Wikipedia

Oysters in New York City

Oysters in New York City have a long history as part of both the environmental and cultural environment.[1][2] They were abundant in the marine life of New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary, functioning as water filtration and as a food source beginning with Native communities in Lenapehoking.[3] The "Oyster Islands" of Upper New York Bay were Ellis, Liberty and Black Tom.

"Oyster stalls and lunch room at Fulton Market", 1867

In colonial New York, oysters were sold on the street, and also pickled and exported to other colonies, and the Caribbean. These pickled oysters were typically seasoned with nutmeg and black pepper.[4]

Industrial history

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The oyster's local history is documented in the 2006 book The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell, focusing on the height of the oyster harvesting and restaurant industry in the 19th century.[5][6] A leading restaurateur of the early 19th century was African American Thomas Downing.

City Island, Bronx was a major source of harvesting among other places, but severe overfishing led to devastation of the oyster population. By 1916, most of the five borough's oyster beds had been closed.[7] New York lost its status as an oyster capital in 1927 when its final remaining local oyster beds closed.[6]

Modern era

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Restaurants

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See also: New York City oyster bars
 
The lunch counter at the Grand Central Oyster Bar in Grand Central Terminal.

The most famous oyster bar in New York City is the Grand Central Oyster Bar. Opened in February 1913, the 440-seat eatery was popular among travelers making their way to and from the City.[8] It originally operated until 1972 when the original location declared bankruptcy and closed. In 1974, the MTA had the approached restaurateur Jerome Brody to reopened the original location, bringing the restaurant - and oysters - back to Grand Central Station.[9] The location remains open today, even despite COVID-19 closures and restrictions, and undergone many restorations and remodels.[10]

Another historical oyster restaurant was the Downing’s Oyster House, owned and operated by Thomas Downing. Downing, the child of former slaves from Virginia,[11] moved to New York City in 1820 after being discharged from the Army following the War of 1812 and opened the Thomas Downing Oyster House in 1825. He would go on to be one of the richest men in New York, nicknamed the "Oyster King," operating not only the restaurant, but a catering, take out, and international mail order business all centered around locally harvested oysters.[12]

Restoration projects

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For broader coverage of this topic, see Oyster reef restoration.

Billion Oyster Project

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Sign advertising the Project at a ferry terminal the Bronx, New York

Started in 1994 by Murray Fisher and Pete Malinowski,[13] the Billion Oyster Project set to return oysters back to New York Harbor. The program was designed to, at first, use artificial reefs to let young oysters - or spat - attach to and grow. In 2015, the Project started the Shell Collection Program, collecting used shells from oyster, clams, and scallops donated by restaurants in New York City.[14][15] She shells provide hard surface and are rich in calcium carbonate, a perfect environment for the baby oysters to grow.

 
Community oyster reef installation in Coney Island Creek, Brooklyn.

The Project has fifteen locations around the Five Boroughs where they've established “field stations" where the Project or partner organizations bring in students or community programs to educate the public about their efforts. Locations includ Bayswater Point State Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Governors Island, and Soundview Reefs at the mouth of the Bronx River. They also have restoration sites at Lemon Creek Park, Mario Cuomo Bridge, and SUNY Maritime College.[16]


City Island Oyster Reef Project

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City Island Oyster Reef is conducting a similar effort in the western Long Island Sound near City Island.[17] City Island Oyster Reef is attempting to restore the oyster population, not for consumption but to improve harbor water quality. Edible oysters will not be available for about a century.[18][19]

References

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  1. ^ Barron, James (2014-09-24). "New York's Slow Comeback to Title of the Big Oyster". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2023-04-14. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  2. ^ Schmidt, Samantha (2016-09-05). "Oysters Are Nearly Extinct in New York Waters. This Team Is Trying to Coax Them Back". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  3. ^ Brown, Patricia Leigh (2021-10-04). "Oyster Shoreline at 'Greater New York' Has a Pearl of a Message". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2023-03-20. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  4. ^ Smith, Andrew F. (2014). New York City: A Food Biography (1st ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-4422-2712-5.
  5. ^ Grimes, William (2006-03-01). "Before There Were Bagels, New York Had the Oyster". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  6. ^ a b Nigro, Carmen (2011-06-02). "History on the Half-Shell: The Story of New York City and Its Oysters". The New York Public Library. Archived from the original on 2017-09-17. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  7. ^ Smith, Andrew F. (2014). New York City: A Food Biography (1st ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 129. ISBN 978-1-4422-2712-5.
  8. ^ Kludt, Amanda (21 September 2011). "The History of the 98 Year-Old Grand Central Oyster Bar". Eater NY. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  9. ^ Dawson, Gloria (10 December 2019). "A century of endurance at New York's Grand Central Oyster Bar". Restaurant Hospitality. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  10. ^ Holmyard, Nicki (15 April 2014). "Upgraded iconic NYC oyster bar reopens". www.seafoodsource.com. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Downing's Oyster House". Mapping the African-American Past. Columbia University. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Thomas Downing - NYC Oyster King & Abolitionist". Fishers Island Oyster Farm. 22 February 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  13. ^ "Urban Environmentalist, Pete Malinowski". only.one. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  14. ^ Sutherland-Namako, Amber (5 November 2021). "Billion Oyster Project has a new public shell collection site in Brooklyn". Time Out New York. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  15. ^ "Shell Collection Program". Billion Oyster Project. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  16. ^ "Oyster Reefs". Billion Oyster Project. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  17. ^ "City Island Oyster Reef". Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  18. ^ Zraick, Karen (10 December 2021). "11 Million New Oysters in New York Harbor (but None for You to Eat)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  19. ^ Olson, Eric R. (2008-09-10). "Restoring New York's Oysters". Scienceline. Archived from the original on 2023-07-29. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
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