I was first introduced to Sea Cliff about a decade ago when I embarked on my old Bristol 24 for my first overnight cruise aboard. It was my first summer with the boat, and most of my time aboard had been spent daysailing or just puttering around. Sea Cliff was a sensible destination that weekend. Despite having visited nearly every harbor on the North Shore over the years, I had never been to Hempstead Harbor. Also, Sea Cliff was a short sail from my mooring on City Island, which made it a safe choice for a first solo overnight cruise. Upon arrival, I remember thinking to myself what an excellent choice this was.
I have since sailed to Sea Cliff many times, but I have never visited by land, or in the off-season, until this year. It is a great walking town. The hillside that separates the waterfront from the business district is filled with
Victorian, and other century-old homes that look over the harbor. West of the
Sea Cliff Yacht Club is a walkway with a sitting area that skirts the shoreline. At the top of the hill,
Memorial Park (Hippie Park) provides sweeping views of the harbor and Long Island Sound. In my opinion, it is one of the best views in the western portion of the Sound. The park is a popular spot to watch the sunset. Sea Cliff Avenue has some shops, as well as a market and a few restaurants.
The most unique feature in Sea Cliff is the layout itself. There are a network of stairways that climb the hilly neighborhood from the shoreline. Combined with the winding, narrow roads, they form a sort of
Chutes And Ladders pattern as you make your way up or down the hill. You will certainly get a workout, but the views are worth it.
SEA CLIFF:
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I was first introduced to Sea Cliff about a decade ago when I embarked on my old Bristol 24 for my first overnight cruise aboard. It was my first summer with the boat, and most of my time aboard had been spent daysailing or just puttering around. Sea Cliff was a sensible destination that weekend. Despite having visited nearly every harbor on the North Shore over the years, I had never been to Hempstead Harbor. Also, Sea Cliff was a short sail from my mooring on City Island, which made it a safe choice for a first solo overnight cruise. Upon arrival, I remember thinking to myself what an excellent choice this was.
I have since sailed to Sea Cliff many times, but I have never visited by land, or in the off-season, until this year. It is a great walking town. The hillside that separates the waterfront from the business district is filled with Victorian, and other century-old homes that look over the harbor. West of the Sea Cliff Yacht Club is a walkway with a sitting area that skirts the shoreline. At the top of the hill, Memorial Park (Hippie Park) provides sweeping views of the harbor and Long Island Sound. In my opinion, it is one of the best views in the western portion of the Sound. The park is a popular spot to watch the sunset. Sea Cliff Avenue has some shops, as well as a market and a few restaurants.
The most unique feature in Sea Cliff is the layout itself. There are a network of stairways that climb the hilly neighborhood from the shoreline. Combined with the winding, narrow roads, they form a sort of Chutes And Ladders pattern as you make your way up or down the hill. You will certainly get a workout, but the views are worth it.
SEA CLIFF: WebAlbum
MAP
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5 comments:
Great post. Do you have any pictures of Sea Cliff from the sea? From when you cruised there?
And do you still have that Bristol, or are you strictly a human-powered water rat now?
I think this is a greta blog and I like what you are doing here. Nice and methodical. Detailed posts. Pictures. Links. Good style.
Matthew,
Great post! BTW, Sea Cliff has a web site. Go to the "What's New" page and scroll down to the link to "In and around...." to get more photos, including one from Memorial park.
Sea Cliff Ex-Pat
Redwing,
Thanks for the kind words. Unfortunately, I didn't switch to a digital camera until 2007, and I haven't yet converted a lot of my film photos yet.
In 2006, I bought a 1972 Bristol 30.
That's why I like your blog, there are a lot of similarities with your boat.
Brian,
Thanks! Actually if you hit the link in the text for Memorial Park, the Sea Cliff site comes up.
Maybe I should list it at the bottom of the story instead.
Matthew,
As Homer Simpson says, "Doh!" I don't know why I didn't click on the Memorial Park link. You're already a few steps ahead of me.
How about East Creek (below Sands Pt)? Have you ever paddled back there? I highly recommend it.
Thanks for the latest post on SailorRn. I see you had a mooring on City Island at one point. Love your pictures.
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