{"id":7622,"date":"2011-09-04T09:09:14","date_gmt":"2011-09-04T16:09:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/?p=7622"},"modified":"2015-11-03T21:52:44","modified_gmt":"2015-11-04T02:52:44","slug":"a-quick-trip-to-the-rockaways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/a-quick-trip-to-the-rockaways\/","title":{"rendered":"a quick trip to the Rockaways"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109709211_14ccdc72b0_b.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"7626\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/a-quick-trip-to-the-rockaways\/6109709211_14ccdc72b0_b\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109709211_14ccdc72b0_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,683\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"6109709211_14ccdc72b0_b\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109709211_14ccdc72b0_b.jpg?fit=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109709211_14ccdc72b0_b.jpg?fit=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109709211_14ccdc72b0_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"6109709211_14ccdc72b0_b\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7626\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109709211_14ccdc72b0_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109709211_14ccdc72b0_b.jpg?resize=125%2C83&amp;ssl=1 125w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109709211_14ccdc72b0_b.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>There are some faraway places in New York City that many people just don&#8217;t know about, where Life is happening day in and day out. Manhattanites thankfully don&#8217;t go there with their &#8220;make me a fucking sandwich&#8221; demands. Brooklyners won&#8217;t go there <em>because <\/em>it&#8217;s Queens. And everybody else simply can&#8217;t be bothered, or they&#8217;ve found their comfort zones even in places like Coney Island (you know what to expect there). I&#8217;m talking about the Far Rockaways. A clash and collision of beach culture, low-income housing, middle and HIGH-income housing in areas, non-existent social infrastructure, and marina\/boat life &#8211; you can see further examples of this from my 2008 bike trip <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/nicknormal\/sets\/72157605362272057\/\">from Far Rockaway to Breezy Point on Flickr<\/a>. I think I&#8217;m always amazed by places like this though, because of the presence of the water. Growing up in a river-culture city doesn&#8217;t quite have the same effect as the ocean and bay here has on its residents, or more specifically the pace of life on the boardwalk. And like I already mentioned, you wouldn&#8217;t go there unless you had to, which while these pictures are devoid of human life don&#8217;t get me wrong, it&#8217;s absolutely bustling down there:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110242314_14e6c2f2b5_b.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"7629\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/a-quick-trip-to-the-rockaways\/6110242314_14e6c2f2b5_b\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110242314_14e6c2f2b5_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,683\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"6110242314_14e6c2f2b5_b\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110242314_14e6c2f2b5_b.jpg?fit=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110242314_14e6c2f2b5_b.jpg?fit=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110242314_14e6c2f2b5_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"6110242314_14e6c2f2b5_b\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-7629\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110242314_14e6c2f2b5_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110242314_14e6c2f2b5_b.jpg?resize=125%2C83&amp;ssl=1 125w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110242314_14e6c2f2b5_b.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110243170_055b7e5db7_b.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"7630\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/a-quick-trip-to-the-rockaways\/6110243170_055b7e5db7_b\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110243170_055b7e5db7_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,683\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"6110243170_055b7e5db7_b\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110243170_055b7e5db7_b.jpg?fit=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110243170_055b7e5db7_b.jpg?fit=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110243170_055b7e5db7_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"6110243170_055b7e5db7_b\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110243170_055b7e5db7_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110243170_055b7e5db7_b.jpg?resize=125%2C83&amp;ssl=1 125w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110243170_055b7e5db7_b.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109686971_02d915616a_b.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"7623\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/a-quick-trip-to-the-rockaways\/6109686971_02d915616a_b\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109686971_02d915616a_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,683\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"6109686971_02d915616a_b\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109686971_02d915616a_b.jpg?fit=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109686971_02d915616a_b.jpg?fit=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109686971_02d915616a_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"6109686971_02d915616a_b\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-7623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109686971_02d915616a_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109686971_02d915616a_b.jpg?resize=125%2C83&amp;ssl=1 125w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109686971_02d915616a_b.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Would you look at the Virginia Chrome job on that boat!&#8221;:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109693925_f3c2c5fbf7_b.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"7624\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/a-quick-trip-to-the-rockaways\/6109693925_f3c2c5fbf7_b\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109693925_f3c2c5fbf7_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,683\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"6109693925_f3c2c5fbf7_b\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109693925_f3c2c5fbf7_b.jpg?fit=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109693925_f3c2c5fbf7_b.jpg?fit=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109693925_f3c2c5fbf7_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"6109693925_f3c2c5fbf7_b\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-7624\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109693925_f3c2c5fbf7_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109693925_f3c2c5fbf7_b.jpg?resize=125%2C83&amp;ssl=1 125w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109693925_f3c2c5fbf7_b.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>the Rockaways largely lack an economic identity, take for instance these towering residential blocks and a fanciful home that is nearby:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110248040_43be47a8b8_b.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"7632\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/a-quick-trip-to-the-rockaways\/6110248040_43be47a8b8_b\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110248040_43be47a8b8_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,683\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"6110248040_43be47a8b8_b\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110248040_43be47a8b8_b.jpg?fit=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110248040_43be47a8b8_b.jpg?fit=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110248040_43be47a8b8_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"6110248040_43be47a8b8_b\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-7632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110248040_43be47a8b8_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110248040_43be47a8b8_b.jpg?resize=125%2C83&amp;ssl=1 125w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110248040_43be47a8b8_b.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110251346_07a597ab3d_b.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"7633\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/a-quick-trip-to-the-rockaways\/6110251346_07a597ab3d_b\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110251346_07a597ab3d_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,683\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"6110251346_07a597ab3d_b\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110251346_07a597ab3d_b.jpg?fit=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110251346_07a597ab3d_b.jpg?fit=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110251346_07a597ab3d_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"6110251346_07a597ab3d_b\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-7633\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110251346_07a597ab3d_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110251346_07a597ab3d_b.jpg?resize=125%2C83&amp;ssl=1 125w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110251346_07a597ab3d_b.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>or the juxtaposition of an abandoned house against a sprawling development area:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109710107_427ac57056_b.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"7627\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/a-quick-trip-to-the-rockaways\/6109710107_427ac57056_b\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109710107_427ac57056_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,683\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"6109710107_427ac57056_b\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109710107_427ac57056_b.jpg?fit=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109710107_427ac57056_b.jpg?fit=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109710107_427ac57056_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"6109710107_427ac57056_b\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-7627\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109710107_427ac57056_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109710107_427ac57056_b.jpg?resize=125%2C83&amp;ssl=1 125w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109710107_427ac57056_b.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110231826_cbd722c338_b.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"7628\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/a-quick-trip-to-the-rockaways\/6110231826_cbd722c338_b\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110231826_cbd722c338_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,683\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"6110231826_cbd722c338_b\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110231826_cbd722c338_b.jpg?fit=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110231826_cbd722c338_b.jpg?fit=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110231826_cbd722c338_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"6110231826_cbd722c338_b\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-7628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110231826_cbd722c338_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110231826_cbd722c338_b.jpg?resize=125%2C83&amp;ssl=1 125w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110231826_cbd722c338_b.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>the 59 Street Marina at night:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110247336_9a537853be_b.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"7631\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/a-quick-trip-to-the-rockaways\/6110247336_9a537853be_b\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110247336_9a537853be_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,683\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"6110247336_9a537853be_b\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110247336_9a537853be_b.jpg?fit=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110247336_9a537853be_b.jpg?fit=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110247336_9a537853be_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"6110247336_9a537853be_b\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7631\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110247336_9a537853be_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110247336_9a537853be_b.jpg?resize=125%2C83&amp;ssl=1 125w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110247336_9a537853be_b.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>the view of the Rockaways over your shoulder to the West as you head north over the Channel on the A train:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110256292_cec88a5f61_b.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"7634\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/a-quick-trip-to-the-rockaways\/6110256292_cec88a5f61_b\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110256292_cec88a5f61_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,683\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"6110256292_cec88a5f61_b\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110256292_cec88a5f61_b.jpg?fit=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110256292_cec88a5f61_b.jpg?fit=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110256292_cec88a5f61_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"6110256292_cec88a5f61_b\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-7634\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110256292_cec88a5f61_b.jpg?resize=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110256292_cec88a5f61_b.jpg?resize=125%2C83&amp;ssl=1 125w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6110256292_cec88a5f61_b.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div><span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are some faraway places in New York City that many people just don&#8217;t know about, where Life is happening day in and day out. Manhattanites thankfully don&#8217;t go there with their &#8220;make me a fucking sandwich&#8221; demands. Brooklyners won&#8217;t go there because it&#8217;s Queens. And everybody else simply can&#8217;t be bothered, or they&#8217;ve found [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7623,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[118],"series":[],"class_list":["post-7622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-journeys","tag-queens"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/6109686971_02d915616a_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6OfVu-1YW","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7622"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7622\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15377,"href":"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7622\/revisions\/15377"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7622"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nicknormal.com\/normalblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=7622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}