There was an article in New Yorker a year or two ago about the remaining mile or so of this line, which some want to convert to a trail (as part of the rail-to-trail project).

"Forgotten New York" is a nice site. I remember having seen a site many years ago (I say, many) with photographs of remnants of the old city, and stories about them. Enchanting! But it did not have no mermaids.