WORLD WORLDWIDE US USA - New York NY - New York NYC - THE CITY - With their pier closing, dragon boaters scramble

 

Dear New Yorkers,

The water of Flushing Bay was placid on an unseasonably warm mid-December day, rippling softly with the breeze.

“On a typical weekend practice, unless we’re expecting a storm, the waters are pretty much calm like this,” said Winston Liao as he looked out from Pier 1 of the World’s Fair Marina.

In this northeastern pocket of Queens, the choppy flow of the East River is cordoned off by LaGuardia Airport to the left and, to the right, a concrete plant and marine transfer station. The dragon boaters call it one of the “safest open bodies of water” for the sport.

These days, the marina’s 1,200-member dragon boat community is urgently searching for a new base, after the Parks Department notified them that “access to the pier will no longer be possible upon the conclusion of the 2024-2025 season” because the pier is dilapidated and needs to be reconstructed.

This closure, dragon boaters say, will displace them from the bay for possibly a decade or even longer, splitting up a community of roughly 20 clubs and 60 teams as each scramble to find new accommodations in a city where public access to suitable waters is limited.

The pier’s closure endangers the survival and vitality of the city’s three-decade-old dragon boat community — made up of many Chinese Americans who find connection to their heritage through the storied sport with lore that traces back 2,500 years.

Now, boaters and their crafts must vacate from the docks by the end of April — right at the beginning of prime practice time.

Read more here about the hundreds of dragon boaters scrambling to keep their sport alive.

Weather ⛅️

Chances of snow in the morning, and mostly sunny and chilly for the rest of the day. Hardly what we’d call frightful!

MTA 🚇

The 3 is suspended from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m, and will be on Thursday as well. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.

Alternate side parking 🚙

It’s suspended due to the snow today, Dec. 24.

By the way…

Ever had your apartment dreams thwarted by the requirement that your income must be 40 times your rent? Here’s where that came from.

Our Other Top Stories

Migrant families have begun to leave the tent shelter complex at Floyd Bennett Field ahead of its closure. They’ve expressed confusion and relief, as some have been reassigned to new shelter options, and others wait eagerly to leave the encampment. All residents must move out by Jan. 15, when the complex is slated to close, five days before Donald Trump assumes power with a promise of mass deportations — an agenda that looms over the shelter’s residents.  In a new episode of FAQ NYC, our hosts discuss our mayor taking hit after hit when most New Yorkers are otherwise occupied: from a ridiculous perp walk, to his longtime friend and ally in the NYPD’s resignation over sexual assault allegations, to two more terrible train murders on Sunday, Adams is ducking local press and trying to ride out the end of the year. Listen here.

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Tuesday, Dec. 24: Go caroling in Washington Square Park on the hundredth anniversary of its Christmas celebrations. 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 25: Light one of the world’s largest menorahs at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn for the first night of Hanukkah. Expect latkes, music, and maybe even some gifts. 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 26 - Monday, Dec. 30: Celebrate Kwanzaa at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum with cultural performances, hands-on workshops, and candle lighting ceremonies. 10 a.m to 5 p.m.

THE KICKER: If you watch the new Bob Dylan movie tomorrow hoping to see famous Greenwich Village haunts, be warned: some of them might really be New Jersey.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Tuesday.

Love,

THE CITY

PS. Love THE CITY? Our nonprofit newsroom is powered by readers like you. Donate here.

Want to view Scoop in your web browser? Click here.

THE CITY's work is made possible, in part, through the support of our sponsors. Interested in becoming a sponsor of THE CITY? Contact us here.  Copyright © 2024 THE CITY, All rights reserved.