Irving Ave, Varick Ave

- August 10, 2025

This was my second day of taking a walk in the morning before work in the middle of a heat wave because I didn't learn my lesson the day before. This time I only had to go as far as Halsey St because I'd already walked part of Irving Ave. And then I began a "Covert" op ... by walking a block down Covert St. (If you've read that joke before, thank you for being a loyal follower!)

I didn't get far before along Irving before I saw the mural painted on the building, shown below.

Time for some greenery! There was a tree outside the Suydam Magnet School (PS 123) that looked nice, so I took a picture. I then discovered that the area in front of the school is called the Joseph Gallagher Gardens. Across the street is Maria Hernadez Park, named for an anti-drug crusader.

Next up is Flushing Ave and over to Varick Street. The first highlight on Varick is a railroad crossing that I swear that I can hear from my classroom window. The noise doesn't sound like trucks or underground trains. To the left (first picture with tracks), there's a train yard that's sealed off that time of morning. To the right (second picture with tracks), there are tracks that you could follow all the way out to Long Island ... but you would get arrested if you tried and lived.

I can't find anything to say whether these tracks ever carried passengers or just freight. It seems that there was an independent railroad that operated up Varick Street, and I keep hitting on these articles.

The other highlight was a huge, absolutely huge, pile of salt, ready for winter. Again, we were having a heat wave at the moment, but it was nice to see that the city is prepared!

Finally made it to Metropolitan Ave. I didn't walk the short little street to get to Grand Street. Instead I just walked over the bridge.

Oddly enough, I'd walked halfway over this bridge before. I stopped and turned back because I'd been under the incorrect assumption that the bridge crossed over into Queens and that Newton Creek was the boundary between the boroughs. It is not. Well, it IS, just not at that spot. Newton Creek goes north, east, and then curves south again. There's a second bridge where Grand Street turns into Grand Ave. That is the boundary I was looking for.

I'll get there. But on this particularly hot morning, I still needed to get to school.

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