Today The Post has a fun article about folks who live in houseboats on the Gowanus, which includes a mention of Adam Katzman, whose living arrangements have been documented in the video above. The story questions the legality of the houseboats: “While the boaters have docking permission from property owners, the floating homes still must pass city Buildings and Fire department safety inspections to be considered legal.” The more compelling question, though, is what compels folks to live on the polluted canal; the Post describes some of them as places where folks party into the wee hours of the night, though, as in the case of Katzman, it seems to be an experiment in sustainable, environmentally friendly living on one of the city’s most polluted waterways.
Canal ‘Street’ [NY Post]
Video and Profile of Katzman: The Off-Gridder [Back to Nature NYC]


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  1. Raymond Howell, co-founder of the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club, said such concern is unwarranted.

    “I’ve fallen in 12 times the past 10 years, and I’m still here,” he boasted.

    **

    Yeah…how could that hurt anyone? BTW, the idea is to remain inside the canoe.

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