Concrete and Glass Mountains.. the Bivy Advantage

freaking ballah

Hope you are not a sleep walker! :)

Holy smokes that is cool!

Lots of forums discourage posting actual locations so the campsites don’t get overrun.  Glad you abided by that rule.  Otherwise, there would be 20 bivies up there next week.

Should be able to locate it pretty closely by triangulating from the obvious landmarks in those photos, though.

Now that’s what I’d call urban stealth

After scrolling on instagram and seeing what everyone else is doing in the mountains and deserts and forests while I nurse a sprained ankle at home, THIS is the photo that makes me jealous!

Well done.

Been working here for 20 years now. I have spent many nights up there so I guess i take the view for granted. That and I prefer to be as far away from this city as possible..

True story: in August this past summer, my coworker was sailing home from Maryland and it was on a Saturday. I happened to be working and he sent me a text that he was about to be sailing past our building down the East River. So I went up to “my” spot on the roof to take some video of him. I had shorts and tank top on.. and was standing on the railing poles to get a little extra height and film him sailing by. Got it!!!

So about 30 minutes later, I am working out on our engine room floor, self built full gym.. and the lobby security calls me on radio. He tells me the NYPD (New York Police Dept. ) and the FDNY ( New York Fire Dept.) are in the lobby and need me to bring them up to the roof top NOW.  I think I know why they want to go up there.. but not really sure.  So i grab the elevator and stop in lobby to pick them up.  As soon as the doors open I see about 7 or 8 cops standing there, so i greet them with.. “hey guys whats up?” The officer immediately looked at me , sweaty in my shorts and tank top, and looked confused. He said to me, ” we had a call from someone saying there was a jumper on your roof top, wearing shorts and tank top.. about to jump off side of building “. So, looking at me more he says, ” You dont look like you jumped though.” I laughed and told him, yup that was me but i wasnt jumping.  I am the buildings engineer and i was up there taking video of my co worker sailing down the East River.  20 years I have been up on that roof day and night, and NEVER has anyone called the cops!!! They all had a good laugh with me and went on their way.. Someone must have been peeping with a telescope because I am pretty hi up there!!

If you saw the rooftop in full view, that landing I sleep on is not actually the edge of building.. 2 floors below is the actual full rooftop. Had i jumped from there, maybe i would have a sprained ankle and some bruises.  Either way, yes the views are 360 and phenomenal and every time i bring someone up there they are in shock and awe!!  I get it every day and best yet, many nights sleeping there too!!

How is the noise level up there?  I remember long ago checking into a 6th floor hotel room at the Waldorf Astoria (won the stay as a prize!) and thinking that the window must be open, since the traffic noise was so loud.  It wasn’t open. :-(

Great view of the Chrysler building!

Its not as loud as when I sleep on the 11 floor setback in my hammock, but in all reality sound travels.. and it bounces off the buildings.. so yes i can hear police sirens, car horns.. just enough that its not terrible though. Living in the city for a few years and working here for 20 years,  i guess I am used to it so I can tune it out easily..

So somewhere around Sutton Place? I was wondering if you could get in trouble for spending the night up there if somehow your location got pinned down but I guess that’s not a problem.

Thanks for the great shots. Brings back some memories!

Close… And definitely NOT a problem for me being up there.

Nice views. I’ll bet watching your friends sail up the East River was fun! I was lucky enough to fly up the East River one time in a chopper. We went all the way to nearly West Point and back. Once in a lifetime! Think we took off and landed at pier 36 but not sure. Sometime @ 1985.

In the area.. its a big city

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Nice! We used to take our sleeping bags up to the roof in Brooklyn to see the Perseids. A roof in NYC is a special place.</p>

Again decided to sleep outside at work. This time not from 50 floor rooftop but closer to home on the 11 floor setback. Not as sick of views but beats being cooped up on the couch inside for the night. Im already tucked in and decided to shoot the pictures. I will take a few shots of the bivy from outside later when i get up for bathroom run.. I am guaranteed at least 1 over the next 8 hours!! I am Laying on my Xlite large sleeping pad, inside MLD Superlight bivy, on a cut down Exped foam pad. Shorts and tanktop! I have a 30° quilt tucked in here, which I most definitely do not need, so its mushed at my feet. It is a down quilt, and I will add that to my list of preferring synthetic over down. If it was one of my synthetic quilts, it would be fine all mushed up, or me laying on it.. whatever, but being down thats not whole heartedly a great idea, especially if i would be needing it for warmth in a few hours. Not so good to compress it. Anyway, I also have my Sea to Summit large pillow!!  Temperature is about 70° with a slight cool breeze .. overnight temps remaining about that all thru. I do hear plenty of “sounds of the city” from this height, but as the night rolls on they will settle (a tad bit).. and hopefully I will be in deep sleep. Its time to hit the woods again real soon, even for a quick 1 nighter..  bang some miles and sleep outside..

Somehow I missed that first post–but what a wonderful shot of the Chrysler building.  Totally cool.

Very cool! You look to be fairly close to Bryant Park?

In the general area..