the city that turns its back on the sea
When we talk about New York, nobody, or almost nobody, ever considers the sea. And all you have to do is take a quick look at any map to see that sea is pretty much everywhere here. But that only happens on flat, two-dimensional maps. You cannot smell the salt air in New York. The sea doesn’t even seem to exist. New Yorkers have not included the sea in their iconography. All there is are the old port-type pre-fabricated buildings, restaurants and souvenir shops on the famous Pier 17. Why do New Yorkers turn their backs on the sea? It’s hard to say. Maybe it’s because of the cold Atlantic currents or the fact that for centuries the need to expand the city has meant they have had to tame the sea and this has turned it into an enemy. It could also be genetically based; a consequence of the migrants who flocked to New York and probably wanted to forget their long, one-way trip across the ocean as soon as possible.
The sea only exists for new Yorkers in the summer.
Then, working class families of different origin from Harlem and the Bronx pack themselves with all their beach gear into the subway for the long haul out to the beaches and seaside resorts on Coney Island. The amusement park, the Mermaid Parade, the Freak Show, Nathan’s hot-dog championship, the baseball team named after the most famous ride in the amusement park: Brooklyn Cyclones... Coney Island, one hundred years later, is still the place for the more humble classes to enjoy themselves.
The sea only exists for new Yorkers in the summer.
Then, working class families of different origin from Harlem and the Bronx pack themselves with all their beach gear into the subway for the long haul out to the beaches and seaside resorts on Coney Island. The amusement park, the Mermaid Parade, the Freak Show, Nathan’s hot-dog championship, the baseball team named after the most famous ride in the amusement park: Brooklyn Cyclones... Coney Island, one hundred years later, is still the place for the more humble classes to enjoy themselves.
