7. Battery Park City Beach (Historic)

This vintage photograph from 1982 is a reminder not only for what has been lost, but also that urban geography is always changing. In 1982, the World Trade Center complex was not completed yet, and certainly not Battery Park City, most of which was built in the ’80s. The World Financial Center was completed in 1985. The “beach” you see here is from the excavations to build the World Trade Center.

Next, check out the history of the beach at Dead Horse Bay in Brooklyn, discover a hidden natural sandy beach in Inwood or check out 10 man-made places in NYC.