User:Orangemirror/sandbox
Sandy Beach[edit]
Also referred to as Campbell’s Beach, Snook’s Beach, and Ludlow Beach. Sandy Beach was a small partially sand and partially rock beach located along the Hudson River, in the southwest corner of Yonkers, NY, in the Ludlow neighborhood and near the Ludlow station (Metro-North). For many years, it was located on property owned by the Leake and Watts Home School (Orphanage). The beach was accessible through a bridge at the end of Ashton Rd that crossed over the train tracks.[1]
Artistic Documentation of Beach Life[edit]
George Daniell, a photographer and artist born in Yonkers, captured 1930s beach life at Sandy Beach and near Trevor Park in his “Hudson River” series. Photos from this series are in the collections of the Hudson River Museum (HRM) and the George Daniell Museum (Miami Beach, FL). The photos at the HRM were donated by Daniell’s partner later in life, Roy Oxley. The photo "Ludlow Boys on the Hudson River" in the collection of HRM was featured in the exhibition "Collection Spotlight: Derrick Adams Selects". "In keeping with the themes of leisure and celebration present in his work, artist Derrick Adams curated a selection of artworks from the Museum’s permanent collection that highlight our interactions with water: visual, physical, and emotional."[2] During March 7–August 23, 2020, this exhibition was shown along side a primary exhibition by Derrick Adams titled "Derrick Adams: Buoyant".
Also documented in Daniell’s “Hudson River” are the local young men who would swim in the nude. The skinny dipping was a source of complaint by the local community and those riding the New York Central Railroad.[3]
Bath Houses[edit]
In 1888, there existed a YMCA bath-house at the beach, which was only accessible to members of the association and select others.[4] As a result of trespassers, the YMCA hired a care-taker for the bath-houses.[5]
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General Safety Issues[edit]
Had various safety concerns. Primarily its proximity to sewer lines that flowed out into the Hudson River. Other hazards included an electric third rail, broken glass, rough stones, and floating debris. There were various kinds of deaths surrounding the beach. Including drownings and things. The beach was not an official city park so it lacked basic safety like lifeguards. Being on the Hudson River, with no barrier between the bathers and boats, swimmers would have rings around their necks from the sticky oil from freighters.
Water Pollution as a result of nearby Sewers[edit]
Up until 1930, there was a sewer line that dumped sewage directly into the Hudson River. In 1931, the sewer pile was upgraded to the “Bronx Valley Treatment Plant”. This plant was set back from the river, and over the train tracks. While this plant somewhat filtered the sewage, its outflow was not set deep enough or far out enough from the shore.
A larger sewer plant, Yonkers Joint Wastewater Treatment Plant, was built on landfill in 1960, and it was again expanded in the late 1960s. This sewer plant was built on top of the beach, where only a small patch of sand reminds that is inaccessible.
As a result, the City of Yonkers put up signs and warnings for members of the community to not swim because of the high levels of pollution. However, this did not deter people. Some people stated that they had never heard of people getting sick there. Others claimed that they couldn’t afford to swim at the Tibbetts Brook Park.
Future Plans for a Public Park[edit]
Since 1904, there has been community support for a park to be built in the area and along the waterfront.[6] Although the land is now used for the Wastewater Treatment Plant, there are plans to build a park on the northern side of the plant, that continues along the Hudson River waterfront. The land consists of an empty lot and school bus storage lot. The City of Yonkers and Westchester County have recently purchased the land with the goal of developing a park. A key roadblock in the parks development is the poor odor control. The park is part of the City of Yonker's Ludlow Community Plan. The new park is a joint venture between Westchester County and the City of Yonkers.[7] The Ginsberg Development Corp. (GDC) is the city's developer for the Ludlow Community Plan and as part of that plan, working on developing two apartment buildings and other parks in the Ludlow neighborhood of Yonkers.
- ^ "Sandy Beach Recap 1966". The Herald Statesman. 1966-10-24. p. 32. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
- ^ "Collection Spotlight: Derrick Adams Selects". Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
- ^ "Nude Swimmers". Yonkers Statesman. 1931-06-27. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
- ^ "1888 YMCA Bath-House at Ludlow Beach". Yonkers Statesman. 1888-07-03. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
- ^ "Ludlow Beach trespassing + YMCA hires care taker for bath houses". Yonkers Statesman. 1888-07-03. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
- ^ "1904 Ludlow Park discussion". The Yonkers Herald. 1904-06-28. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
- ^ "Yonkers plans waterfront park after buying 3 acres for $13 million; see what's planned". The Journal News. Retrieved 2023-01-07.