Minetta Brook, Manhattan

From the Viele Water Map:

More information on Minetta Brook:
http://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2008/06/18/minetta-brook-beneath-the-village/

From the New York Times, March 27 1901:

 

From the New York Times, December 4 1930:

See posts about the Minetta Brook

Comments

[Steve]

Richard Farenci
to lostriversnyc

date Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 10:21 AM
subject minetta brook

I just stumbled upon your web posting at
http://watercourses.typepad.com/watercourses/minnetta_brook/

My father was a printer on Houston st between Varick and Sixth ave (directly across from what is now the Film Forum) I used to go work with him as kid and I remember being in the basement with him one day when he was dealing with a minor flood and getting a lecture on the minetta brook and how it occasionally would flood.

First time a saw a map of it.

Thanks,

Rich Farenci

[Velapoldi, David]

Velapoldi, David
to lostriversnyc

show details May 21 (6 days ago)

Dear Lost Rivers:

Regarding whether Minetta Brook is “dried up” as Mr. Laermer indicates, I don’t know but I can offer that NYU’s Vanderbilt Hall’s subbasement (located just south of the park between Sullivan and MacDougal Streets) has a pit in it with two sump pumps arranged to pump out water actively flowing under the building. Local staff report it is from whatever is left of the buried Minetta Brook.

Best,

David M. Velapoldi

[Bert Waggott]

Dear Lost Rivers:

Con Edison subcontractors were excavating apprx 10 ft for a cable vault at the intersection of Downing and Sixth Avenue in July 2010 and complained about the heavy flow of "ground water" which I saw flowing from the northwest side of their excavation. Evidence that Minetta is still percolating?
Also note: Excavations for foundations of the new Village Care Rehabilitation and Nursing Center (214-218 West Houston St) required many months of round-the-clock pumping to get the job done.