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I'm wondering if anyone knows what the techum of/in NYC are?

Is Brooklyn separate from Manhattan?

What about Brooklyn to Queens?

Manhattan and the Bronx?

(I assume Staten Island is too far to be connected)

If they're separate, What are each of the techumin?

If the whole city is one techum, how far can one possibly walk?

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  • AFAIK, the Brooklyn Bridge is short enough to be within both techumim at all points. Its span over the East River is ~490m, which is less than the 2000 amot (~1km) distance to require an eruv techumim.
    – Noach MiFrankfurt
    Feb 18, 2016 at 22:23
  • FWIW, A chazzan who attended my shul on Rosh Hashanna in the 5 Towns, which is outside the NYC border, walked on Rosh Hashanna from 5 Towns to Flatbush - about 15 miles. The guy has semicha AFAIK, so I think he is aware of the rules. Never mind that he walked outside the "town limits". but he had to go through both Queens and Brooklyn. So the Techum must be quite large.
    – DanF
    Feb 18, 2016 at 22:28
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    @NoachMiFrankfurt I don't think you get how techum works. A city being within 2000 Amot of you is not sufficient for it to be your city. If you are 1500 Amot from a city, then you can only walk 500 Amot into the city. Then you stop, right in the middle of a house if you need to. To be connected into a city, buildings must be less than 72 Amot apart.
    – Double AA ♦
    Aug 26, 2016 at 20:33
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    IMSMC Rav M. Willig and Rav H. Schachter argue regarding whether one can walk between Riverdale/Bronx and Manhattan (possibly having to do with squaring off Manhattan vs. squaring of the Bronx). Re Brooklyn and Mnahattan, see nefeshchaim.blogspot.com/2006/07/hilchos-techum-shabbos.html It seems implausible that Queens and Brooklyn aren't one unit.
    – Loewian
    Oct 17, 2017 at 3:42
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    By Googleing I've found an interesting article regarding the same topic in Lakewood. The author seems to be quite familiar with the topic and provided an e-mail. Considering the geographical proximity I suppose it's worth a try: matzav.com/lakewoods-techum-shabbos-battles
    – Kazi bácsi
    Oct 17, 2017 at 11:43

1 Answer 1

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This article from the Orthodox Union states:

If you live in New York City, you can walk freely from Battery Park to Harlem.

I'm not sure if this really answers the question, but it does provide some insight.

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    Battery Park and Harlem are in the same Borough though, no?
    – Double AA ♦
    Oct 19, 2017 at 20:51
  • @DoubleAA - Yes, I believe so; but I am not an expert on NYC.
    – ezra
    Oct 19, 2017 at 20:55
  • As it only provides insight and not an answer it should be a comment
    – Gershon Gold
    Oct 19, 2017 at 23:47
  • This does not provide an answer to the question. To critique or request clarification from an author, leave a comment below their post. - From Review
    – sabbahillel
    Oct 20, 2017 at 0:49
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    @ezra If you ever decide to visit this area, you can accomplish 3 things: 1) visit 770; 2) visit me and 3) allow me to help you become an expert on NYC. Optionally, I'll add a 4th - You can join me in the 1st ever NYC "techumathon" after we get a good answer to this question!
    – DanF
    Oct 20, 2017 at 18:21

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