Gowanus Canal Houseboats: Green Living, Or Illegal?

One man's $500 million EPA superfund site is another man's home.

The New York Post has an article today about the four houseboats currently docked in Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal--one of the country's most-polluted waterways--that have so far evaded inspection from the city agencies who monitor safety regulations.

Three of the boats, the Post describes, are occupied by "hipster twenty-somethings", known in the neighborhood for throwing wild canal parties late into the night, and by "pretty girls sunbathing on the decks" during the day--none of whom are currently required to to pay any rent.

The fourth houseboat, docked a little further South on the canal, is home to Adam Katzman, an environmentalist who's been living in the 350 square foot "Jerko" for the about two years.

Katzman bought the boat for $1, according to Back to Nature NYC, and then equipped it with a homemade rain harvesting and filtration system, solar panels and a “humanure” composting toilet--all in an experiment to live autonomously and without the aide of many modern technologies:

Watch a short doc on one of the boat-dwellers from Yardena Schwartz and Gianna Palmer:

The Off-Gridder from Yardena Schwartz on Vimeo.

The future of Katzman and his water-bound neighbors is unclear. Although all the canal houseboaters have docking permission from the local property owners, none have yet to pass city Buildings and Fire department safety inspections to be considered legal.

A city official told the Post it’s “highly unlikely” the city would allow houseboats on the Gowanus, adding the residents could face fines for docking “illegally".

It wouldn't be the first time Brooklyn's "off the grid" subculture would find itself in a spat with the city. Most recently, the Brooklyn Project For The Arts, a group who occupied an abandoned lot in Bushwick with a makeshift trailer park, were forced out of their trailers and then evicted from a warehouse for Buildings and Fire code violations.

Houseboat owners don’t pay a property tax in New York City, but many buy permits to dock at designated spots, such as the Boat Basin in Manhattan.

Comments

[Susan Osterhout Troiano]

11:54 AM on 05/19/2011

Wow the city wants to inspect the houseboat for its safety yet there are many homes, apartment building, cars and etc. that shouldn’t be lived and vehicles that shouldn’t be driven. It is mostly about how much money to squeeze out of the taxpayer so they can’t live or get ahead. It is the person owning the houseboat’s problem if his boat needs fixing when he wakes up under water. Oh that wouldn’t happen if it was inspected. Ha, yes it could happen after it passed inspection because as always chit happens.

[Rebrebreb]

11:20 PM on 05/18/2011

Awesome Mr. Katzman - - many of us are hoping to learn to do the same thing. You are way cool. Thanks for bringing your ideas and good energy to the Gowanus!

[Ryan McGavin]

06:56 PM on 05/18/2011

well if they kick you out of the Gowanus, you can come to Seattle and live on the Duwamish. Back to nature? More like 'enjoy catastrophic levels of dioxins at your doorstep'.

[Tom95134]

02:42 PM on 05/18/2011

"A city official told the Post it’s “highly unlikely” the city would allow houseboats on the Gowanus, ..."
It looks like nothing more than the City of New York trying to squeeze every penny out of anyone living in the city. If you Google Map the Gowanus it is more than obvious that there are a number of boats docked along its length. It's a frigin' industrial area and the canal is a dead-end. I would think that the city might even want to encourage a few more live-abords to enhance the security in the area. People that live on boats tend to be very aware of what is going on and if they have a good relationship with the city/police can be a great source of information. I speak from experience as I use to be a live-aboard and the marina I was in NEVER had any problems. (We were not a gated marina but rather one with open access from the street.)

[Sinned39]

12:20 PM on 05/18/2011

These guys could probably just leave the docks and anchor in middle of the canal, thus avoiding any issues with the local fire and building inspectors. I wouldn't think they would have any jurisdiction over a boat, especially if it is not docked....

[Anne Mccormick]

05:07 PM on 05/17/2011

just wait! the city will come alone and use its power to force these people to leave

[philandr]

12:50 PM on 05/17/2011

More fun on the Gowanus featuring Mr. Katzman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8ZXsgGEki0

[Peter007]

12:21 PM on 05/17/2011

I can't believe that someone is allowed to do something in the City without first getting permission from a bureaucrat.
I had to pay for my permit to go to dinner.

[HelloWerld]

08:15 AM on 05/17/2011

I love that people like this guy live in New York. New York is the best place on the planet. Keep on keepin on man.

[babby201]

11:25 PM on 05/16/2011

City fire and building would have nothing to say about, Coast Guard maybe, these are still considered boats.

[Carol Steinfeld]

11:15 PM on 05/16/2011

Very cool! Check out my friend who does the same thing in an even tinier floating space (sailboat): www.chrisjmelo.blogspot.com/

[Aaron M Plunkett]

08:37 PM on 05/16/2011

Good job HuffPo! (sarcastic voice) I bet this article gets these guys kicked right out of their homes! Another successful shedding of light by the media.

[casjane1]

06:48 PM on 05/16/2011

I wonder where all the people are living that lost their homes. We can't afford to be so picky anymore. There are people living in slums and paying rent to slum landlords that don't have it as well as he does. Why not go after that? Oh yes, of course, someone is paying for the utilities and property taxes on those slum properties.

[casjane1]

06:44 PM on 05/16/2011

As usual the city is mad because they can't tax him or charge him for utilities because he's found a way to beat the system. It's not his fault the water his home is floating on is dirty. He didn't do it. He's the clean one. In addition we should consider that people in China, Japan, Vietnam and other places live on houseboats and get along very well. Nobody bothers them. That's their way of life. If you ask me it's a darn cheap way to live in these troubled times and if you don't mind the inconveniences you're all set. It may be primitive to some of us but it's to each his own. Leave the guy alone.

[seajewel]

11:40 PM on 05/16/2011

So true.

[jeffp26]

06:42 PM on 05/16/2011

I'm glad this guy is living Green. But I'm afraid that prolonged exposure to the fumes coming off the Gowanus will turn him permanently green. He's a cancer patient waiting for symptoms.