The MTA police department (MTAPD) is seeking the public’s help identifying a suspect sought for an assault at the Spuyten Duyvil MetroNorth station They said a man wearing a blue hat with the words “New York” in white lettering on it and a gray scarf assaulted an elderly man at the station in an unprovoked attack They said the investigation revealed that the suspect struck the victim with a traffic cone causing a laceration to the victim’s head “The suspect fled to parts unknown,” police said MTAPD is asking anyone who can identify or who may have any information on the whereabouts of the suspect to contact the MTA police tip line on (212) 682-7654 They said callers can remain anonymous when providing information on suspects or on the investigation View current print edition Click here to read our disclaimer >> In the leafy Spuyten Duyvil neighborhood in the Bronx this charming 20th-century residence at 800 West 231st Street was built in 1935 with updated interiors for 21st-century living on four levels Stone walls and a slate roof give the single-family home a rustic-yet-modern charm that’s subtly unique the five-bedroom property is surrounded by a landscaped garden and a stone patio frames a large outdoor pool the home’s interior spaces reflect a modern European design aesthetic The home’s main living space opens beneath vaulted cathedral ceilings and oversized windows offer stunning views of the Hudson River and the surrounding wooded grounds the open living area features a wood-burning fireplace Off the entry foyer is a cozy library/music room A colorful contemporary kitchen features high-end appliances; two ovens and two sinks means you’ve got plenty of backup when hosting a crowd This lively lime-hued space overlooks the patio and pool The home’s top floors contain five bedrooms bright bedrooms are joined by three full baths the primary bedroom suite occupies the top floor A small private terrace offers an outdoor spot to take in the view The home’s lowest level holds a rec room/den This level has enough spare square footage for a pantry and closet space an azure-blue pool looks almost like it’s part of the surrounding nature and river views of Riverdale are just a half-hour’s commute from Grand Central Station via Metro North By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Let us know what you are looking for and we’ll help you find the home of your dreams We’ll provide current market comps and connect you with a trusted expert By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.You can unsubscribe at any time Once upon a time, on winding Palisade Avenue in the once isolated Bronx neighborhood of Spuyten Duyvil there were three beautiful sisters—sister apartment buildings The oldest sister, the Villa Rosa Bonheur, was completed in 1924. Fancifully named after a 19th century French painter and with only seven apartments, this sprawling cottage featured gorgeous views of the Harlem River looking toward Manhattan—until it met the bulldozer in 2021 the Victoria continues to exude Tudor loveliness on a steep cliff with sweeping Hudson River vistas (third photo) Built in 1926 next door to the Villa Victoria the Charlotte Bronte is a romantic fantasy that features two twin buildings bisected by a central sunken courtyard high above the Hudson River It’s an enchanting apartment residence designed in a style New York had never seen before “Each wing is a carefully irregular composition of tiled roofs, protruding bays, balconies, and casement windows,” wrote David Bady on Lehman College’s Bronx Architecture website “Together they house seventeen apartments The Charlotte Bronte has been described in various ways: like an Italian villa, Gaudi-esque “The exterior is made from stucco, featuring brick and stone ornamentation and multi-colored tiled roofs,” according to a writeup on Curbed Each apartment had a wood-burning fireplace and varying views of the river; landscaped paths and walkways thread the villa into a cohesive unit were built not to lure Manhattanites to the Bronx but to keep the “city ugly” of Manhattan from spoiling Spuyten Duyvil when residents of this formerly sleepy enclave became alarmed by the encroachment of urban development The pace of urbanization in Northern Manhattan and the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx was swift and the community realized that Spuyten Duyvil could be the next area to be carved up and sold to speculators Residents pushed back on urbanization, “lest it should jump the Harlem and Spuyten Duyvil Creek and spoil the romantic spot where nature still ran riot among the trees and flowers,” the New York Times reported in 1910 some residents began buying up lots themselves and laying out plans for “houses of a more expensive character,” per the Times The goal was to put up new residences (and turn a profit) while keeping the small-scale charm and character of Spuyten Duyvil One of these residents, lawyer and businessman John J. McKelvey, had lived in Spuyten Duyvil since the 1890s. At first, he tried his hand at building and selling individual homes, according to Christopher Gray in a 2006 New York Times article It was McKelvey who built the three sisters and gave them their delightful names They are considered to be the first apartment houses in Riverdale but ‘villas’ made up of individually owned duplex and triplex ‘studio homes,’” wrote Bady Architect Robert Gardner made unusual design choices for the Charlotte Bronte that distinguish it from the hundreds of elegant yet cookie-cutter apartment buildings lining Manhattan’s upper class avenues in the 1920s you have to go down two flights toward the Hudson then turn right and go up two flights to the front door Another front door is behind a small arched grotto,” explained Gray high-flying concrete walkway with a skinny iron railing cantilevered out over a long and nasty drop to the railroad tracks below.” At first, the sister buildings attracted elite tenants; one newspaper listed some of the “well known” New Yorkers who planned to make the Villa Victoria their home McKelvey lost Villa Victoria in foreclosure and the Rosa Bonheur co-op failed in 1941,” wrote Gray The Villa Rosa Bonheur held on for decades as a private home then in the 2010s was sold to a developer who tore it down—inciting much anger from the community the Villa Victoria appears to be a rental building while the Villa Charlotte Bronte remains a spectacular co-op residence with rarely available units Spuyten Duyvil gained some apartment towers over the years but much of this hilly enclave retains a small-town feel high above the bluffs Two apartments in the Charlotte Bronte actually came up for sale in 2023. A New York Post article captured the historic interiors of each But getting to some of the entrances doesn’t seem to make them elderly friendly Always trying to escape the encroachment of the city they chose to live near Of course the neighborhoods become assimilated That’s a great point—the Villa Charlotte Bronte is beautiful but doesn’t appear to be ADA compliant it’s ironic that neither accessibility nor physical fitness were priorities when those places were built I saw the Rosa Bonheur when it was still standing Does the Charlotte Brõnte overlook a Heath-cliff I was so focused on describing the exterior of the Villa Charlotte Bronte I forgot to make light of the Heathcliff connection Perhaps that had something to do with the choice of name I never turned up any insight into how McKelvey came up with the names of his delightful buildings It is a bit unclear what we are looking at in the pictures From Google maps it seems Villa Rosa Bonheur was off by itself around the corner and down the road from everything else Sad to lose it but at least the main assemblage wasn’t damaged People are always surprised when unlandmarked stuff is demolished and the Villa Victoria and Villa Charlotte Bronte are neighbors I wish good and accessible photos of the Rosa Bonheur were available to put in the post neither of the two remaining buildings are landmarked It looks like the Kingsbridge Historical Society is raising awareness about the need to preserve them and learn lessons from the razing of Rosa Bonheur: https://kingsbridgehistoricalsociety.org/event/the-villa-rosa-bonheur-and-the-fight-to-save-it/ I worked to have the street co-named after John J for your efforts to save Villa Rosa Bonheur and for your comment letting everyone know I invite you to come visit us at the Kingsbridge Historical Society at EDGEHILL We are a most unique community with a history dating back to the 1600s especially up north of NYC for the summer is very nice but I never knew about these particular buildings they look awesome with the elevated views out over the river and beyond 👍☘️🌷🙂 Is that the GWB in the background in pic#2 Is there a subway line close by to take into Manhattan and how long of a ride is it Their effort to thwart the Manhattan type development was also an effort to thwart Jews from moving into the area since it was one of two such buildings in Riverdale that were “Restricted” meaning Jews were not allowed Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker There were no injuries reported after a BxM1 bus crashed into a high wall by 2601 Henry Hudson Parkway and Kappock Street / Independence Avenue in the Spuyten Duyvll section of The Bronx on Friday morning The FDNY said they received a call at 8.40 a.m for a report of a bus hanging from an overpass They said there were no reported injuries but emergency units are continuing to operate at the scene The MTA later confirmed that the FDNY helped the driver off the bus upon arrival at Independence Avenue and Kappock Street officers from the 50th Precinct were informed that a 57-year-old MTA bus driver was traveling southbound on the Henry Hudson Parkway West when he failed to navigate the roadway and lost control of the bus missing its turn and skidding over the stone wall “There were no injuries reported,” the spokesperson added Asked if the bus had been occupied at the time with many passengers “I don’t have that detail at the moment.” We asked the MTA if they could confirm this information “The incident involving a BxM1 bus was reported at 8:32 am at Kappock and Henry Hudson Parkway.” “No customers were on board at the time No injuries have been reported.” Asked if there were any other vehicles involved in the accident the NYPD spokesperson said it was just the bus Some videos of the scene can be viewed here and here TWU Local 100 MTA Bus Vice President Danny D’Amato Yonkers Depot Chair Marcus Soler and TWU Safety Team members Joseph DiPaola and Jamie Ayuso later said they had also later responded to the scene They said the 26-year-veteran bus driver at the wheel had been attempting to pass a poorly parked vehicle obstructing a narrow single lane service road the NYPD handles all criminal aspects of the investigations while NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) reviews the street design at the locations of such crashes We reached out to DOT for more information and will share any updates we receive A DOT spokesperson later said of the accident that the parking at the corner [of the Henry Hudson Parkway West service road before the bend by Kappock Street] is not new and was temporarily removed while MTA Bridges & Tunnels made improvements to the nearby pedestrian and bicycle path The spokesperson added that the contractor is resposible for returning parking spaces after work is complete “I was on the scene of the BXM1 bus crash with Council Member Eric Dinowitz there were no customers on board and no injuries The bus operator was safely removed by the FDNY and is unharmed The crash happened while the driver tried to go around a double-parked car.” Edric Robinson which for almost 90 years has towered over the British navigator and explorer’s namesake park in the hilly Bronx neighborhood of Spuyten Duyvil Why so many components to a monument that could have been just as meaningful as a bronze bust on a granite base or an embossed tablet in the ground It has to do with the Henry Hudson anniversary mania that gripped the city more than a century ago when the monument embarked on a three-decade journey from the idea stage to its completion and official dedication in 1938 The story of the memorial begins in 1906. That’s when New York City was in the midst of planning a spectacular two-week double celebration in 1909 to mark the 300th anniversary of Hudson’s dropping anchor in New York Harbor as well as the 100th anniversary of the first voyage of Robert Fulton’s paddlewheel steamboat This citywide party put Hudson and Fulton front and center But it was also a message to the world highlighting New York’s might and power at the start of a new century Among the festivities were fireworks, a naval flotilla on the river bearing Hudson’s name, parades, pageants, signal fires, and the nighttime lighting of over a million incandescent bulbs on Gotham’s best-known monuments A new bridge, eventually named the Henry Hudson Memorial Bridge (below postcard), which connected Inwood with Spuyten Duyvil, was proposed. Statues commemorating Hudson were also in the works, including one placed at Riverside Drive and 72nd Street Because Hudson docked at Spuyten Duyvil during his voyage up the river in 1609 civic leaders on the celebration committee decided that a promontory with scenic views would be an ideal setting for a truly glorious Henry Hudson monument “The committee broke ground at the donated memorial site in 1909, and the massive Doric column was erected in 1912,” wrote NYC Parks. Karl Bitter, a prominent Austrian-born sculptor who created the Franz Sigel equestrian statue on Riverside Drive and 106th Street was tasked with designing a statue of Hudson that would be hoisted on top of the column A lack of funds kept Bitter from finishing the sculpture; he died in 1915 after being hit by a runaway car outside the Metropolitan Opera House on Broadway parks commissioner Robert Moses completed the Henry Hudson Memorial Bridge (with a very different design than the original proposal in the above postcard) then turned his attention to finishing the memorial Moses acquired the land around the promontory redesigned the bronze figure of Hudson and the two bas-reliefs at the base of the column and the completed Henry Hudson Memorial was dedicated on January 6 a 16-foot Henry Hudson in 17th century pantaloons has stood on top of this 109-foot Doric column One bas-relief shows the explorer looking at a globe with his men The second bas-relief depicts Hudson attempting to trade beads for the furs carried in the arms of a Native American Monuments to explorers have fallen out of favor; note that no one proposed a 400th anniversary celebration in Hudson’s honor in 2009 But this memorial in a lovely and scenic pocket park is a commanding one, showing Henry Hudson in “magnificent isolation,” as one newspaper put it [Third image: MCNY, F2011.33.549; fourth image: MCNY, F2011.33.2123H] I liked the monument design and the ‘magnificent isolation’ of its location Me too; it’s a stunning site that enhances the monument’s design Thanks for the historical coverage of our Henry Hudson Memorial In 2005 I raised private funds to conserve the lower portion of the monument its masonry and bronze reliefs through NYC Parks Citywide Monument Conservation Program through a capital project timed for the 400th anniversary of Hudson’s arrival a capital restoration project was completed on the column and upper portion of the monument Our monuments staff also repaired and reinstalled at the park entrance the Henry Hudson plaque that had been vandalized and long stored Our staff performs annual care at the monument See here for my NY Times commentary on the memorial: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/26/nyregion/a-fount-of-monumental-questions.html NYC Parks Director of Art & Antiquities I’m so glad the monument is in good hands and has NYC Parks looking out for it this was saved by the man who has a tainted history and finished during the Great Depression Let’s make sure the ‘Cancel Culture’ keep away Tom–I think the roles played by people should be acknowledged An artist once told me ‘omission’ is a form censorship on winding Palisade Avenue in the once isolated Bronx neighborhood of Spuyten Duyvil Strange Delight launches lunch — and more intel Four Horsemen wine alum, Ava Trilling is opening a wine bar this fall called Rude Mouth at 359 Metropolitan Avenue, near Havemeyer Street. It’s the former home of longtime craft beer bar Spuyten Duyvil, which closed in April Trilling previously had hosted pop-up versions of Rude Mouth at various bars New Orleans-flavored Strange Delight is launching lunch on Thursday in Fort Greene: It’s $25 for an entree and three sides and Chinese broccoli salad sounds like a really fun way to spend a work lunch All the new restaurant openings in New York this month Photos & Videos Photo of the Day Spuyten Duyvil panorama Members enjoy 15% off any purchase in our store. Join Today Get updates and special offers via email from Trains.com brands 2023 - 9:30AM A renovated three-bedroom two-bath co-op with a terrace and river views is for sale in this circa-1959 luxury building Moda Realty The northwestern Bronx community of Spuyten Duyvil where innovative sculptor Alexander Calder lived for a year while growing up largely residential area that’s known for its waterfront views variously translated as “Spouting Devil,” “Spewing Devil,” or even “Spinning Devil,” comes from the creek of the same name In this week’s Buy Curious, Geoffrey Weiss, an agent at Compass, and Chanda Colón, an agent at Douglas Elliman, give us the inside story on Spuyten Duyvil I’ve heard that Spuyten Duyvil is one of the higher-priced sections of the Bronx which are scarce and don’t come on the market frequently though co-ops can be more affordable and available so there tends to be a lot of turnover,” he says Colón adds that housing prices are far less expensive than those in Manhattan and it has high-rises that “can easily pass for luxury towers in Manhattan Very few New York City residents are familiar with the neighborhood.” Spuyten Duyvil is bounded on the north by Riverdale (some people consider Spuyten Duyvil to be a part of Riverdale while others vehemently disagree) on the east by Kingsbridge and Marble Hill prices in Spuyten Duyvil are still much cheaper,” Weiss says “And you have a good shot at being able to afford something with a river view.” He adds that the swift commute to Manhattan—it takes about 25 minutes on Metro-North—and the large number of parks make Spuyten Duyvil attractive to young professionals Colón notes that the abundance of green spaces in a city setting and Spuyten Duyvil’s spirited sense of community are other attractions “You have high-rises with concierge service and doormen and historical homes that have a Westchester vibe,” she says There are no named sections of Spuyten Duyvil but the Henry Hudson Parkway divides the community in half from east and west The west side of the parkway commands higher prices because it has bigger luxury co-op buildings on the waterfront “These are the most desirable properties in the neighborhood,” Colón says The east side has more single-family houses which can be more costly than many of the co-ops “This section is a little closer to Central Riverdale and its shops and restaurants,” she says Spuyten Duyvil is pretty much a seller’s market buyers “have their pick and will pass them by if they are overpriced.” which Weiss says “is not a ton of inventory.” He breaks down the pricing as follows: Single families can start as low as $750,000 for a house that needs to be gut-renovated and range up to $5 million and $6 million Co-op prices start at around $150,000 to $200,000 for a one-bedroom unit Two bedrooms generally are $250,000 to $350,000 and four bedrooms with two baths typically command $700,000 or $800,000 to $1 million Condos are much rarer but are similar in price One of the prime co-ops is Villa Charlotte Bronte which has only 17 units and dates to the 1920s which is listed for $1.349 million and under contract including The Winston Churchill and Presidential Single-family properties date from the 1900s to the 1920s and there are some townhouses built in the 1960s Because Spuyten Duyvil is in a Special Natural Area District (SNAD) zoning restrictions have kept new development at a minimum explaining that “the department of city planning asserts tight control over development in SNADs to protect their unique historical sites and sensitive ecological features.” a six-story luxury project completed in 2022 with 55 units There is no direct subway service in Spuyten Duyvil 1 train in neighboring Kingsbridge is a 15- to 20-minute walk away The BXM1 and BXM2 express buses go to and from Manhattan and the Metro-North Railroad runs to Grand Central Station and Westchester County Residents can drive to Manhattan on the Henry Hudson Parkway Seton Park, a dog-friendly area Henry Hudson Park has areas for dogs Ewen Park, which is defined by a long stairway that connects Kingsbridge and Riverdale Spuyten Duyvil Playground has playgrounds as well as basketball courts and spray showers The Club of Riverdale, in The Century rental apartment complex is a fitness center with indoor swimming pool that offers membership to residents and non-residents of the building “The neighborhood does not have a nightlife there are local bars and restaurants found within walking distance in Central Riverdale,” Colón says Knolls Crescent, a tiny commercial corner of the community, has a couple of take-out restaurants, including the longtime favorite Siam Square Thai Cuisine. Another takeout option is Famous Pizza Express. residents head not only to Riverdale but also to Kingsbridge and Inwood which are also are within walking distance Ben’s Market is the only grocery store in Spuyten Duyvil Check out these listings in Spuyten Duyvil 2550 Independence Ave., #8SThis 1,400-square-foot co-op The renovated kitchen features stainless steel appliances and breakfast bar; the en-suite bath has also been updated a luxury elevator building with 142 units on seven stories 3050 Fairfield Ave., #7GListed for $479,000 this 1,400-square-foot co-op has two bedrooms walk-in custom closets in the primary bedroom and a new eat-in kitchen with granite countertops 2500 Johnson Ave., #16JLocated in The Winston Churchill this 1,450-square-foot renovated co-op is asking $685,000 which dates to 1967 and has 339 units on 20 stories 3512 Oxford Ave., #1EThis 850-square-foot two-bedroom one-bath co-op is listed for $234,900 and features wood and parquet floors plus a new kitchen with quartz countertops 3420 Netherland Ave., #4DPart of Netherland Terrace, this 750-square-foot condo has one bedroom, a marble bath, ceramic floor tile, and a balcony. It’s listed for $375,000. The building, opened in 1988, has 15 units total on six stories, a laundry room, and wait-listed indoor and outdoor parking. Nancy A. Ruhling is a freelance writer based in New York City. *By signing up you agree to receive occasional emails on behalf of our sponsors Copyright 2009-2024 by BND Ventures Inc | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Ad Choices | Login The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board unanimously approved the largest capital program in its history Wednesday a massive $68.4 billion spending plan that includes a strategy to protect Metro-North’s Hudson Line from raging storms and rising sea levels in the decades to come Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers to bankroll nearly half the upgrades included in its 2025-2029 capital program so city subways and commuter rails remain in good repair “Ultimately the legislature has got to figure this out with the governor,” board member Neal Zuckerman but they’re going to have to do it again.” Adding to the MTA’s financial woes is Hochul’s June decision to pause a plan to toll drivers entering Manhattan’s business district at 60th Street and below The decision blew a $15 billion hole in the last capital plan for the years 2020-2024 The governor said her decision was influenced by the impact a $15 toll will have on New York’s working class But it raised concerns among transportation advocates that projects not finished in the last plan will roll over into the next shrinking the funding pool for future projects “The Governor’s transit math simply doesn’t add up without congestion pricing,” said Rachael Fauss a senior policy adviser for Reinvent Albany Hochul said last week she will review the MTA proposal and “fight to secure as much funding as possible.” Upgrades: Metro-North could get $6B for new railcars, track upgrades under MTA capital plan The $68.4 billion request is on the low end of the funding needed to upgrade MTA infrastructure Making all the fixes identified by MTA analysts would cost around $100 billion in the coming years Heading Metro-North’s wish list are upgrades to a 20-mile stretch of the Hudson Line from Spuyten Duyvil to Croton Harmon vulnerable to flooding Hudson Line service was interrupted for several days after tracks were cloaked in mud and debris caused by rain that fell at a rate of three inches per hour floodwaters caused entire backyards to slide down embankments onto Hudson Line tracks One-sixth of the Hudson Line will be susceptible to high-tide flooding by the 2050s sea levels at Spuyten Duyvil are projected to rise 30 inches “Climate change is an existential threat that underscores the risks if we don’t invest and it’s not just a projection,” Alyssa Cobb Konon MTA’s senior vice president for capital planning The 2025-2029 spending plan would fix dozens of culverts and retaining walls in poor or marginal condition Backyards: Cleaning up after Hurricane Ida proves a costly problem for Metro-North, Yonkers Under the plan approved by the 11-member board Wednesday the same total as its sister commuter rail Some $1.7 billion will go toward replacing 1980s-era railcars that have been breaking down with greater frequency 150 railcars would be added to the Harlem and Hudson lines “Let’s just all be clear,” MTA chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said Wednesday “The MTA needs to buy a lot of subway cars and commuter railcars and buses We need to do it faster and more effectively.” The MTA buys half the railcars used in the U.S and New York needs to become a hub for manufacturing to ensure a steady flow of cars Tolls: With congestion pricing paused, what's MTA's plan B to fund upgrades? Here's what we know Other funding will go to overhaul aging substations that provide power for subways and rails “We don’t want to see ourselves in a situation that New Jersey Transit Amtrak riders found themselves in across the river this summer,” said Jamie Torres-Springer the president of MTA construction and development “A lot of that was due to inadequate state of repair for power.” Thomas C. Zambito covers energy, transportation and economic growth for the USA TODAY Network’s New York State team. He’s won dozens of state and national writing awards from the Associated Press, Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Deadline Club and others during a decades-long career that’s included stops at the New York Daily News, The Star-Ledger of Newark and The Record of Hackensack. He can be reached at tzambito@lohud.com thousands of Amtrak riders were delayed or left stranded as problems were reported at the Spuyten Duyvil Railroad Bridge that connects The Bronx with Inwood in Manhattan carrying trains over the Spuyten Duyvil Creek the bridge which opens up to allow boats traveling along the Harlem River into the Spuyten Duyvil Creek to access the Hudson River and visa versa was stuck in the open position for nearly three hours on Friday “There was a mechanical issue that left the bridge in the open position as it was unable to close.” Abrams continued “Crews were able to slowly close and lock the bridge in place.” Abrams told Norwood News that trains were delayed by between 8 minutes and 3 hours “One train wound up terminating in Poughkeepsie and another in Yonkers.” The malfunction was reported at just before 11 a.m When Norwood News asked Abrams about an earlier second incident reportedly involving a boat crash at the bridge a 15-foot fishing boat struck the base of the bridge All train and marine traffic was put on hold until the bridge was inspected and cleared Abrams added that train delays relating to the boat accident ranged from between 38 minutes and “less than 2 hours.” As the bridge was stuck in the open position on April 26 a female resident walking along Palisade Avenue by Half Moon Overlook park pointed to a barge and crane stationed beside the bridge and said “They were lucky the crane was already there so they can work on it.” “The crane and the barge and all that stuff has been there a few weeks.” When told of the problem and delay When a second female resident standing with a group of other residents was told of the earlier April 20th incident The “turntable” Spuyten Duyvil Railroad Bridge was built in 1900 and was recommissioned in 1991 when the “West Side Connection” began service transporting passengers from Manhattan along the Hudson River The Spuyten Duyvil Bridge is used by Amtrak to reach Penn Station approximately 500,000 passengers a day pass through New York Penn Station these agencies operate over 1,000 weekday trains at Penn Station those trains had a combined ridership of 2,161,566 regardless of origin or destination Amtrak doesn’t stop at the nearby Spuyten Duyvil Station.” its representatives said it has recently added more departures for weekday roundtrips and weekend services to its Northeast Regional service Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to clarify that the referenced delays involved the Amtrak service a ‘Top Chef’ star closes their vegan burger restaurant — and more intel “No bar in the city pays more loving and thorough homage to beer.” That’s how New York Magazine once described Spuyten Duyvil “Craft beer’s current ubiquity combined with rising rents have made operating Spuyten Duyvil unsustainable,” said owners who also run nearby restaurants Fette Sau and St When Spuyten Duyvil opened in Williamsburg in 2003 it stood out for its selection of imported European beers — “the beer you couldn’t find anywhere else,” says Joe Carroll “Now you’d be hard pressed to find any place without it.” The last day at 359 Metropolitan Avenue The company now has five locations in New York City Darina Allen of the famed Ballymaloe House and Cookery School is coming to New York this week. The Irish chef will host a trio of events between March 12 and March 14 at Sailor in Fort Greene; Archestratus Books in Greenpoint; and King in Soho to discuss Irish foods and her new cookbook Allen has taught cooking for over four decades from her 100-acre farm in Cork Plnt Burger, the vegan burger chain from Top Chef star Spike Mendelsohn, closed its Union Square outpost on Friday. “This decision follows the growth of our other Manhattan locations, leading us to consolidate our operations in New York,” the restaurant said in a statement on Instagram The Maryland-based chain has over a dozen locations in the northeast There are now restaurants in Nomad and near Bryant Park It's one of the most peculiar names in the Bronx—Spuyten Duyvil In this part of our series exploring the history behind the names of neighborhoods A seemingly peaceful body of water that connects the Harlem and Hudson Rivers has quite the sinister name: Spuyten Duyvil "It's a dutch name that means in spite of the Devil," says Bronx borough historian Lloyd Ultan.It's one of the most peculiar names in the Bronx—Spuyten Duyvil "Spitting devil because of the strong current," says Angel Hernandez of the Bronx Historical Society "Spouting stream," says Thomas Casey No one knows for sure why it got that reputation but author Washington Irving helped fan the flame with a story that some still debate "He tells a fictional story that when the English fleet comes in menacing the Dutch control of the area that Peter Stuyvesant sent a messenger to the mainland but the messenger had a duty to perform so he said that he was going to cross that creek in spite of the devil or in "spuyten duyvil" and supposedly "He's eaten by a very large fish," Casey says Spuyten Duyvil Creek was a troublesome waterway Its curves and shallow waters made it difficult to navigate the Army Corp of Engineers widened and made it deeper more people began moving to what was known as the country and they took their neighborhood name from the creek "You had a large estate and you traveled sometimes by boat you had a dock right on the Hudson River," says Casey That position along the Hudson made Spuyten Duyvil a prime location a century earlier during the Revolutionary War To protect the only connection between the mainland and what is now Manhattan George Washington built three forts in Spuyten Duyvil overlooking the river fort number 3 were right along that area to protect the King's Bridge," Casey says eventually gave its name to the nearby neighborhood of Kingsbridge some say the name Spuyten Duyvil is fading "Just north of Spuyten Duyvil is Riverdale and Riverdale has the cache of being a wealthy neighborhood and a lot of people want to be identified with that rather than with Spuyten Duyvil," says Ultan the derailment of Metro-North’s Hudson Train Line train 8808 is the costliest accident in the railroad’s history More than $60 million has already been paid in legal fees and settlements stemming from the derailment five years ago on Dec along a sharp curve in the Sputyen Duyvil section of the Bronx Four passengers were killed and dozens injured when engineer William Rockefeller fell asleep at the controls because of what federal safety investigators say was an undiagnosed case of obstructive sleep apnea Dozens of other passenger claims have yet to be resolved in some cases because it’s unclear just how much medical care they will need in the years to come SPUYTEN DUYVIL: Steven Ciccone, a survivor's tale IN 30 SECONDS: Steven Ciccone, a survivor's tale DERAILMENT: By the numbers The Journal News has learned that former New York City police officer Eddie Russell a passenger on the Hudson Line train that derailed settled his claim against the railroad for $450,000 in April suffers from a post-traumatic stress disorder.  Insurance giant AIG was brought in to cover future legal costs when the railroad reached the $60 million per-accident threshold for claims covered by MTA insurance And the railroad is still facing more lawsuits from passengers Rockefeller is suing the railroad for $10 million in U.S Central to Rockefeller's argument is a claim that Metro-North had technology that would have put the brakes on speeding trains but decided against deploying it because top-ranking officials feared it would impact the railroad’s on-time performance. Rockefeller’s attorney has cited a 2005 case involving an engineer suspended for speeding through the same curve sending passengers sliding across seats and bags flying Judge Vincent Briccetti will decide whether to allow the case to continue to trial or side with Metro-North and dismiss the case creating a showdown between the former engineer and his Metro-North bosses The Journal News/lohud.com reported that Bronx prosecutors turned up evidence indicating Rockefeller told an assistant conductor to make sure he stayed awake during the early-morning ride into Grand Central Terminal from Poughkeepsie “It’s your job to keep me awake,” Rockefeller was alleged to have told assistant conductor Maria Herbert Herbert denied to Bronx prosecutors that Rockefeller made the statement in an interview with The Journal News/lohud last year “It’s not that kid’s fault,” Herbert said FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) investigated even what we did that day Herbert settled her legal claims against the railroad for at least $835,000 following a trial in U.S She said she suffered a head injury and broken ribs during the crash Herbert claimed the railroad had the technology to put the brakes on speeding trains but decided against using it CRASH: Paralyzed Metro-North worker losing salary as legal case continues RELATED: Metro North engineer in fatal Bronx derailment gets pension ENGINEER: Questions about engineer linger in fatal Metro-North derailment SETTLEMENT: Fatal Bronx derailment: Metro-North to pay conductor at least $835K Ex-official: Metro-North ignored warnings before Bronx derailment Donate to Living on Earth!Living on Earth is an independent media program and relies entirely on contributions from listeners and institutions supporting public service. 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The Sierra Club Applying a sustainable approach to fixed income investing furthering the values that contribute to a healthy planet The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment: Committed to protecting and improving the health of the global environment Contribute to Living on Earth and receive, as our gift to you, an archival print of one of Mark Seth Lender's extraordinary wildlife photographs Follow the link to see Mark's current collection of photographs Buy CuriousWhat apartment buyers should know about Spuyten Duyvil By Leah Hochbaum Rosner  | January 18 2018 - 10:00AM " data-bs-content="Our editors have updated this post with new relevant information."> Spuyten Duyvil overlooks the Harlem River Steve Guttman NYC/Flickr Spuyten Duyvil in the Bronx is technically a stone's throw from Manhattan, but it's a world, and a not insignificant commute away from the bustle of Midtown. It's also relatively affordable compared to many neighborhoods to the south. We reached out to Manuel Pantiga of Pantiga Group and Gabriella Santoro of BOND New York to school us on the area for this week’s Buy Curious I recently heard about Spuyten Duyvil and would love to learn a little more about it Pronounced "SPY-tun DIE-vul," Spuyten Duyvil roughly translates from the Dutch to “Spouting Devil” which many believe to be a reference to the robust tidal currents where the Harlem and Hudson Rivers meet Santoro says that the neighborhood is a good blend of city and suburb with areas of high-rise buildings as well as blocks of freestanding houses Spuyten Duyvil is in the northwestern Bronx Some consider it to be the southernmost part of Riverdale Nearly 30 percent of the residents of Spuyten Duyvil are 65 or older including 20- and 30-somethings who are coming in search of a cheaper alternative to Manhattan and Brooklyn “I have always considered the neighborhood a transitional one,” Pantiga says “What I mean by that is that… you find that many of the folks that move in are either on the way out of the city into suburbia—so it is in many cases a starter home neighborhood—or folks that want to return to the city find it a great midpoint where you can have the easy access to Midtown with a slight sense that you are not in the boroughs.” Spuyten Duyvil is a mix of freestanding houses and even the odd new-construction condo building “There are more co-ops than condos,” Santoro says adding that condos are fairly rare in the West Bronx as a whole The high-rises include mid-century co-op buildings like the River Point Towers at 555 Kappock St., and the 13-story Blue Building at 2400 Johnson Ave. both of which have doormen and live-in supers The limited condo offerings include La Rive at 2521 Palisade Ave., a 13-story building with an elevator, a doorman, a live-in super, and an indoor pool, and RiverPointe at 2287 Johnson Ave. The average sales price in Spuyten Duyvil for the third quarter of 2017 was $427,671, according to appraiser Jonathan Miller of Miller Samuel That’s up 28.2 percent from the same period in 2016 Currently, there are 77 homes listed for sale in Spuyten Duyvil on StreetEasy, ranging from a four bedroom Tudor-style house at $1,595,000 at 2715 Arlington Ave. to a $130,000 alcove studio in the River Point Towers. Pantiga says that Spuyten Duyvil’s “inventory is comprised mostly of co-ops ranging from the $100,000s for a one bedroom low $200,000s-mid-$400,000s for a two bedroom to upwards of $800,000 for a three bedroom.” These relatively inexpensive prices are what make it so attractive to many especially those who have been priced out of other boroughs “One of the biggest draws to the area is the convenient access to Manhattan,” says Pantiga The Metro-North stops in Spuyten Duyvil on the Hudson line and trains from there will get you to Grand Central Terminal in 30 minutes the station on the edge of the Harlem River is a bit of a schlep up and down a steep hill on winding roads (on the bright side the elevation is part of what gives the area great views) There are also three express buses into Manhattan and local buses will take you to the 1 train in nearby Marble Hill “There’s no reason to choose [between modes of transportation],” Santoro says “Each is appropriate depending on the destination and time of day If you are headed to Midtown East or Grand Central in Manhattan The express bus can feel like a private escort and a well-deserved rest after a long day of work or shopping and connection to the 2 or 3 trains is seamless at 96th Street."                                                                                                            The neighborhood is “relatively quiet,” says Pantiga, but there are a number of parks to keep folks busy during the day, including the popular 9-acre Henry Hudson Park Edgehill Church of Spuyten Duyvil on Independence Avenue is a United Church of Christ parish church that was built in the 1880s using a mix of styles It was declared a New York City landmark in 1980 “Spuyten Duyvil is not the center of the metropolis,” Santoro says Local favorites include Kappock Café & Wine Bar, an Italian eatery on Knolls Crescent, and Moss Café There’s a large Key Food on West 235th Street, but for the most part, smaller places abound. Fresh King Market on Knolls Crescent has what many locals say is the best produce around, and Ben’s Meat O Mat on Knolls Crescent sells exactly what its name implies.   Listed for $130,000, this alcove studio has high ceilings, five closets, and new parquet floors. It's in the River Point Towers, which has a 24-hour attended lobby, a gym, a seasonal heated pool, a community room, a private playground, and a picnic area. Maintenance is $563 a month. No dogs allowed. This 1,500-square-foot two bedroom, two bath has a formal dining area that can seat 12, a sunken living room, casement windows, multiple exposures, a step-up den with French doors, and a windowed kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. It's in a pet-friendly co-op building with a part-time doorman, a gym, and private tennis courts. It’s priced at $615,000. Maintenance is $1,196 a month. Listed for $220,000, this 800-square-foot third-floor one bedroom has a dining alcove and lots of closets. It’s in a pet-friendly co-op building with a doorman, on-site laundry, a live-in super, and a swimming pool. Maintenance is $818 a month. This three bedroom, stucco, center-hall Colonial has three and a half bathrooms, a living room with a fireplace, a formal dining room, a renovated kitchen, a finished basement, a private driveway, and a two-car garage. It’s listed for $1,195,000. This three bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath condo has a private balcony, stunning Hudson River views, and in-unit laundry. Listed for $1,300,000, it's situated in a pet-friendly condo building with a 24-hour doorman, a heated pool, a sauna, garage parking, and central air conditioning. Common charges are $1,903 a month. Metro-North has spent nearly $90 million to resolve legal claims for deaths and injuries arising from a series of derailments and fatal errors dating to 2013 Fueling the surge is at least $60 million to cover claims stemming from the December 2013 derailment of a Hudson Line train near the Spuyten Duyvil station in the Bronx which killed four and injured dozens of others Among those injured was a Metro-North employee who was paralyzed caused when a Metro-North engineer fell asleep at the controls of a speeding train now ranks as the costliest accident in the commuter rail’s 35-year-history The payouts are likely to grow in the years to come but the impact they'll have on the commuter rail's future budgets is unclear Ex-Official: Metro-North ignored warnings before Bronx derailment MILLIONS: Costs from Metro-North accidents soar to $55M LOST: Four years after Spuyten Duyvil, Metro-North struggles to find its way in many cases because injured passengers require more surgery or are going through physical or psychological therapy that have left their future medical needs uncertain a former New York City police officer from New Windsor injured in the Spuyten Duyvil derailment Russell is coping with post traumatic stress disorder a condition that's been aggravated by a recent spate of fatal train accidents in the state of Washington  “You go through an experience like that and a train crashes and it all comes back,” said Russell’s attorney “He clearly still has some psychological scarring.” Nearly 200 cases settledThe Journal News/lohud obtained the claims data from Metro-North’s parent agency through a Freedom of Information request as part of a continuing investigation into the deadliest stretch in the history of the nation’s second-largest commuter rail The figures include payouts from accidents that took place over a nearly two-year period between May 2013 and February 2015 they cover litigation for the deaths of Metro-North track workers Robert Luden and James Romansoff the derailment of a New Haven Line train in Bridgeport in May 2013 and a grade-crossing crash in Valhalla in February 2015 12 people were killed and hundreds of passengers and employees injured The totals include money that went toward paying settlements as well as legal costs They do not include the precise amount of payments that went to those with successful claims Among the highlights of The Journal News/lohud’s analysis of the latest data: For each accident that occurs on Metro-North the railroad is self-insured for the first $10 million The next $50 million is covered by insurance obtained through an MTA-affiliated insurance carrier TROUBLE: On-time performance goals blinded Metro-North to troubles ahead PROBE: Lohud probe of Bronx derailment spurs call for safety fix the railroad goes into the open market to obtain insurance In the case of the Spuyten Duyvil accident — the only one of the five that reached the $60 million threshold — that’s AIG Metro-North can't say how much AIG has paid out to settle claims because the outcome is a private arrangement between AIG and lawyers for the plaintiffs The railroad no longer takes part in those settlement discussions It’s also unclear just how much of an impact the move to a third-party insurer will have on the MTA’s budget Once the $60 million-per-incident threshold is reached claims are covered by a $350 million excess liability program for all MTA agencies Connecticut pays 65 percent of the total payout under the terms of an operating agreement for the New Haven line The excess liability program is scheduled to be renewed in the fall but officials say it’s too early to predict the cost of future premiums They say insurance carriers will likely take into account safety initiatives the railroad has pursued since the accidents began testing its engineers for sleep apnea after the Spuyten Duyvil derailment Federal safety investigators say William Rockefeller the engineer who fell asleep at the controls of Hudson Line Train 8808 before it derailed along a curve near the Spuyten Duyvil station was suffering from an undiagnosed case of obstructive sleep apnea insurers could give Metro-North credit for its plan to add "positive train control" on its 775 miles of track by the end of 2018 Federal safety investigators say such a system which employs state-of-the-art technology to control train speeds and prevent collisions would likely have prevented the Spuyten Duyvil derailment Critics — among them the families of those who died in derailments — say railroads have been too slow to adopt the life-saving enhancements was on his way from his Cold Spring home to Rockefeller Center on Dec when he was killed in the Spuyten Duyvil crash Lovell left behind three sons and a daughter from a prior marriage Montgomery said money that went for litigation could have been better spent if the railroad had prized safety over on-time performance  “That’s money that could have gone for installing positive train control,” she said Montgomery has settled her claims with Metro-North for an undisclosed amount but said there are days she has second thoughts “Had I known what was in store for my family’s future mental health In the litigation over the derailments at Spuyten Duyvil and Bridgeport the legal debate centered on how much they deserved for their injuries if the two sides could not come to an agreement The railroad has taken a decidedly different tack in litigation prompted by the 2015 Valhalla crash the railroad has focused its defense on the actions of Ellen Brody the driver of a sport-utility vehicle that got stuck on the tracks at the Commerce Street crossing a 49-year-old mother of three from Edgemont was killed along with five passengers aboard the Harlem Line train A witness reported seeing Brody get out of her car when a crossing gate touched down on the back of her 2011 Mercedes Benz Brody pulled forward into the path of a train going 58 mph — 2 mph below the speed limit says his wife was the victim of a poorly designed grade crossing He has filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court in White Plains claiming Metro-North is to blame for the accident The families of those who died aboard the train have made similar claims “It’s pretty obvious they (Metro-North) would prefer to pay fines and restitution than preventing another incident by doing the right thing,” Brody said “They’re not responsible to the public Some of the new renovations at the Spuyten Duyvil Playground The upgrades include native plants and accessible water sprays NYC Parks Bronx Borough Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa New York State Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz and Bronx Community Board 8 Parks Chair Rosemary Ginty unveiled a $1.2 million upgrade to Spuyten Duyvil Playground in the Spuyten Duyvil neighborhood of the Bronx new ground jets and aboveground water sprays the playground’s existing spray showers were replaced with new accessible spray features and structures for all age groups Native plants with protective fences have also been added to enhance the greenery at the playground The project was funded by a $600,000 allocation from Council Member Cohen and a $600,000 grant from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York Parks Borough Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa stated we are so excited to have been able to complete this upgrade to the Spuyten Duyvil spray shower Thanks to an investment from Council Member Cohen and the DASNY the Spuyten Duyvil community will be able to relax and cool off at the new beautifully redesigned spray showers for many years to come.” By: Victoria Agosta (Victoria is the CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student See past events Back to the Bronx for some good housepeeking September 25, 2015 • Miscellany we postponed Crown Heights again and headed back to the Bronx I now know that the key to finding the right Metro-North track at Grand Central is not your destination but the train’s departure time He gave us all kinds of sass (“How much you gonna pay me to tell you?”) but made up for it with the wave goodbye pictured below The ride to Spuyten Duyvil is just over 20 minutes and the last part runs along the Harlem River although we found it hard not to think of the fatal derailment in 2013 so we started heading north via a set of stairs toward a beautiful stone house It made a stark contrast to this huge midcentury apartment building, with a rear façade of glass brick. Andrea later discovered that it’s called the Blue Building and was designed by Leo Stillman I was amused by the trompe l’oeil attempt of the driveway… Soon enough The houses are an appealing mix of styles—including the church below—although there’s a bit more chaff than one might like It took 15 or 20 minutes to get to W Our server at Liebman’s was a cranky old coot When Andrea asked how big the bowl of soup is It’s bigger than a cup!” The two old-timers behind us ordered hot dogs which were roasting in the front window; I figured they knew best And Andrea and I split an order of mini knishes because where in Tribeca are you going to get those which took us into Seton Park and its Raoul Wallenberg Forest Neither of us was expecting to go off-road to quite this extent We even got a frisson of fear when we spotted someone lurking behind a tree we dawdled a bit under the statue of Henry Hudson at his eponymous park Spying the newly reopened High Bridge through the train window we prepared once again to postpone Crown Heights… I attended the Spuyten Duyvil Infantry nursery school 62 years ago I’ve always wanted to return to visit the place You might want to read the section on the Henry Hudson Bridge in Robert Caro’s The Power Broker Tribeca Citizen on Instagram New Yorkers were shocked to see three teens attempting to cliff jump into the Spuyten Duyvil Creek Climbing and swimming are not permitted in this area and emergency crews had to rescue the teens All of the boys were escorted to a local hospital Witnesses say the three boys were shaken up and officials confirm they had no life-threatening injuries The Daily Universe is an educational lab tied to the curriculum of the journalism sequence in the BYU School of Communications and is committed to the mission of BYU and its sponsoring institution The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Contact us: Dureceptionist@byu.edu New York Almanack June 9, 2022 by Leave a Comment On September 27th it will be two hundred years ago that the world’s first public railway known as the Stockton & Darlington (S&DR) the train offered space for six hundred passengers but some distinguished guests were allocated a seat in a specially designed carriage called The Experiment As technology and industrialization advanced, the century brought about a range of inventions that increased the tempo of transport. Humanity was in a hurry. The clock became the operating system of modern society especially after the acceptance of Greenwich as the prime meridian foreseen by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1824 The train’s momentum changed the traditional rhythm of life annihilating previous perceptions of time and space The railway was both agent and symbol of acceleration – but speed came at a price The train imposed new concepts of catastrophe The word disaster (from the French désastre 1560s) literally means “ill-starred” and refers to a sudden misfortune which is blamed on an unfavorable position of a planet Star (from the Latin astro) is used in the astrological sense of destiny or fate The term catastrophe entered the English language at about the same time It was originally used in reference to drama meaning the final action in a tragedy that completed the unraveling of the plot Its meaning was quickly extended and applied to any sort of unpleasant ending Over time the word took on its present sense of a “terrible disaster.” The Great Lisbon Earthquake of November 1st virtually destroyed of the city with an enormous loss of life the first widely reported “modern” calamity shook Enlightenment thinking and disturbed its optimistic outlook It also encouraged scientists and philosophers to attack the traditional view that such a calamity was the punishment of an angry God for the sins of the world Earthquakes and volcanoes should instead be regarded and researched as natural disasters The Age of Locomotion would introduce the notion of man-made disaster which involves elements of human hubris or negligence involving mechanical failure Financier William Huskisson had been a Member of Parliament for Liverpool since 1822 he was invited to be present at the opening of the railway line from his city to Manchester During a brief halt on the steam locomotive Northumbrian Huskisson and some friends left their carriage when warning was given that Robert Stephenson’s Rocket was approaching down the adjacent track William stumbled and fell across the line whilst attempting to board the carriage becoming the world’s first reported railway passenger casualty The first U.S. railroad accident is believed to have occurred on July 25th, 1832, on the Granite Railway near Quincy, Massachusetts Four people had been invited to observe the process of transporting massive blocks of stone when a cable on a vacant car snapped The Victorian age identified progress with achievements in engineering The ability to travel at great speed was greeted with a mixture of enthusiasm and fear Steam and Speed: The Great Western Railway” expressed the thrill of celerity It seemed to raise a question: would mankind be able to keep control over the monstrous power it had unleashed In the relentless progression of Western technology there has been a clash between the Promethean and Faustian interpretations of its omnipresent sovereignty Both Prometheus and Faust were in quest of knowledge The former had the audacity to steal fire from the Gods; the latter sold his soul to the devil in order to obtain knowledge To Prometheus science was an instrument of liberation and progress; to Faust it was a tool of power that would ultimately bring destruction and damnation Ever since the First Industrial Revolution the writings of socio-cultural commentators can be distinguished as belonging to either of these opposing camps Literature tended to reflect the Faustian stance the fictional role of the railways was to highlight how they had transformed the nation Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford is set against the social upheaval caused by the arrival of the railway in a small Cheshire town John Ruskin complained that life in the age of the train would descend into infernal noise Zola spoke of the “imposing yet delicate beauty” of a locomotive in La bête humaine a novel in which Flore commits suicide by walking in front of a train (one of numerous identical cases of female suicide in late nineteenth century fiction) In Thomas Hardy’s writings the railway destroys the environment of Old Wessex industrialized New Wessex has replaced the old social world of agrarian England The train’s howls and flames had a satanic touch about them; railways were the Devil’s work The number of accidents mounted and fatal crashes caused alarm about machinery and modernity The trauma of disaster became part of medical discourse when Copenhagen-born John Eric Erichsen Professor of Surgery at University College London published a collection of lectures On Railway and Other Injuries of the Nervous System (1866) in which he discussed cases of psycho-neuroses that he had diagnosed after train accidents Even the most outspoken critics of modern society accepted that technological advance was irreversible In a world where all can be managed by machines Anxiety about the might of the machine added to the stress of life A society that ran on rails felt vulnerable to the power it had generated Fearing that modern man might be the sorcerer’s apprentice social observers warned that humanity was losing control over the machine “We do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us,” Henry David Thoreau concluded in Walden (1854) On June 9th Traveling from Folkestone to London on the South Eastern Railway it crashed while crossing a viaduct where a length of track had been removed during engineering works without adequate warning to the driver Ten passengers were killed and forty injured On board of that train was Charles Dickens He lost his voice for two weeks and became reluctant to travel by train Dickens died five years to the day after the accident He never fully recovered from the impact of the accident a disaster took place in Scotland when a passenger train on its way to Dundee from Edinburgh fell from a collapsed railroad bridge as it crossed the estuary (firth) of the River Tay The failure of a major engineering work six months after its completion caused general disquiet The undertaking of a prestige project for which technology was found wanting (with the suspicion of cost cutting) was condemned as a reckless act of Victorian arrogance The tragedy sent shock waves throughout the world Theodor Fontane published his ballad “Die Brück’ am Tay” ten days after the calamity The details of the disaster were reported in the New York Times That same year bridge builder Theodore Cooper (responsible for the Second Avenue Bridge over the Harlem River) set up as an independent consulting engineer at 35 Broadway he published his influential paper on “American Railroad Bridges” in the Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers When in 1897 the Canadian Government proposed plans to build a crossing at Quebec over the icy waters of the St. Lawrence River that split the southern part of the country Cooper accepted the invitation to come up with a design for the longest cantilever bridge ever constructed Years of success as an engineer had buoyed belief in his ability to save money on materials The bridge collapsed during construction on August 29th Only eleven of the workers on the span were recovered alive Such was the rush that the railroad took on an extra fifteen compartments, including eight “palace cars” designed by railroad tycoon and Republican State Senator Webster Wagner. Founder of the Wagner Palace Car Company in Buffalo Two extra engines were added to accommodate the additional weight the train picked up speed to make up for the delay Promoting his “parlors of luxury,” Wagner entertained guests and colleagues It was a boisterous occasion which turned into a booze fueled party Just after the express train passed the hairpin turn where the Hudson River meets the Spuyten Duyvil (Dutch for “Spouting Devil” referring to the strong tidal currents at that location) some drunken reveler may have pulled the air brake as the train came to an abrupt stop Webster Wagner himself stepped into the cold night to investigate. It was the last time he would be seen alive. Moments later the stationary train was struck by another train of the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Two of the rear cars were crushed which started a fire The calamity was watched by visitors at Kilcullen’s Hotel a popular bar for foundry workers at the massive gun-producing Johnson Ironworks the snow-covered bank of the Spuyten Duyvil was an inferno of flames and bodies Volunteers desperately tried to pull survivors away from danger Others rolled giant snowballs towards the overheated engine cars to prevent them from exploding The “Spouting Devil” crash left eight politicians and dozens of other travelers dead (an official figure of the death toll was never published) Lessons of previous calamities had not been learned or were forgotten the tyrannical power of technology that ruled over everyone and everything caused death and destruction The Faustian legend entered the American consciousness Mourning of mass death and collective loss became a modernist preoccupation from above: replica of the DeWitt Clinton: the original locomotive was built in 1831 (Library of Congress); Rain London); engraving of the Staplehurst rail crash in Kent (Illustrated London News 1865); interior view of a ‘parlor car’ in the 1880s (In: Railroad Stories 1935); and Spuyten Duyvil disaster headline New York Almanack receives no public funds Please give today (a monthly recurring gift is best) PayPal Venmo Rally.org Patreon Buy Me A Cup of Coffee CashApp Use your bank’s “bill pay” option (or just send a check) Without your support we cannot publish the Almanack (Click the link below to not see this message again) Don't Show Me This Message Again. By: 7:30 am on June 3 Construction is now topped out on The Henry, a new rental property at 2395 Palisade Avenue in Spuyten Duyvil The building will eventually comprise 55 apartments and a shared roof deck with outdoor cooking areas and a landscaped garden The Henry is the latest rental property from developer Timber Equities which confirmed that construction is on schedule for completion and delivery by early 2022 Designed by Kutnicki Bernstein Architects the façade is constructed of gray and tan masonry with large windows encased in dark metal framing many of the units will offer a private balcony or a terrace facing the Hudson River “Given the breathtaking bridge and river views and unrivaled proximity to transit The Henry stands out as a best-in-class destination for luxury waterfront living,” said Timber Equities principal Mitch Perle “The volume of leasing inquiries we’ve received to date underscores the interest in high-quality new construction residences in this location.” Timber Equities has retained Bohemia Realty Group as its exclusive leasing and marketing agent Rendering of 2395 Palisade Avenue in The Bronx – Courtesy of LuxeVisual Waterfront view of construction at ‘The Henry’ (2395 Palisade Avenue) – Courtesy of Timber Equities Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews I like how it is cozly tucked away in the trees the architecture is really rather banal….the heavy horizontal stripe at the top and bottom connected with vertical lines….more graphic design than anything architectural or lovely…..seems like the design fee prescribed a limited amount of thought to resolution of details View will never be blocked and right above Metro North Fifty years ago this would have been no less than a 25 story tower this is much nicer than what I was expecting But it will never be a welcome presence in Spuyten Duyvil community after four years of abuse and disrespect ga('send', 'event', 'beautyofblock', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Standard_336x280-100-2.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ADVERTISEMENT ga('send', 'event', 'PCRichards Builders Division', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PCR_Beko_Compact_YIMB_336x280.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ga('send', 'event', 'yimby+', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/image.png', { nonInteraction: true }); Follow on Instagram var sb_instagram_js_options = {"font_method":"svg","placeholder":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/instagram-feed\/img\/placeholder.png","resized_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sb-instagram-feed-images\/","ajax_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php"}; © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY® LLC YIMBY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF NIKOLAI FEDAK / NEW YORK YIMBY LLC 2018Tim Fleischer has more on the repairs to the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge in the Bronx.SPUYTEN DUYVIL Bronx (WABC) -- There is a major upgrade to ease train travel between the city and upstate underway Crews are putting the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge in the Bronx back into place after repairs The bridge needed mechanical and electrical work after Superstorm Sandy Amtrak trains to and from Albany and elsewhere in northern New York would come and go from Grand Central "This will be back into service on Sept 4th the Tuesday after Labor Day," said Jason Abrams "Customers can expect a smoother ride speeds will be generally around the same with a more enjoyable customer experience." 30 trains that carry some 25,000 customers a week were affected by the repair work and will certainly welcome the bridge being returned * More Bronx news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts along a sharp curve in the Spuyten Duyvil section of the Bronx SPUYTEN DUYVIL: Steven Ciccone, a survivor's tale DERAILMENT: By the numbers Central to Rockefeller's argument is a claim that Metro-North had technology that would have put the brakes on speeding trains but decided against deploying it because top-ranking officials feared it would impact the railroad’s on-time performance Herbert claimed the railroad had the technology to put the brakes on speeding trains but decided against using it.