NYC hikers....

[rondak46]

FunkyFreddy, Paba Bear,

Would you folks be interested in hosting another 5 borough highpoint hike? I'd like to join it if you are.

Mike

 

[funkyfreddy]

If we do a re-enactment maybe we could make a film out of it. I'll have to talk to Papabear about it on Thursday and see if he's interested. Otherwise I think it would make for a nice long bike trip, just to put a different spin on it, so to speak.

I'm also thinking of doing a bike trip to the Nassau and Suffolk county high points. The Suffolk HP has a view and looks like a good place for a picnic lunch while the Nassau one is on private property and would require negotiation with the landowner. I think the bike trip might be rather strenuous but might be fun if combined with some other stops...........

Still fairly amused by the idea of county high pointing. I don't know why but the idea makes me laugh, makes me smile like when Papabear told me about the birdwatchers world series. It's like taking peak bagging to a level of ultimate absurdity, which I like. I loved the CHP website and have to look for the link again. I'm in need of a good chuckle or 2 these days.

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

I loved the CHP website and have to look for the link again.

www.cohp.org

 

[Papa Bear]

For myself I felt it was something between a once-a-year endevour and a once-a-lifetime endevour, tending towards the latter. As I told Fred, I don't do counties, these were boroughs . The subway thing was cool but we would need a new gimick to motivate me. Maybe kayaks?

OTOH, the trip report is there with enough details for anyone to follow on their own: NYC 5 borough high points report

Pb

 

[Puma concolor]

Papa Bear -

Maybe you could help me out with a question that's confused me for a while. At various times, I've heard that New York has 62 counties; at others, I've heard it has 67 counties ... the obvious difference being that one list includes the 5 boroughs while the other ignores the boroughs. As I understand it, each borough fundamentally operates the same as a county in many respects ... separate courts, separate government hierarchies and so forth. Also, the old AE Smith building in Albany has the NY counties carved in stone on the front and I know I've picked out Queens and the Bronx. I'm trying to resist the urge to start county highpointing as it is kind of absurd, but if I ever do, I'm wondering if a NYCer like yourself could enlighten me on exactly what a borough is. Is it a county or ain't it?

 

[Papa Bear]

Boroughs are entities that grew out of NY history. They are coterminus with counties, but with (some) different names.

Borough - County
Bronx - Bronx
Manhattan - New York
Queens - Queens
Brooklyn - Kings
Staten Island - Richmond

At this point in time, they are identical with one set of government services (courts, etc.). Historically they probably were different. Most NYC nomenclature refers to boroughs, not counties (such as the Borough of Manhattan Community College) but this is an archaism.

You could look it up!


Edit: There is a column in the Sunday NY Times "City" section which answers questions like this. I asked several arcane questions and got answers (not published). Try this email: [email protected]

Pb

 

[askus3]

Isn't Bronx really "The Bronx"?

 

[Puma concolor]

Thanks Papa Bear ... that actually explains a lot. On the same AE Smith Building I was talking about, I also remember seeing "Kings" and "New York" and wondering what they were and where they fit into the picture. One of these days, I'll have to do some real studying up on it.

 

[Mashmann]

New York City was incorporated in 1897 from the surrounding cities and counties.

There are 57 counties plus NYC in New York State. 57 plus 5 equals 62.

Here's a couple of websites for some background -

http://www.newsday.com/other/special/ny-ihny1020story.htmlstory

http://www.monkeytravel.org/usa2.html

Ed

 

[Puma concolor]

I stand corrected on the number of NY counties. You're right Mashmann, there are 57 plus 5 ... not 62 plus 5. Thanks for schooling me.

www.nysegov.com/map-NY.cfm

 

[ken]

>>Isn't Bronx really "The Bronx"?,<<

no - it is known as "Da Bronx"