Thanks to Lucille Rella, Class of 1957 for this wonderful reminiscence of Arverne in the 40's and 50's.
Arverne by the Sea
Her feet make an impression in
the soft sand. The afternoon made hot from the noonday sun, heat rising up her
legs as she walked to an area of the beach. Free from the crush of weekend
beachgoers, she is within sight of groups of people striking various poses of
relaxation. A cerulean sky meets the distant horizon. A series of whitecaps
culminates in gently rolling waves caressing the shoreline only to roll out to
sea as a new wave replaced the one before it. Like a David Levine watercolor, the
playa was filled with body shapes of all sizes. Striped lounge chairs arranged
in semi-circles encouraged groups of friends into easy conversation. Seagulls
soar overhead darting in and out of
waves looking for fish that could not escape their sharp eyes. Cool breezes
lifted the scalloped edges of beach umbrellas like fancy skirts on young
girls;wet bodies tightly wrapped in towels looked for a sheltered place to hide.
Glistening human forms rise up from the sea and gentle waves carries them to the
waters edge like beached whales. Receding water reveals reflected shapes,
figures dancing, and running over the hard surface. Sand castles are created,
the right amount of sand and water, and the mass drips from her hand forming
pyramid shapes that turns into galactic planets which survives until the next
wave slowly takes it away.
As the great orange orb rises high in the sky so does the appetite of the
beachgoers. A steady procession over white hot sand edges people closer to the
boardwalk; tiny concessionaires stand ready to grant the gourmand there every
wish. Hotdogs dripping with mustard and sauerkraut, a warm bun tenderly encasing
a Kosher frankfurter. Knishes, golden brown, the best you could hope for,
eagerly handed to equally golden brown bodies waiting to consume a potato
concoction. Fragrant waffles warm to the touch filled with cool ice cream, a
counter point to the heat burning like a knife into sun burnt backs as they
eagerly paid for their boardwalk confections.
The sun has reached its zenith and she moves into shaded confinement under the
boardwalk. As people entered into the shadowy depth the sand grows cold, and an
audible sigh of relief is expelled from overheated bodies. Rays of sun
squeeze through the planks overhead creating streaks of light at equal intervals
on the sand below. Light patterns fall across bodies, crazy psychedelic images
playing out on a blank canvas. Here the huddled masses will stay, transfixed
until the sun crosses the sky and slowly starts to sink in the west. Bathers
darting in and out of the waves feel the exhaustion of the day, settle down as
the din on the beach becomes acceptable background noise.
As the sun sinks lower in the sky shadows turn purple and a thousand depressions
in the sand cast a blue transparency that went unnoticed earlier. Sun
burnt bodies, brown bodies, are ready to surrender their place. As people bend
to the task collecting belongings, blankets, and towels are gathered up, Towels
in hand are given one last snap downwind, releasing sand that unites with the
beach now empty of the noonday crowds. Beach items that served a purpose a short
while ago are now packed away. As shadows lengthen light
becomes magical. The length of the beach is long and wide. The setting sun
concentrating all its strength to the west, while to the east a sea mist hangs
over the shoreline. Remaining groups of people burdened with paraphernalia from
the days outing made their way over the sand, leaning forward to counterbalance
the force of the soft surface that seems to hold them back.
The day is ending, but night will appear to reveal new sights and sounds. Lights
along the boardwalk will illuminate a long promenade, a place for family and
friends to join together. The heat of the day lingers in the sun burnt faces of
sun worshipers. Night has fallen. the evening grows cool and night air hangs
heavy with damp humidity. She makes her way towards Playland, 'The Great White
Way', light spilling out into the night. As she approaches the amusement park
sounds grow louder, and louder, upon entering, night becomes day, and sights and
sounds of people are observed waiting for the next ride. Periodically the
clatter and swoosh of the roller coaster grabs the attention of the crowd with
shouts and screams emanating from participants on the ride, as the car creeps
slowly to the top of a mountainous shape, only to reach the summit and at
lightning speed descends down the other side which produces audible shouts of
fear which can be heard from below. Wind-up Sally the "laughing woman", perched
high above the funhouse motions her to enter the world of
crazy mirrors and secret surprises.
The penny arcade tests the skills of all who enter. With a pocket full of coins
You can test your driving agility at the wheel of a fake screen, get your
fortune told as a card falls through a slot with a written message old fashioned
viewing cards flipping one after the other create moving images of cars and
people.
This Tuesday night, and every Tuesday night, fireworks dance over the ocean as
bright colors light up the night sky. Once again groups of people move towards
the railing of the boardwalk to take in the color and sparkle of a summer
evening, and again the sounds of "Ohs" and "Ahs" can be heard. Just as the
sounds of screams and yells emanated from the roller coaster, and just as the
sounds of relief could be heard from those who took refuge under the boardwalk,
this was just another summer day at Arverne by the sea.
Lucille can be reached at
lurella@sbcglobal.net