BY AVTAR MOTA
Belmar happens to be one amongst some finest and well maintained beaches in New Jersey ( also known as Garden State ) state .Belmar is about 60 km by road from Manhattan or Jersey city. One can travel to Belmar by car, train or other modes public transport. On 19th June ,2022, we travelled to the beach by car .
Belmar is a small borough ( administrative unit ) situated on the Atlantic shore.It falls in Monmouth County ( district ) of New Jersey State. The beach is open in summer season from April to September. Belmar beach town has a population of about 6000. A good number of houses face the beach or and are located on what is known as Oceanfront.
The Belmar beach is a fun and relaxing place for children and adults of any age. One can swim, surf, fish and sail in the sparkling Atlantic Ocean or sit back and relax with a good book. One can also shop at various stores selling attractive items for tourists of all tastes. One can go for continental food and drinks at numerous eateries and taverns. The beach has neat and clean restrooms or toilets are located which are maintained by beach management . An entry fee of 10 Dollars collected from every visitor is used for making improvements to facilities at the beach apart from beautifying the 1.4 mile beautiful Boardwalk ( more than 15 feet wide wooden walkway ) on the beach.The boardwalk has been completely rebuilt with a composite material made of wood and plastic fibers that eliminates the possibility of getting a splinter. It’s a wonderful place to walk, jog or just relax and enjoy the ocean views. Every visitor is given a beach tag which is to be tied to wrist to enter the beach through various avenues .One can also buy Belmar beach tags cost $70.00 for the seasons ( April to September )
The coast of Atlantic Ocean in New Jersey State is home to dolphins ( bottlenose variety ) . These dolphins can be more seen along Atlantic shore than the continental shelf . Accordingly, during daytime one can see dolphins in a group moving along the Balmer beach .One can book a whale watching tour in Belmar, NJ to see whales and other marine animals in the blue waters of Atlantic Ocean. In this three hour tour, one can also get a stunning view of the New York City skyline in the background.
Pets ,bicycles alcohol and glass containers are not allowed on the beach and the Boardwalk .Grilling and bonfires are not permitted on the beach.Actor Tom McGowan (born 1956), and artist Jay Alders ( b1973 ) are notable residents of Belmar.
WATER’S SOUL : A MASSIVE WHITE SCULPTURE ON HUDSON WATER FRONT, JERSEY CITY ,USA.
Today , I saw this beautiful and imposing white sculpture. It wasn’t there in 2019 when i last visited the Hudson River Front of Jersey city . I am told it was installed in October 2021. This 80 feet tall structure representing head of a woman ( also known as Hoboken Girl) , weighs about 30 tons. Done with a mix that includes resin and fibreglass , It provides an aesthetic contrast against the high-rise concrete towers of the New Jersey skyline. It faces the Freedom Tower or what was known as the World Trade Centre on the other side of the river . The woman in the sculpture holds a finger on her lips suggesting silence to the city ( Manhattan ) across the river that never sleeps .In a way it also pays homage to the water of the Hudson River that joins the Atlantic Ocean nearby. The sculpture seeks silence and self introspection from the onlooker.It also suggests every visitor to drive away the noise and think in silence for the welfare of humanity at large
Done by the Spanish artist Jaume Plensa ,Water’s Soul is easily accessible via the PATH( train ) , Subway, NY Waterway ferry, NJ Transit trains, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, and the Holland Tunnel.
According to Jaume Plensa ,” Water’s Soul pays homage to water. The project asks for silence—for us to listen to the profound voice of the water speaking to us. Water is the source of life, and water’s soul is a celebration of life. I believe, that everything around us has a soul. I also believe in the spirit of water and its great capacity for connection and transformation. Water, in my opinion, is the great public space, a space that belongs to no one. But at the same time, it belongs to all of us.’
Jaume Plensa, a Barcelona native, is the artist behind some of the world’s most recognizable sculptures. He has installations in major cities across the globe including Calgary, Chicago, San Diego, Montréal, Los Angeles, London, Dubai, Bangkok, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Some of his recent pieces include Laura in Century City, Los Angeles, Dreaming in downtown Toronto, and Voices permanently installed at 30 Hudson Yards in New York City.
Water’s Soul is made up of some 110 freestanding pieces that Plensa created in his Barcelona studio. The sculpture is made of fiberglass, resin and an incredible stainless steel structure inside. The project took four years to complete, including the four months it took to get installed at Newport Pier in Jersey city’s Hudson Water Front . It was shipped to the US in 23 containers to Jersey city..
Autar Mota is a noted writer and columnist
