Welcome to Canarsie
Canarsie Pier
Brooklyn, NY
July 2005
The sign wasn't there when I left Canarsie in the late eighties. The pier has been rather renovated since then as it has become part of Gateway National Park, so designated to protect the fragile wetlands that border Jamaica Bay before it wends its way out to the Atlantic. It's not well known how much of Brooklyn borders salt water; we forget that New York truly is an island.
I loved the pier, although my mother was always very nervous about my hanging out there, which was reasonable since it was a very good place to get mugged (but I never was). People used to fish there for food, but the water was so polluted that a lot of the creatures brought up looked like mutants escaped from 1950's science-fiction films. The bay's been well cleaned since then, which is a good thing. We won't discuss driving over there at night when I was a teenager to "watch the submarine races!"
Nice that we have pictures of the Canarsie Indians all over now, considering that they were exterminated long before the town was built on landfill. Well, perhaps some of their descendants are still around. I hope they have some good prime waterfront property, too. The boat basins have become very posh lately.
I love Seattle, but on a hot summer day, I wouldn't mind it if I could be instantaneously transported 3000 miles to my hometown to picnic and fish with the families hanging out on the pier. Hopefully I can still avoid getting mugged.
Comments and faves
E_Journeys (91 months ago | reply)
Great story. Brings back memories -- my first job was a civil service stint at MOTBR: Military Ocean Terminal, Brooklyn, just before its operations were moved to Bayonne, NJ. I was 16 -- and grizzled old men in the neighborhood told me which streets were safer than others to walk down.
Dragon Weaver (91 months ago | reply)
found in flickr.com/groups/my_story/
enjoyed your story and nice to know you weren't mugged
esplanade 3 added this photo to her favorites. (88 months ago)
Debbie C.B.'s (45 months ago | reply)
block it and remove from canarsie group
Debbie C.B.'s added this photo to their favorites. (45 months ago)
Debbie C.B.'s (45 months ago | reply)
ALSO ON FACE BOOK IN THIS GROUP CLAIMED AS SOMEONE ELSES
www.facebook.com/pages/BAYVIEW-HOUSES-CANARSI E-BROOKLYN-1...
LINK TO SITE AND ONE OF YOUR PHOTOS
the creep cropped possibly cropped this but I KNOW THIS IS YOURS posted there
Debbie C.B.'s (45 months ago | reply)
www.facebook.com/pages/BAYVIEW-HOUSES-CANARSI E-BROOKLYN-1...