Sunday, August 29, 2010

This is also the Bronx

We went to Orchard Beach and City Island yesterday afternoon. Most people don't realize how gorgeous the Bronx is, or how much park land our borough has - Orchard Beach is in Pelham Bay Park, which is the largest park in NYC. City Island is basically a New England fishing village with excellent views of Manhattan. Both places feel like you're on a totally different planet from the one that Manhattan is on - but somehow they all manage to coexist within the same city boundaries. Go figure.

Here is a detail shot of the rather rundown bathhouses at Orchard Beach. The City is currently in the design stage for renovations:


The bandstand at the beach:


We were at the beach as the tide was going out, and the shore was a little rocky.
I collected some lovely stones:


Orchard Beach is a crescent, and here is the far eastern side of the beach (with Georgia):


Some cool footprints. From left to right, mine, seagull and eastern great egret:


The eastern great egret himself:


In flight:


The sunlight through the grass on the path to City Island (that's the bridge to City Island in the background). You can't quite see it, but there's an adult egret and a baby egret on the sandbar:


Shot of the north side of City Island:


The City Island bridge:


It's very difficult to knit on the BX12 bus to City Island, by the way. The road is in terrible shape and very bumpy. I prevailed though, and managed to get a few rows in on the Lettuce Pullover.

We ate a lovely dinner at the Black Whale on CI, which has great food (great prices!) and questionable service. But hey, it's the Bronx, right?

9 comments:

  1. Love the pics! I very much want to visit your neck of the woods someday.

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  2. Would neeeever have guessed that was the Bronx. Beautiful. So yes, I have this problem where I try to "improve" a recipe and fail miserably.

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  3. Great pictures and wonderful glimpse of lesser-known areas of Da Bronx!!

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  4. Like they always say, Exotic is where you ain't!

    That's very cool.

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  5. I'm already missing City Island -- although Orchard Beach needs some serious cleaning!

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  6. Those are beautiful photos! I have actually never been to the Bronx. Just Manhattan. I'll definitely have to make sure I get there someday!

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  7. city island is a treasure--i have taken out of town visitors there, too.

    near fordham street (on north side of island) is ferry to NYC's Potters Field--and the author Oliver Sacks lives on the island..

    it is a place unto its self... thanks for the photos.

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  8. It's hard to believe those beach pictures were taken in the middle of the city. NYC is more like a state than a city!

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  9. From far-away Australia I'd never heard of City Island until I recently saw the wonderful movie of that name. Now, as is the way of such things, I'm hearing about it everywhere. Thank you for this insight into the Bronx. I want to visit!

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