Friday, March 29, 2024
Miles from the Mainstream
D. R. ZUKERMAN, proprietor

A Beautiful Early Autumn Day
(September 23 - with Images to Prove It)
at the Beach at Beach 108th Street,
in Rockaway Park, Queens

October 5, 2020 --

LPR planned to go to the beach at Rockaway Park on September 22, but didn't make it.  By the way, that was the day President Trump, and other world leaders sent pre-recorded videos for the opening of the general debate at the United Nations.   The day seems to have passed without much notice of the UN from the media.  What happened to the media's so-called dedication to globalism?

The sun shined brightly September 23 and this time LPR was determined, as were numbers of others, apparently, to make his way to Rockaway Park.  Travel began with the Bronx Number 7 bus  (not shown) to Broadway at Isham Street in northern Manhattan. The first photo shows the store at the entrance to the A train at Isham Street. 


Image of store where LPR retrieved sunglasses, first day of beach going, July 2020.  All visits to beaches except possibly to Riis Park) begin with travel on No. 7 Bronx bus, then A train at this point.


LPR uses this entrance for all his trips to beaches, including the Jersey Shore, with the possible exception of travel to Riis Park, but not necessarily.  The image shows the store where LPR retrieved his sunglasses on his first beach day, in July.

LPR takes the A train, for Rockaway Park. to Broad Channel, not far from the beach. At this stop he changes to the shuttle to Rockaway Park (shown approaching the Broad Channel station.)


Shuttle to Rockaway Park, arriving at Broad Channel


LPR takes the shuttle to Beach 116th Street in Rockaway Park shown in the next image.  (Alternatively, LPR can get off at Beach 105th Street, and walk the few blocks to the beach from that station.)


Rockaway Park's main street, Beach 116th Street.


View of Rockaway Beach over grass planted to prevent erosion, with ocean in background.


The next image shows the short path to the beach at Beach 108th street.


The entrance to beach at Beach 108th Street.


The following image shows beachgoers from Brooklyn walking down that sandy entrance to the beach. 


Beachgoers from Brooklyn walking to beach.


Next image -- the Brooklyn beachgoers are settled at their spot for the day.


Same beachgoers settled on beach.


Other beach visitors...


People, of course, are not the only visitors to the Rockaway Park and other beaches in the area.  Humans are joined by seagulls, on the beaches and this image shows seagulls resting after LPR threw handfuls of UTZ Party Mix for them (and they swarmed for the bounty).

The next image shows another cluster of humans on the beach, September 23, followed by an image looing to the north that gorgeous day.  Just check out the clear blue sky (temperature, I think, was 80 degrees this early fall day.)

Other beachgoers clustered near by.   (Note, masks are NOT worn on beach)


Looking to the north on beach.


Dayton Seaside (subject of property tax manipulation by Mayor Giuliani against Zukermans, with the late Borough President Claire Shulman asking, in vain, that the mayor resolve issue  fairly), then beach, then shoreline.


LPR wore shorts, not a bathing suit, not expecting to go for a swim.  Others did swim or bath, till they were ordered out by beach patrols. LPR went in above his ankles;. the water was indeed inviting.  Nextimage,  look at the curling wave approaching the shore; a few people might be visible standing in the water.


Curled surf and three people in surf.


Surfboarder coming out of surf.


Next image after that curling wave shows a surfboarder emerging from the surf.   

The following image shows Old Glory on the beach at half-staff in honor of the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  Justice Ginsburg grew up in Brooklyn, and perhaps she enjoyed hours in the Rockaway Park surf.


Old Glory at half-staff on beach in honor of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.


Board Walk Bagel Store one block from beach.


When LPR left to take the subway and bus back to the Bronx, he first stopped off at the Board Walk Bagel store, but had to choose onion bagels, the plain, cinnamon raisin and everything bagels having been sold out that day.  To add to LPR's disappointment, Nick's Ices was closed, open only Thursday to Sunday. BUT the beach was glorious, indeed.

LPR was still hoping he would be able to get a pastrami sandwich at Ben's on 38th Street, between 8th and 7th Avenue, but the restaurant (take out or deliveries only, still) was closed. (Fortunately LPR was kindly permitted to enter for a pit stop.)  LPR understands that limited in-seating will be permitted in New York City restaurants by the time this LPR is posted, due to the extraordinary talent of webmaster Terri Fasssio.


Lights of Times Square at end of beach day.


The last image in the array of LPR's day at the beach, September 23, shows the lights of Times Square, looking north from 42nd Street, at the entrance to the No. 1 train to the Bronx, which LPR took after leaving Ben's, to be able to board the No. 7 bus from 231 Street at Broadway, for a shorter bus rise to home.

A note on time: it took LPR about 2 and a quarter hours to get to Rockaway Park, and close to three hours for the trip home.  Oddly, travel time to Robert Moses State Park, Jones Beach or the beaches on the Jersey shore take about the same time two and a quarter hours, from The Bronx.  With, say, three hours to bask in the beach sun, this makes for a full day.    Well worth it. There is, for LPR at least, something about taking in the sun at a beach rather than on an apartment sun deck. Just think. Images of a sun deck.  BORING.