A Tale of Boat Living in NYC: 79th Street Boat Basin

I listen to NPR quite a bit. And I found myself stuck in the car this afternoon in what they call, "a driveway moment," unable to stop listening to a captivating story about house boats in New York City.

The story describes a 50+ -year-old community of live-on boats in the Hudson, where quirky artists, lay-abouts, businessmen, and famous authors (Mario Puzo was once an resident) have lived side-by-side. Residents describe it as an urban village where everybody knows everybody and you're likely to pass a dead body or save a suicidal man in a tux on your way back from the store.

I was most interested in the boat of an artist, described as a cross between an opium den and a Turkish brothel. The images this story paints in your mind more than make up for the lack of accompanying photos.

Take a listen here.

UPDATE: That's the 79th St. Boat Basin, not 57th St. Thanks to Daniel Weiss for the great piece and e-mailing with the correction.