Can Basemap draw a detailed coastline at the city level?
Question: I'm trying to draw a detailed coastline of the NYC area using Basemap in
Python. Using the full resolution dataset, Manhattan looks like rectangle, and
the Hudson doesn't show up at all about midtown.

Here's the code I'm using. Any suggestions?

    
    
        from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap
    import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
    import numpy as np
    
    m = Basemap(projection='merc',llcrnrlat=40.55,urcrnrlat=40.82,\
                llcrnrlon=-74.1, urcrnrlon=-73.82, lat_ts=40.5,resolution='f')
    m.drawcoastlines()
    m.drawrivers()
    m.fillcontinents(color='coral',lake_color='aqua')
    m.drawmapboundary(fill_color='aqua') 
    plt.show()
    

_EDIT_

On further exploration, it looks like my issue is with the rivers,
specifically. I can get the detailed boundaries of the oceanic coastline, but
there is still no Hudson river and no Harlem river. Current code:

    
    
    m = Basemap(projection='merc',llcrnrlat=40.55,urcrnrlat=40.82,\
                llcrnrlon=-74.1, urcrnrlon=-73.82, lat_ts=40.5,resolution='f')
    m.drawmapboundary(fill_color='#85A6D9')
    m.drawcoastlines(color='#6D5F47', linewidth=.4)
    m.drawrivers(color='#6D5F47', linewidth=.4)
    m.fillcontinents(color='white',lake_color='#85A6D9')
    plt.show()
    


Answer: The data shipped with basemap is quite low resolution (high resolution data
takes up quite a lot of space).

You can load shapefiles to display with basemap. I've borrowed code from [this
tutorial](http://www.geophysique.be/fr/2011/01/27/matplotlib-basemap-
tutorial-07-shapefiles-unleached/) to do that before. The tutorial also links
to [GADM](http://www.gadm.org/country), where you can download high resolution
shapefiles for any country.

