Commuters in New York City need not be reminded that the city, at its geographical essence, is a vast archipelago. Every day over a million people venture forth through the city's network of islands and parts of islands, sailing through the New York Harbor from Staten Island to Manhattan or crossing the East River and Hudson River and the tidal straight of the Harlem River via car, bus, train, or bike to their appointed destinations.
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| Rockaway Beach |
Thousands of people go to work in the New York islands every day just to work on boats. These island-hoppers include members of the commercial shipping trade, the tourist industry, local law enforcement, and the armed services. In addition, thousands of vacationers come and go from the archipelago, boarding ocean liners to explore distant islands with more swimmable waters.
In short, the New York archipelago is a beehive of activity at all times. For proof, take a gander at the
Live Ships Map from MarineTraffic.com. The map shows passenger ships, fishings vessels, tugs, and so forth in real time. MarineTraffic has an app, too.
In the midst of this busy city of many ports of call, what are some of the best locales for a quick island holiday? While the following list does not to present itself as a novel idea, the places constitute a partial repertory of itinerant adventures. Not all have sand. With temperatures beginning to climb, our thoughts drift from our work to the fantasies of island leisure. Is that an ocean breeze in the air? Perhaps.
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Is there anything better than an early summer evening on Coney Island?
In this picture from July 14, 2012, musician Billy Bragg celebrates the 100th birthday of Woody Guthrie, who spent some of his happiest years living on Coney Island. |
People often need a break from the everyday routine to get a new perspective. The list below includes many places with offbeat or unusual views of the city.
"There now is your insular city of the Manhattoes, belted round by wharves as Indian isles by coral reefs - commerce surrounds it with her surf. Right and left, the streets take you waterward. Its extreme down-town is the battery, where that noble mole is washed by waves, and cooled by breezes, which a few hours previous were out of sight of land. Look at the crowds of water-gazers there." - Herman Melville, Moby Dick
Adventurous Perspectives: 16 Places to Go in the New York Archipelago
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| Battery Park |
Battery Park. For a couple of centuries, before Ellis Island, immigrants arrived in New York at this point at the tip of Lower Manhattan, passing through Castle Garden. Today, visitors congregate near the rails to gaze at the harbor and the Statue of Liberty.
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Brooklyn Bridge Park. The new park, repurposed from working piers, features close-to-water views of Manhattan, offering a surprising new vantage point to those of us more accustomed to strolling the Brooklyn Heights Promenade high above the park. If you're up for it, walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.
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