Washington Heights is Getting Smoked Out

Thick black smoke hovering above Washington Heights is apparently a common occurrence, but it is legal? The Gay Recluse has some photos of the area and says it's the result of "improperly maintained or outdated boiler systems," with one building in particular being a main culprit (671 West 162nd Street). Has anyone seen something similar, or worse? This certainly can't be helping with the rising asthma problem.

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By Jen Carlson in News on March 24, 2008 3:41 PM

Comments [rss]

rcltrh

Burning oil always makes smoke, either a lot of a little, but its always there whether you see it or not. It's a part of life in a metro area where people burn oil for heat. Burning natural gas puts out tons of carbon monoxide from similar non-smoking chimneys, you just can't see it but you have the asthma effects nonetheless. Until some new fuel is found or everyone switches to electric or solar heat, it's just going to be a part of life. Get an ionic breeze or some other similar air cleaner. Imagine what the city was like 100 years ago when everyone burned coal or wood. There are old pictures that show what a smoky place it was. Same problem happens in the rural areas where people burn wood, coal, or oil. Its just not as noticeable since its not as densely populated.

mmlanglie

yup, living near 145th i can confirm seeing this all the time from my living room window. black, billowy smoke from the building next door, and can pretty much see it from any building when one is walking along Broadway. it is a bit scary. always makes me think something (or i guess someone) is on fire!

iank

There's a bunch of smoke that comes out of an apartment building on the East side of St. Nicholas Place at about 150th/152nd. Sometimes I'll get to walk through a nice black cloud on my way to the train if the wind is right.

Adam L

I've lived in Washington Heights for over 4 years, and I see this black smoke all the time! I live on Audubon and 177th, and I live pretty high up so I have a good view of the roofs across the street from me from my living room window. Crazy.

cucarachita

I can see thick black smoke regularly belching at intervals from the top of a building that must be somewhere between 138th and 145th street near Broadway from my kitchen window. I always wonder if someone's burning a body or something.

cuppacake

I used to live up in the West Harlem/almost Washington Heights area, and several times a month I'd catch a weird, chemical-y, burning smell coming in through my windows. One of my friends who lived a few blocks from me always said the smoke was from building supers illegally burning trash.

threadseven

woah, thanks, i was always wondering about this. it happens all over though. i work around 178th and broadway and will see something very similar every now and then.