![]() Only in the last couple of decades has restoring public access to the waterfront become a significant citywide priority. Mid-century, Robert Moses placed an impenetrable ring of highways around Brooklyn’s perimeter, turning the harborfront into a backdrop for passing drivers. In the early 1900s, neighborhoods like Red Hook and Sunset Park were part of New York’s commerce empire, the domain of longshoremen. ![]() How hard can it be to get to a waterfront when most New Yorkers can’t access the mainland of North America without using a bridge or tunnel?Īs it turns out, in the last century the Brooklyn waterfront has been put to almost every conceivable use except the enjoyment of the public. When I first heard Fisher talk about ecological awareness and waterfront access for everyday New Yorkers, I couldn’t decide if this notion seemed quixotic or totally pedestrian: we live in a city of islands. They play a variety of critical roles in estuary habitats like New York Harbor: filtering pollutants out of the water, contributing to the viability of salt marshes, and acting as wave breaks.īut its founders insist the success of the Billion Oyster Project won’t just be measured by the number of oysters restored it will be tied to the number of New Yorkers, especially young ones, who are brought into contact with their city’s waterfront for the first time. Oysters are what scientists call a “ keystone species,” one that lays the foundation for and is crucial to the proper functioning of an entire ecosystem. The Billion Oyster Project calls itself “a partnership of schools, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals all working together to grow oysters and make our city a healthier and more resilient place to live.” Its ultimate goal, using lessons from oyster restoration in the Chesapeake Bay, is to plant one billion live oysters at the bottom of New York Harbor by the year 2030. They’re looking at it as a symbol, however tiny and improbable, of civic rebirth. She said she was excited about the project’s success because “first and foremost, I love to eat oysters, and I don’t like to pay the high price.” But when Fisher and his colleagues talk about covering the bottom of New York Harbor with oyster beds, they’re not looking at the bivalve as a foodstuff. When the Billion Oyster Project, an organization Fisher cofounded, announced at a press conference in late October that it had won a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña addressed the crowd. He just hopes those oysters are farmed, because he’s got other plans for the wild ones. ![]() Murray Fisher does not begrudge anyone the pleasure of eating oysters. ![]() ![]() And all the phrases that we associate with the pretension and price of that culture - “musky,” “a sweet, melon taste,” “a hint of lemon zest,” “a spicy finish,” terroir - they’re all there. That chart, a couple hundred varieties long, includes names, geographical origins, and “characteristics” - words like “sweet,” “briny,” “metallic,” or “creamy.” The Mermaid Oyster Bar in Greenwich Village goes even further, comparing an oyster’s complexity to that of a fine wine. For the uninitiated - that is, the vast majority of New Yorkers who wouldn’t know the first thing about what makes a Kumamoto different from a Pemaquid - the restaurant helpfully offers a list of every oyster it serves. The daily menu at the Grand Central Oyster Bar contains as many as 30 different types of oysters. ![]()
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