When New York City ended its run as a port-based economy, in the 1950s, it effectively turned its back on the water. Not helping matters was the ring of highways around Manhattan that further distanced residents from the waterways. But since the 1990s, waterfront redevelopments along the West Side Highway and the East River have changed that relationship. Now, some investors are betting that the renewed focus on the water could spark an interest in recreational boating. In May, One°15 Brooklyn Marina — a privately run, $16 million, three-acre facility — opened in Brooklyn Bridge Park. It was the first new marina in the city since the North Cove Marina opened in Battery Park in 1989. One°15 has a triple mandate: to earn money for its owners, to help pay for the upkeep of Brooklyn Bridge Park and to provide a space where nonprofits can teach New Yorkers about sailing and kayaking. Estelle Lau, its deputy chief executive officer, declined to say how many of its roughly 100 slips have been rented but said interest thus far is high. “We knew we would have to have some staff on hand to handle walk-in business, but we’re much busier on the weekends than we thought,” she said.
300
The maximum footage of boats that are welcome at the 75-slip marina in Chelsea Piers. The per-foot, per-night rate for docking there is $7. That’s more than twice the cost at One°15 Brooklyn Marina.
$120,000
Roman Abramovich
The amount Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich was estimated to have paid the city and its partner Ports America in 2013 for parking his 533-foot, $500 million yacht, the Eclipse, on the Hudson cruise terminal from mid-February to mid-April.
14
The number of boats available for rent in and around New York City on Airbnb. A sailboat docked at Chelsea Piers, which accommodates four guests and boasts a kitchen, Wi-Fi and three separate beds, can be had for $245 a night, while a house barge northeast of Coney Island charges $70 a night.
8
The percent of annual revenue over $1 million that the North Cove Marina, co-run by real estate developer Brookfield Place and Island Global Yachting, agreed to pay the Battery Park City Authority from 2015 to 2025.
1,600
The rough number of slips around New York Harbor, a drop in the bucket compared to the 6,000 slips within Chicago’s city limits.
Longshoremen
25,000
The number of longshoremen who used to work along the city’s harbor during the shipping industry’s peak in the 1950s. From the 1850s until the advent of containerized shipping a century later, Red Hook was one of the busiest ports in the country. Today, there are 4,000 longshoremen working for the Port of New York and New Jersey.
$1,500
The monthly cost of transient dockage of a 20-foot boat at the 79th Street Boat Basin. There are more than 700 people on a waiting list for part-time slots, and no new permits have been granted in the past 12 months. Year-round residents used to occupy most of the basin’s 116 slips, but their population is down to 9.
1920
The last time, before this past May, when part of the America’s Cup regatta — sailing’s most prestigious event — was held in the city. An estimated 100,000 spectators watched the warm-up race, which took place off Battery Park City.
$325
The starting price per foot of a boat slip at One°15 Brooklyn Marina for the season. Prices go up to $972 a foot for vessels more than 150 feet. The marina is projected to pay about $250,000 annually in rent to Brooklyn Bridge Park. Two percent of the marina’s revenues go toward community programs.
520
The miles of shoreline in New York City. That’s longer than the coastlines of Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco combined.