Pining for Summer in Brooklyn
There’s something magical about a Brooklyn summer. Although we’re surrounded by cement and people, we’re also surrounded by water and beaches: the best ingredients for any summer activity. The city is emptier and happier in the summer, and it stays light until 9:30 pm. Days are spent training at the Rockaways or watching the fireworks on the boardwalk at Coney Island. And while waiting for the F train can get pretty miserable in 90-degree heat, there’s nothing quite like the breeze at Fort Tilden on a Saturday to make up for it.
With the lighter mood of May-August comes my lighter mood of photographing. My camera of choice in summer is a cheap disposable. It seems like the best choice to convey the light, the fun and the simplicity of the long summer days in the outer boroughs of NYC. These are some of my favorites from my Brooklyn summers over the years.
Photographer
Daydreaming about my next road trip, weekend getaway, or warmer weather.
Brooklyn has anything and everything all at once. It’s exhausting. It’s beautiful and ugly. It truly encompasses so many emotions and desires and feelings in one relatively small place, and it will always have a special place in my heart no matter where I end up. You come to Brooklyn to find yourself or lose yourself, and you most certainly will do both if you give it a chance.
A long day at the beach (Fort Tilden if it’s open, Jacob Riis or Rockaways are also good) with some snacks and beverages. Rockaways takes the cake for food, unless you want a hot dog. Then it’s Coney Island for sure. Follow it up with someone’s backyard barbecue roasting marshmallows, or at a bar with a big outdoor space. Crown Victoria in Williamsburg has an outdoor space that’s hard to beat.
Diversity. You name it, we got it.
The congestion and the people. Oh, and the rent is not the greatest.
I know we’re right next to the most famous borough, but I don’t think Manhattan can hold a candle to Brooklyn. I suppose I’m biased though.
There’s so many iconic Brooklyners that embody what Brooklyn is, I don’t think I could choose just one.
Name:EE Berger
City:Brooklyn
Favorite place to eat:
Favorite place to drink:
Favorite shop:
Obscura Antiques and Oddities in Manhattan
Local Tip:
The Turkey’s Nest in Williamsburg used to sell to-go margarita’s in giant styrofoam cups that you could take to McCarren park. If you’re in the area, I recommend getting one and taking some Tylenol to avoid the immediate hangover.
Must Do:
Go swimming at night on the hottest day of the year in the ocean. It might be one of the best feelings in the world.