteBox came to visit the shantyboat in Haverstraw

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The charming curator, staff and artists of WhiteBox came to visit the shantyboat in Haverstraw. #shantyboat #artistspace

The first time our bilge pumps have ever needed to be used. Docked in Haverstraw, water was coming over our stern

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The first time our bilge pumps have ever needed to be used. Docked in Haverstraw, water was coming over our stern. #shantyboat #BilgePump #AMarinersUnreasonableFearOfHavingTheirBoatFillWithWater

Rockin and rollin during our Haverstraw pop-up

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Rockin and rollin during our Haverstraw pop-up. #shantyboat #roughweather

“Uncle Susan is a Wolf.” We’ve seen this tag all over and found it in our ship’s log. Who is it?

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“Uncle Susan is a Wolf.” We’ve seen this tag all over and found it in our ship’s log. Who is it? #shantyboat #graffitiart #shipslog

It was an interesting day on the water. Waves, wind, and spray

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It was an interesting day on the water. Waves, wind, and spray. #shantyboat #waves #crazywater

Goodbye, sweet friend. You were a good bumper for the last five years. If anyone has a small tire we can use to replace the one now at the bottom of the river and is near Haverstraw…

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Goodbye, sweet friend. You were a good bumper for the last five years. If anyone has a small tire we can use to replace the one now at the bottom of the river and is near Haverstraw…

The amazingly bumpin’ streets of Haverstraw, a magical land where white, black, and brown people bustle around downtown

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The amazingly bumpin’ streets of Haverstraw, a magical land where white, black, and brown people bustle around downtown talking three or four different languages, children underfoot, where people talk to neighbors hanging out on the street, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Ecuadorian, Mexican restaurants everywhere. I am not kidding. We are struggling to describe it. #shantyboat #67percentlatinx…

The Elks come ready to talk it out face-to-face

Jul 20, 2018

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Misunderstanding resolved: The Elks come ready to talk it out face-to-face. These gentlemen wanted us to know that they were getting emails from all over the country, that they apologized for the Elk who had been uh, brusque, invited us up to the lodge for drinks, and hoped we could have a do over. #doovers…

Interview with Ginny Norfleet. We talked about the invisible stories of 400 years of African-American history in Haverstraw NY

Jul 20, 2018

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in Dispatches, Oral History

Interview with Ginny Norfleet. We talked about the invisible stories of 400 years of African-American history in Haverstraw NY. Ginny’s positivity and indomitable resilience in the face of institutional and personal racism, helped remind me why I do this project. #shantyboat #racism #invisiblestories #aahistory #brickyard #slavery #blacklivesmatter

This is us docked in Haverstraw moments before a member of the Elks Lodge kicked us off their docks

Jul 20, 2018

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This is us docked in Haverstraw moments before the all white D-bag jeering squad at the Elks Lodge started yelling rude comments and told us to get the fuck off their docks. Moving over to the other marina, we faced the same treatment (There are no spaces available and we can’t have “something like this…

Indian Point Energy Center is a three-unit nuclear power plant station located in Buchanan, New York

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Indian Point Energy Center is a three-unit nuclear power plant station located in Buchanan, New York, just south of Peekskill. It sits on the east bank of the Hudson River, about 36 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. #shantyboat

The Hudson river highlands are incredibly beautiful. Old rounded granite reminds me of the sierra Nevada mountains. #shantyboat

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The Hudson river highlands are incredibly beautiful. Old rounded granite reminds me of the sierra Nevada mountains. #shantyboat

U.S.Army FB-814 gives tours out of West Point. Today they got a special tour feature. #shantyboat #tourboat #westpoint

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U.S.Army FB-814 gives tours out of West Point. Today they got a special tour feature. #shantyboat #tourboat #westpoint

Mystery train bridge near World’s End. What is it bridging? #shantyboat #mysterytrain

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Mystery train bridge near World’s End. What is it bridging? #shantyboat #mysterytrain

John Chamberlain sculptures at Dia:Beacon. He referred to these as Gondolas

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John Chamberlain sculptures at Dia:Beacon. He referred to these as Gondolas. The piece referencing Melville is in foreground. Thanks to curator Daniel for showing us around. #shantyboat #artgallery #artmuseum

Poughkeepsie bridges at sunset. #shantyboat

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Poughkeepsie bridges at sunset. #shantyboat

We drew a sizable crowd on the Poughkeepsie pedestrian bridge. #shantyboat

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We drew a sizable crowd on the Poughkeepsie pedestrian bridge. #shantyboat

This looks like nothing, but when you’re in a boat with 10 inches of freeboard and you have a 10 mph following wind and associated waves against a strong upstream tidal current, it is decently terrifying. #shantyboat #LittleBigWaves

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This looks like nothing, but when you’re in a boat with 10 inches of freeboard and you have a 10 mph following wind and associated waves against a strong upstream tidal current, it is decently terrifying. #shantyboat #LittleBigWaves

@gooddoghazel and I wait for the laundry #shantyboat

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@gooddoghazel and I wait for the laundry #shantyboat

Boats work both ways, keeping water out AND keeping water in, particularly during northeast torrential summer rains #shantyboat #bailing

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Boats work both ways, keeping water out AND keeping water in, particularly during northeast torrential summer rains #shantyboat #bailing

Looks like rain destroyed our canopy (and our bamboo poles) while we were in the city. #shantyboat #theWeatherStrikesBack

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Looks like rain destroyed our canopy (and our bamboo poles) while we were in the city. #shantyboat #theWeatherStrikesBack

NYC Chinatown feels very welcoming and very Blade Runner. #shantyboat #nyc #chinatown

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NYC Chinatown feels very welcoming and very Blade Runner. #shantyboat #nyc #chinatown

Assembling the pier at WhiteBox. #artshow #exhibition #secrethistory

Jul 17, 2018

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Assembling the pier at WhiteBox. #artshow #exhibition #secrethistory

Staging the exhibition. #shantyboat #artshow

Jul 17, 2018

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Staging the exhibition. #shantyboat #artshow

Secret History sweatshop. Prepping for setting up the @whiteboxny exhibition tomorrow #shantyboat #artshow #exhibition

Jul 17, 2018

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Secret History sweatshop. Prepping for setting up the @whiteboxny exhibition tomorrow #shantyboat #artshow #exhibition

Back up in Whitehall, drop in to visit our favorite laundromat so far. #shantyboat #laudromat

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Back up in Whitehall, drop in to visit our favorite laundromat so far. #shantyboat #laudromat

Amtrak Empire Service through upstate New York. #shantyboat #amtrak #upstate

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Amtrak Empire Service through upstate New York. #shantyboat #amtrak #upstate

Next phase of our shantyboat journey: Amtrak north to get the truck. #shantyboat #amtrak #crazytrain

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Next phase of our shantyboat journey: Amtrak north to get the truck. #shantyboat #amtrak #crazytrain

The western half of the historic Rondout district along Rondout Creek in Kingston. The entire largely black neighborhood east of Broadway was bulldozed as part of “urban renewal“ in the 1960s. #shantyboat #urbanrenewal #lostneighborhood #invisiblestories

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The western half of the historic Rondout district along Rondout Creek in Kingston. The entire largely black neighborhood east of Broadway was bulldozed as part of “urban renewal“ in the 1960s. #shantyboat #urbanrenewal #lostneighborhood #invisiblestories

Current exhibits in the Jeremiah Daniels Executive Washroom Gallery aboard the shantyboat. #shantyboat #artgallery

Jul 15, 2018

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Current exhibits in the Jeremiah Daniels Executive Washroom Gallery aboard the shantyboat. #shantyboat #artgallery

Though part of the American landscape since at least the 19th century, with the exception of a handful of memoirs and pulp fiction, there is very little written about shantyboat communities. #shantyboat #pulpfiction

Jul 15, 2018

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Though part of the American landscape since at least the 19th century, with the exception of a handful of memoirs and pulp fiction, there is very little written about shantyboat communities. #shantyboat #pulpfiction

Leo Bower generously shared photos he’s collected of the early days of the Hudson waterfront

Jul 15, 2018

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Leo Bower generously shared photos he’s collected of the early days of the Hudson waterfront neighborhood he grew up. In the late 1960s this whole neighborhood was bulldozed as part of urban redevelopment. #shantyboat #redevelopment #waterfront #hudsonny