Steve Duncan

"Looking for..." is a project in which I'm trying to discover New York City's lost streams, kills, rivers, brooks, ponds, lakes, burns, brakes, and springs, and I hope that YOU will help.
So what exactly are we looking for? I'm not completely sure. There are clues and symbols throughout the city that reference watercourse that once existed or might still exist in some form. Many streams and springs have been diverted from their original course, routed through sewers or drains. I've been amazed already to find a handful of underground streams in NYC, covered over and turned into sewers as the city grew, that are large enough to wade or float. But I'm also looking for any hints or references to the old topography and hydrology of the city: street signs that reference old streams, stories of basements flooded by some forgotten spring, and photos, stories, maps, or anecdotes that relate. Add your own information, and together we can peel back the centuries of urbanization and see what lies beneath.