Spuyten Duyvil Creek

The Spuyten Duyvil Creek is a short section of the river in New York City, connecting the Hudson River to the Harlem River Ship Canal.

Location

The Spuyten Duyvil Creek is located in the north of Manhattan and separates the island from the city district Bronx. He is today the connection between the Hudson River and the Harlem River dar. On the southern side is the Inwood Hill Park, on the north are the Spuyten Duyvil and Riverdale neighborhoods.

Across the river, the Henry Hudson Bridge leads over the course of the Henry Hudson Parkway and the Spuyten Duyvil Swing Bridge. About this swing bridge run the tracks of the former Hudson River Railroad, today, leading Amtrak Empire Connection to Albany. Below the Henry Hudson Bridge, directly located at the river on the side of the Spuyten Duyvil Bronx station, a bus stop in the course of the Hudson line, which is operated by the Metro-North Railroad.

History

Manhattan and the Bronx were once divided only by a narrow tidal waters, prevailed in the high flow velocities. The Spuyten Duyvil Creek connected the Hudson River to the East River and the Long Iceland sound. Due to the tides high level differences between these waters that caused the high flow velocities mentioned. The first mention of the river comes from the year 1609 by Henry Hudson, who anchored his ship, the Halve Maen (Half Moon) Spuyten Duyvil in. The Spuyten Duyvil Creek originally flowed north of Marble Hill, which still belonged to Manhattan at the time. Dutch farmers use the river at low tide to come from the island of Manhattan to the mainland without having to pay for the ferry at the 125 Street. To prevent this the ferry to 231st Street was laid.

Built in 1693 by Frederick Philipse King's Bridge was the first bridge that spanned Spuyten Duyvil the Creek. The bridge was built at the exact spot that allowed the crossing at low tide and thus blocking this possibility. The bridge linking the Bronx with Marble Hill, the use was free of charge. The construction of the Harlem River Ship Canals, which should spare the boat traffic driving through the winding loop of the Harlem River, Marble Hill was in 1895 into an independent island. Later, the ancient riverbed of the Spuyten Duyvil Creek was filled in and the area was located in the Bronx. The old bridge will still be present, she was buried, as the Spuyten Duyvil Creek stream bed of it was filled. From Spuyten Duyvil Creek original, therefore a small piece behind the mouth is just left. The Henry Hudson Bridge was completed on 12 December 1936. Its use is still chargeable.

Name

The name " Spuyten Duyvil " comes from the Dutch literally means " devil drain ", it can also be translated as " Devil's whirlpool" and is a reference to the strong currents that occurred here. The Lenape, the indigenous people of the area called the Spuyten Duyvil Creek bank of the Shorakapok, which means " the place to sit " means.