A highlight of December was my visit to Fire Island. I guess, visiting in winter is a very different experience compared to the summer season. Fire Island is a narrow barrier island off the south shore of Long Island, New York, stretching along the Atlantic Ocean and separated from the mainland by the Great South Bay.
The island was very quiet at this time of year, with most seasonal visitors gone. I took the ferry, spent time walking along the beach and visited the lighthouse close to Kismet. What I really appreciated about Fire Island is how much of it has been preserved for nature. The island is part of the Fire Island National Seashore and several protected communities, with strict rules in place to protect the dunes, natural landscape, and delicate ecosystem. Because of this, there are no large commercial hotels, mostly just residential homes, small inns, and seasonal rentals. Communities like Ocean Beach, Kismet, and Cherry Grove follow strict building codes to keep development small and low-density. The National Park Service also oversees parts of the island, making sure the area stays protected and natural. While near the shoreline, I could see whales offshore in the distance. I had a nice chat with one of the lighthouse volunteers at the top. She explained that whale sightings are becoming more common and that it’s not unusual to see whales at this time of year.
Another weekend in December, I visited the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. I recommend going there to see the “Panorama of the City of New York”, a large-scale model of the five boroughs originally created for the 1964 World’s Fair. Examining the scaled-down buildings was particularly engaging, as it allowed for close observation of the city’s density, infrastructure, and overall growth over time. By comparing different areas, it was interesting to reason how many buildings and neighborhoods have been added or expanded over the decades since the model’s creation. The Panorama provides a clear visual record of New York’s continuous development and makes changes in the urban fabric easy to understand.
This month the city became increasingly festive as the holiday season approached. Streets, shop windows, and public spaces were decorated with lights and seasonal displays. It snowed the first time in 3 years and transformed the atmosphere completely, covering rooftops, sidewalks, and parks in white, creating a very beautiful and seasonal scene.
