Main article: Geography and environment of New York City

The Harlem River, shown in red, between the Bronx and Manhattan in New York City

The Harlem River is a navigable tidal strait in New York City, USA that flows 8 miles (13 km) between the East River and the Hudson River , separating the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. The geography of New York City is characterized by its coastal position at the meeting of the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean in a naturally A strait is a narrow navigable Channel of water that connects two larger navigable bodies of water The City of New York The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The East River is a tidal Strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk, the Great Mohegan by the Iroquois, or as the Lenape Native Americans called it in Unami In New York City, a borough is a unique form of government which administers the five fundamental constituent parts that make up the consolidated city Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York Part of the current course of the Harlem River is the Harlem River Ship Canal, which runs somewhat south of the former course of the river, isolating a small portion of Manhattan (Marble Hill) on the Bronx side of the river. Spuyten Duyvil Creek is a channel connecting the Hudson River to the Harlem River Ship Canal, and on to the Harlem River in New York City, separating marble_hill_manhattan_mappng|right|thumb]] Marble Hill is the northernmost section of the Borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States

The Harlem River is spanned by six swing bridges, one lift bridge, and three arch bridges^[1], and is navigable to any boat with less than 55 feet (16. 8 m) of draft. The draft (or draught) of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the Waterline and the bottom of the hull ( Keel) with the thickness However, any boat requiring more than 5 feet (1. 5 m) of clearance will require the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge to swing for them. The Spuyten Duyvil Bridge is a Swing bridge that carries Amtrak 's Empire Corridor line across the Spuyten Duyvil Creek between Manhattan All other movable bridges on the Harlem River provide at least 24 feet (7. 3 m) of clearance while closed, so boats requiring between 5 and 24 feet (1. 5 and 7. 3 m) of clearance need only have one bridge swing for them. These bridges replaced fixed bridges or lower bridges in the late 19th century to improve navigation. In recent years, test openings of the movable bridges on the Harlem River have outnumbered openings for navigation. There are no fees for navigation of the river. High Bridge, which is the highest bridge across the river, was originally erected between 1837 and 1848 to carry the Croton Aqueduct across the river^[1]. Year 1837 ( MDCCCXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap The Croton Aqueduct or Old Croton Aqueduct was a large and complex water distribution system constructed for New York City between 1837 and 1842

Three of the bridges that cross the Harlem River are visible in this photo of the river: the High Bridge (a now-closed pedestrian bridge); the Alexander Hamilton Bridge (part of Interstate 95); and the Washington Bridge. The High Bridge (officially the Aqueduct Bridge) is a stone Masonry Arch bridge, with a height of almost 140 feet (40 m over the Harlem River The Alexander Hamilton Bridge carries eight lanes of traffic over the Harlem River in New York City between the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx Interstate 95, the major Interstate Highway along the East Coast of the United States, runs 23 In this photo, looking north, the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan is on the left and the Bronx is on the right

The New York City Department of Transportation advises that while they make every effort to ensure that all bridges are operating, many of them are under repair at any time, and outside contractors are responsible for opening of bridges under repair. Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York The New York City Department of Transportation ( NYCDOT or DOT) is responsible for the management of much of New York City As well, sometimes on hot summer days, many of the bridge decks seize due to thermal expansion, and cannot open or close. Since the city will not allow more than one bridge open at a time, a bridge seizing in the open position can potentially leave a mariner stranded in a small section of the river.

The "C" Rock, with the Henry Hudson Bridge behind it and the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge in the distance in the open position. The Henry Hudson Bridge is a Steel arch Toll bridge in New York City across the Spuyten Duyvil Creek, a tidal Strait The Spuyten Duyvil Bridge is a Swing bridge that carries Amtrak 's Empire Corridor line across the Spuyten Duyvil Creek between Manhattan

The Harlem River was the traditional rowing course for New York, analogous to the Charles River in Boston and the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. With regard to Watercraft, rowing is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of Oars in the water The Charles River is a small relatively short River in Massachusetts, USA, that separates Boston from Cambridge and The Schuylkill River, most often ˈskuːkəl ("SKOO-kull" is a river in the U Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə On the Harlem's banks is the boathouse for the Columbia University crew, and the river is the home course for the university's crew. Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. The "C Rock" refers to a large Columbia varsity "C" painted on a rock face along the tracks used by Metro-North Railroad. The Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, or MTA Metro-North Railroad, or more commonly Metro-North, is a Suburban commuter rail service

Also on the river is the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse, a community rowing facility. The river is used by crews from New York University, Fordham University, and Manhattan College, though the only university with permanent facilities on the river is Columbia. New York University ( NYU) is a private, Nonsectarian, Coeducational Research University in New York City. Fordham University is a private University in the United States, with three campuses located in and around New York City. Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City. Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. In the past, Columbia rowers have assisted the New York City Police Department in murder investigations by sighting bodies in the water. Such occurrences have appeared in the television series Law & Order. Law & Order is an American Police procedural and Legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf.

Misty morning over the Harlem River

Crossings

Main article: List of crossings of the Harlem River

See also

• Geography of New York Harbor
• List of New York rivers

References