My love letter to Coney Island

Coney Island's large and golden beach

When the weather begins to be nice and warm in May, New Yorkers desert the city and rush to the beaches on every weekend. They go to the well-known Hamptons, but likewise in Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn as well as Staten Island where there a number of options to relax, put your feet in the sand and gaze into the sea.

I always wondered why we don’t see many pools in the suburban landscapes around Mahnattan when looking down from the plane while leaving or landing in New York (pools are an important aspect of suburban life in Montreal); who needs a pool when you can access the ocean so easily?

You all know I love Brooklyn. Obviously, Coney Island was another place I was looking forward to visit. I remember watching a video entitled “Love letter to Coney Island” a few months ago on the Internet; this short film left me seduced by the very rich history of the place. Think about it: Coney Island has been welcoming New Yorkers since the 1830’s.

South Street Seaport: the hidden history treasure of Lower Manhattan

Almost feel like San Francisco...

Walking in New York is sometimes – not to say often – marveling as you can turn one single street corner and suddenly see the landscape changing. 

This happened to me a few weeks ago when I was willingly getting lost in the streets of the Financial District; as I was walking on narrow streets among hundreds of businessmen and other busy New Yorkers, I wound up in this tiny, quiet and quite open old area: the South Street Seaport. With its West Coast inspired pier, charming cobblestone roads and red brick buildings, the place unexpectedly appeared to me like a breath of fresh sea air among the claustrophobic walls of downtown.