Coney Island Sundays

Photos © 2011 Brian Adams

This past Sunday on Coney Island was a cold one; the wind was fierce and the rain relentless, and we could barely stay out on the beach for an hour before jumping back on the F train. What surprised us the most, however, was that we weren't alone; treasure hunters still patiently surveyed the coast for jewelry, couples still clutched each other along the boardwalk, and several persons simply stood at the water's edge and looked out to the horizon.

On the warm days, it's easy to see why groups are clustered on the pier or playing in the sand, but on a rainy day like last Sunday, we realized that Coney Island is really for people like us, searching for the landscapes and nature in one of the most bustling metropolises in the world. In Manhattan, there is a standard of living, a price to be paid for the city's beauty, the shows, the art. But if you have $2.25 to ride the train down to Coney Island, you can ride to a place where there is open land, sky, and sea. You can make your footprint in the sand and stare out at water that belongs to no one.

Text by Ash Adams