VUE

I already saw two houseboats so it's conceivable to see many more, considering that it is a centralized waterfront location that is significantly cheaper to own than an apartment. "I think that's the highest and best use because we have a ferry every fifteen minutes to Manhattan, we've got great facilities, great views, as you can see, and you can actually buy your lot," he told me. Though admittedly smaller, with a growing movement toward tiny homes among environmentally and budget conscious young Americans, houseboats have a similar draw. While Israel's ownership of marinas may allow him to corner a market, they are not easy to maintain or run. Maintenance costs at a marina can be staggering, especially under specific circumstances. After 9/11, the PATH shut down for two years, increasing ferry traffic in the New York Harbor and as a result, amplifying the wake thrown off by boats which beat the shore and the marinas that line them. These extensive wakes damage the docks and the boats that they house. In 2005 Israel reported racking up over $2 million dollars in damage according to a New York Daily News article—this despite the reopening of the PATH in 2003 and installing a wake screen to dampen the wake. It continues to be an issue, and will have to be dealt with if he wants people live in the marina, and not be tossed from their beds. "We're going to build a brand new [sea]wall here to make this like a pond. It's going to take a lot of money," he told me, "but I think it's worth it." W W W. V U E N J . C O M 63

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