The unique populace, ethnic stew, geography, conditions, and the extreme population density of New York City all shape the customs, the habits, and the rituals of its residents. People find relief from the crushing crowdedness in any way imaginable, repurposing spaces and finding urban alternatives to nature enjoyed by country and suburban folk. Swimming in public fountains, stickball on the streets, etc. One of the ways people have sought relief from summer heat or to enjoy the sun is to head to building rooftops, a place that at one time was commonly referred to as tar beach. On July 31, 2012, in Sunners and Shunners, I quoted from the New York Times:
“Tar beach,” as all roof rats know, is the urban alternative to the Hamptons on a hot summer day; it’s as near as the flight of stairs outside the apartment door. The 1930?s seem likely as a birth date, because it was around then that the suntan became fashionable for the masses. According to “The City in Slang” by Irving Lewis Allen, getting a tan on tar beach was often the preparation for a trip to Coney Island. “By the 1940?s,” he wrote, “city rooftops, those ersatz beaches, were given the fictitious place name tar beach, alluding to the black tarred and graveled rooftops.”
In my early years in the city, I spent some time myself on Tar Beach, typically with someone who fancied getting some color, something highly desirable at the time. However, for me, the allure was greatly out-shadowed by the brutal heat with no ocean to dip into as respite. On sweltering summer days, particularly with no breeze, I found little to no relief there from the blistering heat. The black surface of many roofs only adds insult to injury.
Many reasons are cited for the decline in the use of rooftops in NYC, such as increased security post-9/11 with landlords preventing access. I also feel that the vastly increased concern over skin cancer has virtually eliminated the desire for natural suntans. The inevitable damage to the skin of the over-tanned is all too well-known. As Woody Allen said so poignantly in Annie Hall: “Sun is bad for you. Everything our parents said was good is bad. Sun, milk, red meat, college.” To which we should add, Tar Beach 🙂
Hi Brian,
I’ve been reading your blog and have found it quite well written and fun to read. Thanks for sharing!
Currently, I’m looking for bloggers and contributors for a website called NyIntl (http://www.nyintl.net). Would you perhaps be interested in contributing your past and future blog articles? We want this website to be a thriving community of experts generating conversations on life in NYC.
It’s free to join, and only the title and the first few sentences of your blog entries will be published on the website. We want readers to engage with your content and be directed to your blog for the full article. This way, you’ll get traffic! 🙂
If you’re interested or have any questions, please send me an email at adriennemiddlebrook [at] atomicreach.com with “NyLives” in the subject line, and I’ll send you a link to activate your account (or answer questions).
Regards,
-Adrienne
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