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York City <insert pithy subtitle here> I'm sure I'll come up with some witty and elegant introduction to put here eventually. For now, you'll have to settle with this. This is kind of photographic tour of some parts of the city I've found--far from the stereotypical tall buildings and flashy adverts of Times Square. I should stress, all of these places are inside the city limit of NYC. Chapter 1: Take the "A" Train..... ....but not to Harlem. (Yes, it's a song reference, look it up.) Everyone knows the A subway train goes to JFK airport, but not many people have ridden it beyond the Howard Beach-JFK station. After letting off all the weary travelers who are on their way to the rest of the world, the A train swings south and crosses right over the middle of Jamaica Bay on its way to Far Rockaway. In the middle of the bay, there's a stop at Broad Channel, a tiny island community far removed from the bustle of NYC.  This little island is just like any classic small town. Everyone knows everyone else, yard sales are announced on telephone poles, and the kids riding their bikes are nearly everywhere. The people are friendly, polite, and yet still have the classic east coast accent. What's even more interesting is that the eastern edge of the island is dominated by marsh, and so the houses are built on stilts, and connected by wooden walkways.    On the western shore, you have a beautiful view of Jamaica Bay. If you look far into the distance, you can just make out the buildings of Manhattan. Click on the image for a larger picture, you'll need it. The Financial District is visible left of center, and the Empire State Building and the Midtown skyscrapers are visible to the right of center.  The western shoreline is mostly rocks and seawall to protect the island from storms.  Leaving this beautiful little island was difficult, but figuring how far I had already gone, it made sense to continue on the A train until I reached the end of the line. On the Rockaway peninsula, which is technically part of Queens, the A line splits. One leg travels northeast up the peninsula ending at Far Rockaway, and the other follows it southwest ending at Rockaway Park. I went to Rockaway Park.  It's hard sometimes, living in Manhattan, to remember that it's an island. It's even harder to remember, shielded as we are by Long Island, that NYC is actually on the Atlantic Ocean. Rockaway is NYC's longest stretch of coastline, and the beach runs along the entire length of the peninsula. There's even boardwalk. The rest of the day was spent on the beach, getting sunburned.   Coming Soon: Inwood, or, Where the Dutch Bought Manhattan for $16 |
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