Urban Rivers: Northeast

Photos: Top Ten U.S. Rivers for Rafting

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The edge of the known world?

GORP's hometown seems to be in love with pavement. However slowly but surely, the Hudson is dissolving the heard hearts of Gotham, and we're opening our eyes to the possibilities of the river. Riverfront access to for walkers includes Battery Park City and Riverside Park, and plans are underway for a waterfront park near Greenwich Village. Out on the water, sea kayakers are becoming a more and more common sight. Even most New Yorkers don't realize that fifty years ago Manhattan was ringed by a network of boathouses. But the polluted state of the Hudson and closed-off access diminished smallcraft on the Hudson. Now that the river is cleaner and sea kayaking is gaining in popularity, a revival is underway. The Downtown Boathouse, which was a regular haunt of the late John F. Kennedy, Jr., is the epicenter of this revival. The boathouse is located at Pier 26 between Canal and Chambers Streets. In seasons past, the Downtown Boathouse has offered free sea kayaking lessons every Saturday and Sunday, which has got to be one of the best deals in town.