Broad Channel, only inhabited island in Jamaica Bay, is an inholding within the Gateway National Recreation Area, a unit of the U.S National Park Service. The small island sits in the middle of much water, with great views of Brooklyn, Queens, the Rockaways and JKF. The MTA’s A subway line hops through on its way to ocean beaches.

This is a weird place if I ever saw one. Three thousand souls,  full of stray cats, strange small houses all decorated for Halloween months in advance, gardens and backyards full of junk, pick-ups and Mustangs, über-suburban and yet off the grid, strangers unwelcome, home to the seemingly very successful sanitary company Call a Head (We’re number one at taking care of number two), and then, the park.

Two ponds, one on each side of the road. Peace. Silence. Trails. Nature. Bliss.

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
Evil Empire State Building
1 WTC already towering the lower Manhattan
So near and yet so far
Let’s not forget these are NYC shores
But so peaceful
Monarch
Better here than there
Horseshoe crab skeleton
Osprey
35,000 feet