Courtesy of Life.com
Sheepshead Bay is only the ordered, tidy little marina it is now because of bulkhead’s built in the 1920s. At the time Commissioner of Docks John H. Delaney called Sheepshead Bay, “Perhaps the most naturally beautiful useful and most neglected inland waterway in the city.” Well, 90 years later and Delaney’s point stands. Sure, we’re not as muddy as we used to be, but we’re still among the most neglected inland waterways in the city, despite being one of the most beautiful.
Look closely at the above photo, circa 1900. That’s the same Ocean Avenue footbridge that stands today (though truncated). Emmons Avenue is to the left, and you can see some of the restaurants built on stilts over the water – one of them may even be the original Lundy’s.
We just received these photos of a small sailboat slamming into the Ocean Avenue footbridge, near the Manhattan Beach side. We’re not sure yet what happened or if there’s any damage. But from the looks of it, the boat somehow became unanchored and drifted with the storm’s choppy waves, eventually hitting the bridge. Please leave any info you have in the comments. We’ll update you as we find out more. (Photos and tips courtesy of nolastname)
UPDATE (6:55 p.m.): I’ve been out of the ‘hood all day, and now I’m getting reports that the wind and rain are incredibly bad and doing a lot of damage. Reportedly, the marina is overflowing and water is splashing onto the sidewalks and the bridge. Gusts are also taking down signs in the area.
Perhaps most importantly, the wind has taken out power, phone, and cable lines in a few spots. Please be careful and stay inside! It goes without saying, but downed power lines can be very dangerous.
Please take photos/video of damage and send it over to us. More importantly, be safe!
There is some construction work happening on the Ocean Avenue Pedestrian Footbridge and a barge loaded with a crane and steel beams is anchored in Sheepshead Bay. A reader alerted us to the construction when he saw some of the beams being replaced. Let’s hope they fix some of those crumbling planks, as well.
We wonder if this has anything to do with recent complaints from Community Board 15 Chairperson Theresa Scavo. After the New York City Economic Development Corporation finished patchwork repairs to the crumbling Shore Boulevard bulkhead and the footbridge, Scavo balked at the results, saying “It looks like garbage.” Maybe workers are back to fix their shoddy work.
On Friday, June 12, 2009 when we passed by, there was no construction activity and no workers on hand. It appears as though the footbridge will remain open for pedestrians to walk over, as well as for them to get knocked over by bicyclists who simply refuse to dismount when crossing the bridge.
