I use the phrase to refer to the waters that link the five terrestrial boros (or boroughs) that comprise New York City as well as immediate adjoining waters. Of course, “adjoining waters” includes all the non-landlocked waters on the planet . . . more than 70% of the “Earth.” I coined this usage of the phrase. Others have used the sixth boro to refer to such things as a retail outlet in New Jersey, parts of coastal NJ directly across from Manhattan, the waterFRONT of various parts of NYC, Governors Island, and others including a figment of the celebrated imagination of Jonathan Safran Foer.
The rationale for my use of the term is that without the watery parts around our fair city, the other five boros would never have evolved as they did. Alternatives to the term “sixth boro” might be the primary boro, original boro, progenitor boro . . . and I could go on. Although there are obvious positioning reasons to name specific parts of these waters, e.g., Buttermilk Channel, Rose Bowl, KVK, Gowanus Bay, etc., it is my hope that the term highlights the oneness of the water around the inhabited areas of the city and accentuates the opportunities that could be harnessed to use the water to alleviate the congestion in the other five boros. Better interface between water and land is my hope.
Click here for an article listing what Choire Sicha believes are the 32 candidates for the distinction of being the “sixth boro.” Obviously, I think the waterways . . .ie, all the water between the other boroughs . . . is the primordial boro, although I’ll accept that it be called the sixth one. Spelling is key here.
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February 4, 2015 at 4:20 am
Maja van der Kolk-Faasse
First owners of Barge Sojourn from the Netherlands are looking for the Sojourn and wil be come in contact to the owner.
Can you help us? My father has build the barge en had his job over 40 years on it.
Myself daughter of the first owner was born and raised on the Leja, first name of the Sojourn.
Thank you for helping out,
Maja van der Kolk-Faasse
March 26, 2015 at 11:16 am
jdawgswords
I love working for seaboard-jacintoport international
February 12, 2016 at 7:58 pm
jack allen
Re: Chugsters. Those weren’t portholes on the Buicks, they were
” Cruise Line Vent-a-Ports ”
Just trying to help.
February 12, 2016 at 9:01 pm
tugster
yes, sir, Jack. Here’s confirmation: http://www.americantorque.com/game/automotive-history/
April 24, 2016 at 9:48 pm
john mcpeake
kind of like the 5th beatle… all want to lay claim to the title..I like yours the best..
May 21, 2016 at 6:33 pm
tugster
Thx, John.
April 24, 2016 at 9:52 pm
john mcpeake
anyone seen the show balls deep when Thomas Morton worked on a tug out of Staten Island..
April 5, 2018 at 9:43 am
Water Geeks
As an NYC-native, been loving the site. Would love a link in your blogroll, as I believe we have a shared interest in NYC water quality and preservation.
April 5, 2018 at 9:43 am
Water Geeks
(sorry, link is: https://mytapwater.org )