Summer in the City
/Hello dear friends of Cicerone!
This year Labor Day is late, which makes this summer feel particularly endless. Though we may not think of the great metropolis as a beachtown, New York City’s 520 miles of coastline is longer than Miami’s, San Francisco’s and Boston’s - combined. New York City is, indeed, one of America’s great beach towns.
The first European recorded to have seen the area we now know as the Rockaways – that famous stretch of beach in Queens – was Henry Hudson back in 1609. The name Rockaways probably comes from the anglicization of native Munsee words meaning “place of sands,” but while the name’s origins are not entirely clear, the yields of those sands sure are.
Surfing and Beaching in the City
Some might think Coney Island is the sole great urban beach in these parts, with its rickety roller coasters, circus sideshow, and the original Nathan’s Hot Dog stand. But go out a bit further away from the crowds into Queens on the A train and you’ll discover surfers, tanners, and swimmers enjoying nature at a pace far slower. (You might also find me, because I’ve taken to the sport the past few summers.)
After World War II, the area became home to large Irish Catholic and Russian Jewish communities. By then, surfing was already deeply embedded into the culture. Legend has it that Duke Kahanamoku, known as “the father of modern surfing,” first brought the sport to the city in 1912. In the 1960s the NYPD prohibited surfing where lifeguards were on duty as well as swimming where they weren’t, which made surfing essentially illegal. Regular run-ins between persevering surfers and the cops continued into the 70s and became iconic enough to inspire the Ramones, one of the era’s defining bands from the other side of the borough, to release their song, Rockway Beach.
New York’s Greatest Heist Story Begins at the Beach
Murf the Surf was California born, but surfing the waves in Florida when he discovered the criminal life. He was a successful small-time thief until he discovered on a trip to New York City that the American Museum of Natural History’s gems and minerals collection (much of it donated by JP Morgan) was virtually unsecured. Under cover of night, he and some abetters simply placed a ladder outside to open the unlocked second floor windows and smash through the displays to steal priceless gems, including the star of India, a 563-carat star sapphire the size of a golf ball formed a billion years ago and discovered in 18th century Sri Lanka.
The Star of India
Fortunately for the museum and the millions of patrons who have seen the jewel over the last 60 years since its recovery, the thieves were not the masterminds they appeared to be at first. They spent lavishly, threw parties, and openly bragged about their great exploit, leading the authorities right to them. Most, but not all, of the gems were recovered and can be viewed today as part of the museum’s permanent display, albeit with much more security.
Book a tour in the coming months and you’ll also see the Knicks’ 2026 NBA Championship trophy on display among the earth’s most precious gems and minerals (just until January 3rd!).
May the end of summer bring adventure, knowledge and a cool breeze.
Until Next time!
Jonathan Goldstein
Tour Guide and Operator, Cicerone Travel
