Bayonne is a great example of why sea level rise will have an impact on everyone in the metropolitan area no matter where you live. The parts of Bayonne that are predicted to face permanent inundation are primarily on its east coast where it houses energy infrastructure and two large fingers of landfill that jut out into the harbor that host a container port. (The northern one is is actually in Jersey City.) All of us depend on this infrastructure to create life as we know it.

Two tankers were in port when I was at Bard Avenue along the Kill Van Kull on Monday.

Going north across Constable Hook after a number of tank farms, there is the Bayonne Golf Club. It is built on a former garbage dump. According to nbcsports in 2006, the
Initiation fee is $175,000 for locals and $75,000 for national or international members and then a member must pay $10,000 annual dues. I have seen the ferry that goes between Lower Manhattan and the golf course. I couldn’t make this up. The golf course is 100 feet above sea level, having been elevated with sludge from the harbor according to golfcoursegurus.com so no fear that you will lose your initiation fee because the course is under water.

Running along the north side of the golf course is a section of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway. I learned about this walkway by going on a walk through Bayonne last April offered by Shorewalkers led by Craig Nunn. He is extremely knowledgeable about New Jersey history. If you get a chance to go on one of his walks, I highly recommend it.

Pretty much everything that you can see across the water from the walkway faces the challenge of sea level rise. Lets start with Alexan CityViews.

Looking at google maps, this apartment complex wasn’t even built yet when they took the satellite photo of this area. It is isolated from other residential areas and shopping on the west by route 440. On the east extends the pier. I noticed a fair amount of truck traffic. Reviews on yelp are not good.

This apartment complex is at the western base of a long man-made rectangular finger of land that was once called MOTBY-Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne and has been renamed The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor. At the end are the Cape Liberty Cruise Port, Bayonne Dry Dock and Repair Corp. and the Tear of Grief 9/11 memorial. There is a remnant of MOTBY on the water tower.

Here you can see the cranes of Global Marine Terminal.

As I was out on this section of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, I saw a Bald Eagle. I have seen them before in New Mexico but never here in the east. I thought at first it was a very large gull. It was carrying a rat. I have to admit I am still a bit amazed. I read at the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife that there are now over 100 pairs of Bald Eagles in New Jersey. Good news.