From the bright stars and easy life of Manitoulin to bright lights and hectic life of Manhattan
MANHATTAN—Residents of Manitoulin Island have been entertained for years by New Yorker Bonnie Kogos who, with her newspaper columns and books, eloquently compares life on Manhattan, one of the boroughs of New York City, with that on Manitoulin.
Although Ms. Kogos paints an attractive picture of Manhattan Island, visitors from Northern Ontario used to the tranquility of places like Manitoulin can be overwhelmed by the gridlock of people and traffic – especially in the Christmas season.
My wife Marilyn and I toured Manhattan with friends in early December and saw most of the famous sites. As a member of the Steering Committee for the Great Lakes Islands Alliance, I am interested in the differences and similarities of life on islands elsewhere, but I had not considered Manhattan an island.
However, Manhattan is an island and it is one thing to compare life on Manitoulin with that on other islands in the Great Lakes, comparing Manitoulin Island with Manhattan Island is a fascinating exercise.
Even though Manitoulin is much larger and has a different shape and orientation than Manhattan, density of the human population on Manhattan makes it unique among islands in the world.
Walk along any street in midtown Manhattan at any time of the day and you are immediately aware that it is strikingly different from any community on Manitoulin. Manhattan is a huge concrete and steel jungle, but one of the most vibrant cities in the world.
The bustling streets, honking cars, crowded subway and ongoing construction projects make for an exciting experience for visitors. However, it is difficult to get used to the constant noise and relentless bombardment of stimuli. Manhattan is an inspiring melting pot of business, culture, entertainment, and more. It has a deserved reputation as ‘The city that never sleeps.’
About 60 million tourists visit New York City annually with most remaining on Manhattan Island. Tourists quickly discover that the fast-paced, high-energy lifestyle of Manhattan is both captivating and exhausting. You sense that the residents of Manhattan thrive on ambition, pushing themselves to strive for success and productivity.
Manhattan is positioned vertically south to north whereas Manitoulin is positioned horizontally west to east. Manitoulin is triangular in shape 160 km in length varying in width from about 60 km in the east tapering to about 10 km in the west. Manitoulin has a surface area of 2,766 km2.
Manitoulin boasts as being the largest freshwater island in the world, large enough that it has 108 freshwater lakes, some of which have their own islands. Manhattan is long and narrow 21.6 km in length and 3.7 km in width with a surface area of only 59 km2. No natural lakes remain on Manhattan, only a few man-made ones are found in Central Park.
Walking at an average pace of about 4.8 km/hour, it takes about six minutes to walk across Manhattan and eight hours to walk its length (depending on congestion). It is common for people to ride bicycles along the width and length of Manitoulin (in the summer), but few choose to walk its length.
Both Manitoulin and Manhattan are surrounded by fresh water. The North Channel separates Manitoulin from the mainland and open waters of Lake Huron to the east, west and south. Manhattan is bounded by the Hudson River to the west, the Harlem River to the north, the East River to the east, and New York Harbour to the south.
Twice a day, the waters outside lower Manhattan reverse their flow with tides carrying salt water up the Hudson and Harlem Rivers. The water beneath the swing bridge at Little Current can also reverse its flow, but changes in direction are caused by distant winds rather than tides.
The highest hills on Manitoulin are about 350 metres above sea level and 170 metres above the waters of Lake Huron. The highest elevation of Manhattan is 81 metres, but most of Lower Manhattan is less than 15 metres above sea level and part of it will be subject to flooding if climate change causes the sea level to rise.
Manitoulin and Manhattan are similar in that both have a topography shaped by continental glaciers. Both became ice free about 12,000 years ago. Large erratic boulders carried by the glaciers were once found on the surface of Manhattan, but have since been removed. Glacial erratics are still found over the surface of Manitoulin providing silent testimony to the enormous power of flowing ice.
Retreating glaciers carved out the waterways around Manhattan as they did the watershed of Lake Huron. Granite bedrock beneath Manhattan (called schist) provides a firm foundation for large buildings.
Manitoulin is underlain by softer dolomite and limestone filled with fossilized remains of extinct sea animals. It is not an ideal foundation for skyscrapers. Soil and surface debris on much of Manitoulin was scraped away by glacial erosion leaving open areas or alvars (globally recognized areas with rare plants growing in thin soil lying over flat limestone or dolostone).
Bridges join both Manitoulin and Manhattan with the mainland. Manitoulin has one bridge connecting it to the mainland throughout the winter, but for only 45 minutes each hour in the summer.
Manhattan is connected to the mainland by 21 bridges and 15 tunnels. Manhattan bridges range in complexity from the simple Harlem River swing bridges in the north to the grandeur of the Brooklyn Bridge to the east.
Manitoulin has the Chi-Cheemaun ferry that in the summer connects it to the Bruce Peninsula. Ferry service to Manhattan connect Staten Island to the southwest and carries 70,000 passengers daily. There are ten non-vehicular vessels in the Staten Island fleet.
The human history of the two islands is vastly different. Present-day Manhattan was originally part of Lenape First Nation territory. The first European colonists in 1624 were Dutch on lower Manhattan Island followed by English and French.
Massive migration from Europe, Asia, and Latin-America made New York by 1835 the largest city in the United States. By 1948, it was the largest city in the world.
When English explore Henry Hudson (Hudson Bay in Canada’s north and the river adjoining Manhattan are named after him) first saw Manhattan in 1609, he would have seen forests of pine and tulip trees. All such forests are long gone thanks to urban sprawl.
In contrast, the early indigenous people and voyageurs who explored Manitoulin would have seen vast forests of conifers such as spruce, pine and tamarack and deciduous trees such as sugar maples, beech, and oak around meadows and alvars. The same kinds of forests are still found on Manitoulin, although the larger trees have been cut for lumber.
When white farmers began settling the Island, an 1862 treaty ceded most of the land to the government and reserves for First Nations people were established. Today about 40 percent of the population of Manitoulin Island is First Nations with most living on six First Nations. Farming, timber harvesting, fishing and tourism drive the economy to this day.
Manhattan has a population of about1,690,000 people and 28,907 residents/km2 making it one of the most densely populated regions in the world. Manitoulin has a population of about 14,300 with a density of 4.6 people/km2.
Manhattan is one of five boroughs of New York City which is a collection of many neighbourhoods including Staten islands to the south and the western section of Long Island. The other boroughs are Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island and in total, the five boroughs have a population of about 8.4 million people. When Newark and Jersey City in adjoining New Jersey are included, the population in the region is about 20.2 million people.
Manhattan has solved its density problem by building its houses and offices upwards. Manhattan has the largest collection of skyscrapers in the world and has the most expensive real estate. There are 24 buildings of 100 stories or more. A 100-storey building, depending on its design and purpose, averages 350 m in height.
The tallest apartment building in Manhattan is the Central Park Tower. It has 96 floors with104 condominium apartments making it the tallest residential building in the world. The penthouse suite at the top has six bedrooms and nine bathrooms and cost $175 million! The tallest building on Manitoulin Island is the Manitoulin Hotel and Conference Centre in Little Current at four stories and about 12 metres in height.
The ecological footprint of Manhattan is huge requiring vast amounts of produce from farmland throughout eastern United States to feed the borough. As a GLIA member frequently discussing Great Lakes islands issues, such as domestic water supply, sewage systems, housing for the hospitality industry, water levels in the Great Lakes, garbage disposal, invasive plants, fear of forest fires, etc., it is hard to imagine how Manhattan addresses these issues.
How water is pumped to the condos on the 96th floor of the Central Park Tower and the gray and black water removed is truly daunting. Imagine living on the lowest floor knowing that massive amounts of water and sewage are continuously passing through pipes in your walls.
Or imagine fire trucks, ambulances and police vehicles weaving through the gridlock of Manhattan compared to similar vehicles driving through Little Current, Mindemoya or down Highways 6 or 540.
No food is grown on Manhattan, nor are there factories making industrial goods. Instead, Manhattan is a global centre for finance, commerce, entertainment, fashion, shopping, and higher education. It is renowned for its iconic tourist attractions, and unparalleled cultural offerings.
Famous sites and activities on the to-do list of tourists are Madison Square Gardens, Central Park, Empire State Building, 9/11 Memorial, Statue of Liberty, plays on Broadway, the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Times Square. The One World Trade Centre at a height of 104 stories, is the tallest building in New York.
Most visitors to Manhattan from Manitoulin are not prepared for the crowded and noisy streets, minimal personal spaces, and the stress of a fast-paced lifestyle. Imagine, for example, our experience one evening when caught in a mass of tightly pressed humanity that moved us along a street closed to traffic in front of Saks Department Store with its music and light display. Short people or those suffering from claustrophobia would be uncomfortable.
Manhattan is an exciting, exhilarating place for a vacation. Residents of Manitoulin who love to travel should visit Manhattan at least once in their lifetime. The lively action of Manhattan is a must to experience, but it will leave you with a new-found appreciation for the tranquil pace of life on Manitoulin Island.
Dr. Joe Shorthouse is a retired professor of entomology who is a summer resident of Manitoulin Island. He is frequent contributor to the Expositor.
by Joe Shorthouse
