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Melting Metropolis
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The Beach

Submissions from our open call featuring New Yorker's favorite getaway: the beach.

ByQueens College logoQueens College
1
The People’s Beach

Photo courtesy of Shalom Haileselassie

My friend Nikki poses for a portrait during a beach day with friends

2
Far Rockaway

Photo courtesy of Anna Patchefsky

Zach, Krystof, and Murat on a day off at the beach.

3
Rockaway Beach

Photo courtesy of Lena Hansen

Rice on the beach

4
Coney Island

Photo courtesy of Karen Bell

Photo courtesy of Karen Bell

I grew up in Brooklyn. We always went as a family to Coney Island - often for dinner at Nathan's. I still go - but not as often. My mother loved Coney. I would take her there every couple of years while she was still alive

5
Rockaway Beach, Queens

Photo courtesy of Susan C Ryan

Photo courtesy of Susan C Ryan

Photo courtesy of Susan C Ryan

Photo courtesy of Susan C Ryan

Escape to Rockaway. Summer 2012

6
Plumb Beach, Brooklyn

Photo courtesy of Larry Racioppo

I was at the beach when I saw this group by the water's edge.

7
Brighton Beach

Photo courtesy of Susan Wittenberg

Brighton Beach - I photographed in Brighton Beach with a Rolleiflex camera and eventually made a documentary film there called Brighton Beach (1976-1980) which has recently been restored in 4K and is in distribution.

8
Coney Island

Photo courtesy of Tanya Braganti

Crowded day at Coney Island where New Yorkers become one in a giant stew!

9
Coney Island

Photo courtesy of Michael Castellano

You can see the Seagram billboard in the rear left, the tornado roller coaster next to it and the Wonder Wheel to the rear right.

10
Coney Island

Photo courtesy of Michael Castellano

Photo courtesy of Michael Castellano

Towards sunset of a hot, sticky day.

In the heat, some families would sleep on the beach at night, not having any A.C. at home. Did it myself one humid Summer night.

11
Coney Island Boardwalk

Photo courtesy of Orlando Mendez

Photo courtesy of Orlando Mendez

Photo courtesy of Orlando Mendez

Getting wet or enjoying the ocean breeze to cool off or stay cool on Coney Island.

12
Coney Island

Photo courtesy of Orlando Mendez

Photo courtesy of Orlando Mendez

Photo courtesy of Orlando Mendez

Photo courtesy of Orlando Mendez

Photo courtesy of Orlando Mendez

Getting wet or enjoying the ocean breeze to cool off or stay cool on Coney Island.

13
Coney Island

Photo courtesy of Bocar Wade

It was a hot summer day on the beach when a woman strolled by, beaming and dressed in every color of the season. She represented the American nostalgia of summer to me. The idea of youthfulness and the idea the in all the heat a sweet treat always wins.

14
Rockaway Beach

Photo courtesy of Kitty Katz

Photo courtesy of Kitty Katz

Photo courtesy of Kitty Katz

Photo courtesy of Kitty Katz

Photo courtesy of Kitty Katz

Photo courtesy of Kitty Katz

Photo courtesy of Kitty Katz

15
Rockaway Boardwalk

Photo courtesy of Kitty Katz

This series represents the carefree days of summer in the lives of young girls. No matter how hot and humid, they were happy days. My friend Nancy and I still remember when, at age 14 in July 1959, we obsessed over how we looked in the darkened photo booth on the boardwalk and spent all our spare change on strips of 4 different shots for a quarter (25 cents)—that was how we cooled off!

16
Crown Heights

Photo courtesy of Kitty Katz

Crown Heights, Bklyn—LAUGHING GIRL

17
Coney Island

Photo courtesy of Ellynn Short

Three sages solving the problems of the world.

18
Orchard Beach

Photo courtesy of Will Ragozzin

The first time I visited Orchard Beach was a hot day in late May of 2016. I think it was Memorial Day weekend. I was with my girlfriend. As we were walking on the beach I noticed two girls buried in the sand. I also noticed the two girls in the foreground, with snacks and a beach umbrella on its side, laying to a 90 degree angle to each other which formed a pattern leading to the girls buried under the sand in the background. As I was framing up the shot, a lifeguard carrying a "Surf Rescue" surfboard appeared in the right side of the frame just as another lifeguard with whistle in his mouth came from the left side. In a split second, all the elements came together, with other beachgoers and umbrellas in the background filling out the frame. As a photographer, I know how difficult it is to get single shot of multiple disparate elements coming together in a way that brings the viewer into the vibe of the scene. I didn't need my DSLR to capture the moment...the iphone did the trick.

19
Flatbush, Brooklyn

Photo courtesy of Rachel LaQuercia

My mother, aunt, and uncles in my grandparent's backyard, a much-loved place for our three generations.

20
Fire Island

Photo courtesy of Robyn Roth-Moise

Photo courtesy of Robyn Roth-Moise

I hate summer and the beach and the sun, because all I ever did was burn. Nothing has changed.

21
Atlantic Beach

Photo courtesy of Rachel LaQuercia

Me at the beach with a friend, taken by Mom.

22
Brighton Beach

Photo courtesy of Karen Bell

Brighton Beach - I don't have a clue (who) - friend of my mother - 1945, before she was married.

23
Manhattan Beach

Photo courtesy of Karen Bell

Before my time! The 2 women are my mother and her sister at Manhattan Beach 1939. My mother, the dark haired woman on the left, was 15 at the time, her sister, 19.

24
Coney Island Boardwalk

Photo courtesy of Alexandra Johnson

Photo courtesy of Alexandra Johnson

Moments on the Coney Island Boardwalk.

25
Rockaway Beach

Photo courtesy of Kitty Katz

Photo taken at Rockaway Beach. Courtesy of Kitty Katz.

26
Coney Island

Photo courtesy of Maya Zeleny

Photo taken at Coney Island.

"Summer Love Love is in the Air."

Photo courtesy of Maya Zeleny.

27
Coney Island

Photo courtesy of M Prlain

Photo taken at Coney Island.

"Coney Island about 1943. Uncles in the Navy with girlfriends." Photo courtesy of M Prlain.

28
Coney Island

Photo courtesy of Eliza Rinn

Photo taken at Coney Island. Courtesy of Eliza Rinn.

29
Rockaway Beach

Photo courtesy of Tara Mrowka

Photo taken at Rockaway Beach.

"My grandma Helen Madej Mrowka (right) with a friend or relative relaxing in the shade under the boardwalk of the rockaways. Most likely taken in 1950’s." Photo courtesy of Tara Mrowka.

30
Coney Island

Photo courtesy of Katie Godowski

Photo courtesy of Katie Godowski

Photo courtesy of Katie Godowski

Photo courtesy of Katie Godowski

Photo taken at Coney Island. Courtesy of Katie Godowski.

31
Orchard Beach

Photo courtesy of Claudia Keenan

Photo taken at Orchard Beach.

"My grandfather, uncle, and father at Orchard Beach, 1938." Photo courtesy of Claudia Keenan.

32
Lifeguard Warmup

Photo courtesy of Ellynn Short

Photo taken at Coney Island.

"Lifeguard Warmup, Coney Island, Brooklyn." Photo courtesy of Ellynn Short.

33
Fire Island

Photo courtesy of Robyn Roth-Moise

Photo taken at Fire Island

"Fire Island with my mom putting sunscreen on me and family friend." Photo courtesy of Robyn Roth-Moise

34
Jones Beach

Provided caption reads: "Natalio, Esther, Gail, Johnathan and Joseph spend the summer day at Jones Beach. June 21, 1977."