First of all, the New York Water Taxi is amazing. Motoring up from the Fulton Landing to Long Island City on surprisingly clear water was the best possible way to start an after-work party that I can think of. If you’ve never taken one of these, do it the next time you get out of work twenty minutes early. You won’t regret it.
Lauren and I landed at the sands of Water Taxi Beach a little before 6 p.m. Siobhan Foley, who was so kind as to organize the event, and Hamilton Boardman, the man who built this site, were holding down a few tables and sorting the free drink tickets into envelopes.
Ham remarked on the helicopter rotors beating loud as they ferried passengers in an overhead rush hour. That sound always takes me back to the air strips at Ali al Salem with the Stingers (HMLA-267). In the heat, under the bright sun, with the sand underfoot, it was almost overpowering.
The afternoon was cloudless despite the weather reports. On Weather.com the radar images were streaked with ominous red, green and yellow pixels. A lot of people had called to see if we were moving to a bar in Manhattan. We decided to take our chances with the beach. (more…)