When I was a kid we lived in NYC. For weekends in the spring
and for summers, like many families, we left the city and headed to the beach.
My family, nuclear and extended, went to Long Beach on Long Island. I have
amazing memories of those times. Playing with cousins, going to the beach for
hours at a time, eating sandy sandwiches (always grilled cheese for me), flying
kites, going to the arcade on the boardwalk (back in the day when $2 could buy
you endless fun at an arcade) and riding our bikes to Baskin Robbins. To this
day I can’t believe how often I ate a Banana Royale myself. 3 scoops of ice
cream, always mint chocolate chip, bananas, whipped cream, butterscotch and a
cherry on top.
We
just traveled with our whole family to NY for my nieces Bat Mitzvah. It was,
oddly enough, our first trip with our kids to NY. I was very excited to show my
kids the different parts of my past; the building where I grew up, Central Park,
my cousins apt where I spent half of my childhood. I wanted to take them on the
subway and make sure they had plenty of time to play with their cousins and I
really wanted to take them to Long Beach. I have been telling my middle child
stories about the fun we used to have there, for the last few months in
anticipation, and he was dying to see it.
In
the wake of Hurricane Sandy it became evident that Long Beach was one of the
worst hit places. Bordered on one side by the ocean and the other by the bay,
the whole town was over taken by water. The Bay and the Ocean actually met
during the storm in the middle of Long Beach. It seemed that even if I wanted
to take my kids there it might prove impossible. It was being guarded by The
National Guard and was declared a disaster zone. More than one person told me
to preserve my memories and not to head back there.
We
were in NY for 5 days. We had an incredibly successful trip. The kids had a
great time. We spent time with family; we rode the ferris wheel in Toys R, even
got to go in the Scooby Doo car. My kids went to Dunkin Donuts twice, played in
my grandmother’s house doing all the things we did as children. Everyone
behaved, even though no one really slept enough. It seemed all my nerves about
taking this trip were for nothing. Even my oldest was a rockstar.
We
were going to try to get to Long Beach as our last stop before heading to the
airport but in the end my kids opted to play with their cousins for the last two
hours instead. As we were driving to Long Island my daughter fell asleep in the
car and rather than wake her I decided to sit in the car with her. I then
realized I could seize the opportunity and head to Long Beach with just her.
As
I drove over the Atlantic Beach Bridge I began to see the destruction.
Throughout Atlantic Beach and Long Beach there is trash piled everywhere.
Houses are dirty and are being picked apart by construction workers. It smells
bad. People in Hazmat suits with masks are working in homes and buildings.
Port-a-Potties on the streets and Red Cross relief trucks coming to help
out. All of this, weeks after the
storm.
I
was relieved to see that all of the homes that had significance to me were
still standing and while they had damage, they seemed like they would be OK. I
was happy to see The Laurel Luncheonette open for business and looking the same
as it did more than 10 years ago. It was crazy to see that half of the sand
from the beach was on the wrong side of the boardwalk and pieces of the
boardwalk were missing. I wanted to go check if my Baskin Robbins had survived
and get some ice cream, for old times sake, but I ran out of time, it was that
or catch my flight! Truthfully, I think had I gotten there and seen it gone it
would have been too much sadness.
It
was devastating to see the destruction, to see many of my childhood memories be
tarnished in this way and to see what the residents have to do before they can
even begin to rebuild. It was truly sad. I am glad I went so that I could see
that my grandparents home was still standing, even though my grandfathers
beloved dock on the bay did not look like it made it. It was wonderful to see
the synagogue next door to our house was mostly intact, even though I
understand that the basement was destroyed. I wonder if the arcade is sill
there or if that part of the boardwalk was destroyed.
All in all, I am happy I went back. But I am also very sad.
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| My Grandparents home |
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| The Dock On The Bay across from my grandparents house |
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| Our First Home In LB |
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| The last home we lived in there for many years |
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| Piles of trash in front of homes, these are everywhere you look |
