Travel: June 2006 Archives

Last weekend's adventure to Harry's at Water Taxi Beach doesn't require a car, but if our weekend rental proved one thing, it's that Queens is totally right next door when you don't have to get on the G train. If you are walking from the 21st Street stop, it helps to know that even though it looks like you are walking into an abandoned industrial wasteland, you are probably going in the right direction. If you are coming from Manhattan, the Water Taxi is the way to go, though it's $5 a pop and can run late on weekends.

As for the beach itself, it's spacious, open and much cleaner than Coney Island. The water is out of reach, but that's a good thing. (I'm still not sure how I feel about the city rescinding the no-swimming rule to build a beach on Manhattan--the current rule is b/c when it rains, sewage floods the rivers). The site is run by Harry of Schnack fame, and the menu is tempting, besides hot dogs ($3) and elk burgers ($8.50), there's a special menu with French fries, Motz burgers, Bratwurst, fish tacos, chili cheese dogs, etc. There's beer and cocktails, a whirring blender, and quite a lovely view of the city. In short it's quite a nice way to pass the afternoon: people sunbathing, kids playing in the sand, hipsters batting around a shuttlecock, the young-at-heart hopping from picnic table to picnic table with friends. There's nothing like it anywhere else in the city.

The problem (and Harry I do love your chutzpah for opening this thing) is that the HWTB was either unprepared to serve people on Memorial Day (the last day in a long weekend) or by Monday the help decided that they just didn't care that much anymore.  Pretty much the only thing to eat was the barely warmed hot dogs, and a lot of the staff looked like they were done working for the day--especially the ones manning the often slow grill. In an especially amusing turn, I was asked if I wanted change from a $5 for my $3 hot dog that the server had walked 20 feet from the grill to the picnic table. Of course these are small details and things that could be easily explained away thanks to an especially brisk weekend of customers.

So what I'm looking for is reports from the front. I know the half of Brooklyn who didn't go last weekend will be there this weekend. Let us know if you managed to wrangle up more than a hot dog--and if the promised $2 PBR materialized--are we experiencing yet another PBR scare? Anyone go back for a second round?

Eater has some commentary going, too.