The original flavor Long Island City Water Taxi Beach is dead in the water, but one local is trying to petition to get it moved down shore. More than 1,000 people have signed Bea Murphy's petition, which asks the city to reconsider its previous rejection of WTB's proposal to move the beach while the city uses the previous beach area for staging storm sewer outfalls for the new Hunters Point South development.
"It's been here for six years. If they know how much people are missing it, maybe they'll engage in negotiations," Murphy explained to the News. And some folks really do seem to miss it. "Watertaxi beach was a wonderful, playful, whimsical refuge in a busy area with NO outdoor space. It fulfilled NYC's goals of providing enjoyable water aceess, and will be a terrible loss to the community. We are absolutely starved for outdoor space here, and its loss would be terrible," wrote one signer. "Please preserve or provide an alternate locaton for this city treasure," wrote another.
If you are a fan of the beach, by all means sign the petition, but we have a strong suspicion it won't do much good. Part of the problem is that, despite the popularity of the beach with people from across the city, it wasn't exactly popular with those who lived by it—what with all that drinking, noisemaking and good time having. As Joe Conley, chairman of CB 2, told the tabloid, the booze is the real issue here: "It's still a great idea, but introducing the concept of sun, sand and alcohol didn't work out. We'd welcome the beach, but without alcohol."
And, considering it already didn't have water access, who really wants a dry Water Taxi Beach?
