Hell's Kitchen. View of Hell's Kitchen over railroad tracks. Did you know Manhattan is basically a rock? Actually, if you're curious about rocks, I don't think what you see here qualifies as bedrock. The Manhattan schist layer, which was formed about 450 million years ago (when Manhattan was still part of Europe and Africa) is 2-3 dozen feet below the surface in Hell's Kitchen area. It comes up to only 18 feet around Times Square - hence all the tall buildings. The reason West Village doesn't have any skyscrapers is because the bedrock 'plunges' to about 260 feet below surface there and is too difficult to reach.
This photo appears in the following galleries: Photos of Hell's Kitchen
Photo By: Slavito |