He'll go down with the ship, if necessary

From the NY Times:

On Sunday morning, as New York City was feeling the brunt of what had become Tropical Storm Irene, Billy Drankwater, 57, was leisurely buttering a piece of white bread, in the cozy, dry cabin of his 33-foot wooden boat, docked off the north shore of Queens, in Flushing Bay.

“Some hurricane,” he said. “Not a drop in here.”

Mr. Drankwater lives on this old fishing boat year-round, with barely the cabin space to extend his long, taut arms, or stand erect at his natural 6-foot-2 inch height.

As hurricane warnings grew, over the past few days, Mr. Drankwater ignored friends who urged him to batten down and move out.

“I said, ‘No, I’ll go down with the ship if I have to,’ ” he said.

Well, it looks like we dodged a bullet this time.

Although there were quite a few trees that didn't make it, and if you believe the news reports, there are 32,000+ people in Queens without power.

Hipsters on houseboats

From the NY Post:

A group of intrepid Brooklynites have spent at least a year living on four houseboats moored on the ultra-toxic Gowanus Canal, where they’ve been floating under the radar of city agencies that monitor safety regulations.

A recent study by the US Environmental Protection Agency -- which is overseeing a $500 million Superfund cleanup of the 1.8-mile canal -- has warned boaters not to fall in because the waterway is a cancer-causing cesspool.

Three of the houseboats, occupied by hipster 20-somethings, are docked behind a truck lot off President and Bond streets. Neighbors said they’re known for late-night canal parties and pretty girls sunbathing on the decks.

While the boaters have docking permission from property owners, the floating homes still must pass city Buildings and Fire department safety inspections to be considered legal.

One top city official said it’s “highly unlikely” the city would allow houseboats on the Gowanus, adding the residents could face fines for docking “illegally.”