Wednesday was an astoundingly hot day so we decided to discover the beach on Staten Island.
A marvelously inexpensive outing - $1.75 old person's subway fare with bus transfer. Free Staten Island ferry with wonderful views of Lower Manhattan and splendid cooling breeze. Huge sturdy boat with lots of room on it. Thoughts of Edna St Vincent Millay's Recuerdo - a lovely poem.
Dreadfully dull photo of the Statue of Liberty - it's right there.
Docking at Staten Island.
Bus to the beach which was large and pleasant but without waves and good for swimming.
Not the glorious sand of Robert Moses which is more complicated to get to. Most of the families there were local, I think, and had had the foresight to bring their own lunch and umbrellas.
The concession stand was manned only by a young boy and a grumpy grandpa - both overwhelmed by the heat. No, no burgers....um... what do you have? chicken tenders? I had a hot dog. Lunch $14.50 plus a tip.
Then a bus ride back to the ferry through the land time forgot. A hardware store straight from the 50's and maybe worth exploring. An abandoned hospital romantic and depressing in it's decay. Interesting to read about these splendid buildings which have very sad histories.
The Paramount has fallen on hard times.
Anyway, back on the ferry with the very green seats
the weary
and lots and lots of families.
We dock in Manhattan
Then take the subway home from South Ferry. Grand total for the outing for two people $20 - and very good value it was too.