Inwood, Dyckman Street at Tenth Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2006 . . . . . click to enlarge

Last Monday, Labor Day, I went in search of Marginal Street.

Marginal Street, according to my map, edges off Tenth Avenue close to where Tenth ends at Dyckman, and then curves down and ends at the Harlem River, roughly parallel to the Harlem River Drive. (You really need your maps for this.) The name of the street evokes thoughts of a dusty unpaved street just off Tobacco Road. I couldn't wait to see it.

And so I walked east on Dyckman until it joined the Harlem River Drive and I could go no farther. This is Dyckman Street looking west. The morning was lovely and warm, but a touch of fall was in the air, and it was one of those moments when I knew that summer was ending and I couldn't stand it and I couldn't believe it was gone already and I knew that pretty soon I'd eat my last peach, and yet . . . and yet, well, dammit, fall is a pretty terrific season, too. The conflict! (And now, writing this, it has become fall. It's 61° and dark at 8 o'clock. )

And now I'm going to have to leave you midadventure. I'll be gone for two nights. Next post Friday night.