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OUR WOOD: Most of our trees are local and come from within 20 miles of New York City. Some of these trees may be over 200 years old and have lived through significant historical events in the famous New York City parks that we know and love. As trees in the five boroughs are taken down for various reasons, they are usually turned into mulch or firewood. NYCitySlab saves these trees so that you can give them a second chance at life in your home. To date, we have sourced wood from the aftermath of Super Storm Sandy in the following places: Lower East Side waterfront parks, Peter Cooper Village / Stuyvesant Town, Savoy Park Apartments, and Riverton Houses.
OUR SLABS: We sell full length boards and will custom cut to your specifications. We can cut 45" wide by 45' long. We always try to keep slabs from the same tree together, matching the grain and allowing you to create projects out of one New York City tree. They are great for bartops, tabletops, desks, counters, benches, etc.
Please click the tree types below to view our inventory. Contact us about availability and size.
Black Walnut (jugians nigra) [click for inventory]
Tree: Can reach heights of 120 ft. with a diameter of over 3 ft.
Wood: Sapwood is nearly white, while the heartwood is light brown to dark, chocolate brown, often with a purplish cast and darker streaks. The wood is heavy, hard, stiff and has high shock resistance.
Working Properties: Black walnut is straight grained and easily worked with hand tools and by machine. It finishes beautifully and holds paint and stain exceptionally well.
Uses: Furniture, fixtures, cabinets, gunstocks, interior paneling and veneer.
White Oak (quercus michauxii) [click for inventory]
Tree: Oak can reach a height of 125 ft. with large diameters.
Wood: Sapwood is white to very light brown while the heartwood is light to dark brown. Oak wood has a course texture; it is heavy, straight-grained, hard, tough, strong and very stiff.
Working Properties: Has good working properties. It machines and glues well and holds fasteners extremely well.
Uses: Ships, railroad crossties, timber bridges, tannin dyes, fuel wood, flooring, furniture, veneer, plywood, barrels, kegs and casks, pallets and paneling.
London Plane (platanus acerifolia) [click for inventory]
Tree: London planes can reach 65-115 ft. in height and anywhere from 3-5 ft. in diameter.
Wood: Sapwood is white to light pinkish tan and the heartwood is a darker reddish brown. It also has very distinct ray flecks present on quarter sawn surfaces giving it a freckled appearance. The grain is usually very straight and has a fine and even texture which is very similar to maple.
Working Properties: Works easily with both hand and machine tools. It turns, glues and finishes well.
Uses: Veneer, plywood, interior trim, flooring, furniture, carvings and other speciality wood objects.
Maple (Acer spp.) [click for inventory]
Tree: Maples can reach heights of 120 ft. with diameters of 3 ft.
Wood: Sapwood is commonly white with a slight reddish-brown tinge; the heartwood is light reddish brown, but can be considerably darker. The sapwood is from 3 to 5+ inches thick.
Working Properties: Maple wood turns well but is harder to work than soft woods. It stains and polishes well.
Uses: Lumber, distillation, veneer, crossties, paper pulp, flooring, furniture, handles, woodenware, bowling alleys, dance floors, piano frames, cutting blocks and turnery.
Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
Tree: White cedar normally can reach heights of 50 ft., with diameters of 2 ft. Exceptional trees may reach a height of 80 ft., with diameters of 5 ft.
Wood: Sapwood is thin and white while the heartwood is a light brown. It has an even grain, fine texture, and the lowest density of any commercial domestic wood.
Working Properties: Wood is easy to work with hand tools, is dimensionally stable and holds paint well.
Uses: Rustic fencing and posts, cabin logs, lumber, poles, shingles, boat building, wooden ware and pulp wood.
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
Tree: Can grow up to 100 ft., with a diameter of 4 to 5 ft.
Wood: Sapwood is light yellow and the heartwood is brownish with a greenish tinge, darkening to a deep reddish brown with golden luster when exposed. It is of medium density, firm and strong, with a fine, uniform texture. The grain is generally straight.
Working Properties: Cherry is easy to work, finishes smoothly and is dimensionally stable. It can be sawn cleanly, turned well, and planed excellently.
Uses: Fine furniture, printing and engraving blocks, patterns, professional and scientific instruments, piano actions, handles, wooden ware, toys, and speciality times.
Sycamore (Planatus occidentalis)
Tree: Reaches heights of 120 ft, with a diameter of 3 ft.
Wood: Sapwood is white to light yellow, while the heartwood is light to dark brown. Sycamore is classified as moderate in weight, hardness, stiffness, shock resistance and strength in bending.
Working Properties: It has a close texture. It shrinks moderately in drying and is inclined to warp when flat sawn.
Uses: Furniture (particularly drawer sides), containers, millwork, flooring, veneer, plywood, pulp wood, paper, particle board.
Elm (Ulmuss crassifolia)
Tree: Elm trees can reach a height of 100 ft., and a diameter of 3 ft.
Wood: Sapwood is nearly white, while the heartwood is light brown to brown with a reddish tinge.
Working Properties: Wood is moderately heavy, hard and stiff, with excellent bending and shock resistance.
Uses: Boxes, baskets, crates, slack cooperage, furniture, hockey sticks, veneer, pulp and paper manufacture.
Honey Locust (Gleditsa triacanthos)
Tree: Can reach a height of 80 ft., with a diameter of 3 ft.
Wood: Sapwood is yellowish and wide and heartwood is light red to reddish brown. It is very heavy and very hard, tough, strong, with a high luster. The texture is moderately coarse, with straight to irregular grain.
Working Properties: Honey Locust is not easy to work, but finishes smoothly.
Uses: Fence posts and rails, general construction, furniture, interior trim.
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Tree: Sassafras can reach a height of 90 ft. and a diameter of 5 ft.
Wood: Heartwood is pale brown to orange brown, resembling ash or chestnut; sapwood is a narrow yellowish-white. The wood is coarse-grained, straight, brittle and soft. Sassafras is a ring-porous species.
Working Properties: Easily worked and finishes well.
Uses: Lumber, furniture, posts, fence rails, kindling, boxes, slack cooperage, general millwork, small boats.
Hickory (Carya ovata)
ree: Hickory can grow up to 140 ft., with a diameter of 4 ft.
Wood: Sapwood is white, tinged with brown, and the heartwood is pale to reddish brown. The wood is known for its strength and shock resistance.
Working Properties: Hickory is considered difficult to machine and glue. It tends to split but holds nails well.
Uses: Tool handles, furniture, cabinetry, ladder rungs, dowels, sporting goods (including baseball bats, skis and archery equipment), flooring, veneer, plywood.
Butternut (Juglans cinerea)
Tree: Butternuts can reach a height of 100 ft., and a diameter of 3 ft.
Wood: Sapwood is narrow and white to light brown, while heartwood is chestnut brown with red tinges. The growth rings are distinct, with a marked difference between the size of the earlywood and latewood pores. Butternut is similar to black walnut but lighter in color and weight.
Working Properties: Wood generally has straight grain, works easily with tools and takes a rich, lustrous finish.
Uses: Lumber, furniture, boxes, crates, millwork, veneer.
American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
ree: Beech can reach a height of 130 ft., with a diameter of 3-5 ft.
ood: Color is typically a pale cream, sometimes with a pink or brown hue. Growth rings are distinct due to decreased latewood pore frequency.
orking Properties: Machines well and glues, finishes and turns well. It also responds wonderfully to steam-bending. Grain is straight with a fine to medium uniform texture. Moderate natural luster. Beech does have a large amount of movement in service so movement and stability need to be kept in check.
Uses: Lumber, veneer, flooring, railroad ties, musical instruments, furniture, turned objects and other small wooden objects.
Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
Tree: 100 ft., with a diameter of 3 ft.
Wood: Color can range from a pale greenish-yellow to a darker brown. Tends to darken to a russet brown with age. Can be confused with osage Orange or Honey Locust in some instances.
orking Properties: Characteristics are mixed: although the grain is usually straight with a medium texture, its high density and hardness can make it difficult to machine. Responds very well to both lathe turning and steam bending; glues and finishes well.
Uses: Fence posts, boats, flooring, furniture, mine timbers, railroad ties, turned objects and veneer.
s l a b i n v e n t o r y b y t r e e t y p e
We have many Walnut Slabs over 36" wide and over 10' long. Examples are below. Please inquire about inventory and pricing.
Approx Size: 7'L x 20-37"W x 2"D
Origins: Public park in White Plains, NY
Yielded Slabs: 9
Milled Date: February 2014
Catalog #BW_8
Approx Size: 13'L x 18"W x 2"D
Origins: Westchester, NY
Yielded Slabs: 8
Milled Date: February 2014
Catalog #BW_7
Approx Size: 14'L x 40-60"W x 3"D
Origins: Wesley Hill, NY
Yielded Slabs: 3
BlackLumberjack says: This is the largest slab I have seen in this area. This slab has been drying for six years.
Catalog #BW_1
Approx Size: 8.5'L x 35-45"W
Origins: Lyme, CN
Yielded Slabs: 8
Milled Date: August 2013
BlackLumberjack says: Walnut crotch
Catalog #BW_2
Approx Size: 10'L x 30"W x 2"D
Origins: Westchester, NY
Yielded Slabs: 9
Catalog #BW_3
Approx Size: 10'L x 30-39"W x 2"D
Origins: Mamaroneck, NY
Yielded Slabs: 9
Catalog #BW_4
Approx Size: 20'L x 16"-20"W
Origins: Baltimore
Yielded Slabs: 5
BlackLumberjack says: Great for bartops
Catalog #BW_5
Approx Size: 7'L x 40"W x 20"D
Origins: Mamaroneck, NY
Yielded Slabs: 9
Catalog #BW_6
Approx: 8'L x 30'W x 2"T
Milled Date: August 2013
Blacklumberjack says: Beautiful grain
480 London Plane trees were taken down because of a weakened root system from Super Storm Sandy. NYCitySlab was able to save 20 London Planes from this beautiful park. We are currently milling these trees and will post the details soon.
Approx Size: 12'L x 24-32" W x 2" D
Milled Date: August 2014
Origins: Lower East Side, Manhattan, NY
Yielded Slabs: 8
Catalog #LP_2
Approx Size: Burl: 8" tall x 50" diameter
Origins: New Rochelle, NY
BlackLumberjack says: We saved this amazing burl from a firewood pile
Catalog #WO_2
Milled Date: 8/19/2014
Approx Size: 6'L x 30"W x 2"D
Origins: Harrison Middle School, NY
Yielded Slabs: 9
BlackLumberjack says: This amazing piece of wood is a branch from a 200 year old tree.
Catalog #WO_1
Milled Date: August 2013
Approx Size: 12'L x 18"W x 2"D
Origins: New Jersey
Yielded Slabs: 7
BlackLumberjack says: Cherry crotch
Catalog #CH_2
Milled Date: August 2013
Approx Size: 13'L x 18"W x 2"D
OriginsYielded Slabs: 7
Catalog #CH_1
Milled Date: July 2013
Approx Size: 10'L x 20-36"W x 2"D
Origins: Westchester, NY
Yielded Slabs: 8
BlackLumberjack says: Spalted sugar maple
Catalog #MP_2
Milled Date: July 2013
Approx Size: 5'L x 32"W x 2"T
Origins: Westchester, NY
BlackLumberjack says: This is a gorgeous spalted Japanese maple. It has great character in the grain and would make a beautiful table.
Catalog #MP_1
Milled Date: August 2013
Approx Size: 7'L x 30-41"W x 2"T
Origins: Weschester, NY
Blacklumberjack says: Beautiful spalted maple crotch
Milled Date: July 2013
Origins: Handscrabble Rd, North Salem
Yielded Slabs: 10
Approx Size: 9.5'L x 24-40"W x 2"D
Blacklumberjack says: This gorgeous tree was hit by lightning and had to be taken down. We have the entire tree, this is one log of 5.
Catalog #EM_4
Milled Date: July 2014
Origins: Lower East Side Waterfront Park
Yielded Slabs: 8
Approx Size: 13'L x 20-30"W x 2"D
Catalog #EM_3
Milled Date: February 2013
Approx Size: 60"L x 36"W x 2"D
Origins: Westchester, NY
BlackLumberjack says: Elm crotch
Catalog #EM_1
Milled Date: August 2014
Approx Size: 16'x24-40x2"
Origins: Harrison Middle School, NY
Yielded Slabs: 5
Catalog #EM_2
Milled Date: June 2013
Approx Size: 10'L x 24"W x 2"D
Origins: New Jersey
Yielded Slabs: 3
BlackLumberjack says: Spalted sycamore - we have the entire tree, all 10' long slabs.
Catalog #SM_1
Milled Date: September 2013
Approx Size: 6'L x 36-40"W x 2"D
Origins: Fordham University
Yielded Slabs: 9
BlackLumberjack says: Sycamore crotch. We have another 6' log that we will be milling soon.
Catalog #SM_2
Milled Date: September 2013
Approx Size: 8'L x 18"W x 2"D
Origins: Westchester, NY
Yielded Slabs: 8
BlackLumberjack says: Eastern white cedar.
Catalog #C_1
