This medium-sized beach, just north of the barge repair facility at Castle Point, the parapet-like knob of high ground that's home to Stevens Institute of Technology was once lined with gracious shade trees. A low wall and a few old chairs sitting back under the trees made it a good picnic or barbecue spot. Straight across the river from Chelsea Piers, it was thus a logical destination for the kayakers and outrigger paddlers based on pier 63.
Subsequently, and quite unfortunately, the beach was "improved" as part of the condo-izing and esplanadification of the former Maxwell House coffee plant. The shade trees were removed, along with everything else green, and while some nice white sand seems to have been sprinkled atop the grimy beige stuff that was there, the place has been armored all around with large piles of jagged rock. True, there's now a community boathouse behind the beach, and that's a good thing. But still, you have to ask: who decided to kill those trees, and why?
Know more about this beach? Email us at info@newyorkharborbeaches.org
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| How it was |
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| Denudification |
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| Still a good landing, at least |
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| Are these guys for real? |
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| Manhattan as seen from mars |