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TagsBY ERIC MODEL
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
JOURNEYS INTO NEW JERSEY
Border skirmishes between New Jersey and New York are nothing new.
Jurisdiction of islands in the New York Harbor has long a source of tension between the two states. More than a few football fans and supporters of New Jersey are not all that pleased that millions of dollars have been invested for a football palace in the Meadowlands for teams that eschew a New Jersey designation.
But perhaps the most notorious chapter in the inter-state rivalry occurred on a plane with a verbal outburst by New York mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, who served from 1934-1945.
During the 1930's, LaGuardia had long wanted to build a major airport in the city. At the time New York City did not have a large airport of its own. Passengers had to fly into New Jersey and then travel across the Hudson into New York. LaGuardia reasoned that more visitors would come to New York if transportation were more convenient. He thought North Beach, an old swimming and amusement area along Bowery Bay would be a perfect place for it, and went a back trying to turn his dream into reality.
North Beach, situated in Astoria, opened for business in 1886, even before Coney Island (1895). It was one of the most popular places for New Yorkers (though then outside city limits). Along the beach were hotels, restaurants, theaters, bowling alleys, and rides such as carousels and Ferris wheels. Boat rides (called "shooting the shoots") were like modern water park rides, where boats dropped from a slide. There was swimming, sunbathing, picnic grounds and places for dancing. There were also weekly fireworks displays over the water.Prohibition in 1919 and the advent of the automobile resulted in other entertainment alternatives. Though it was still a popular place to swim, North Beach as an amusement area had lost some of its luster.
LaGuardia thought an airport in place of the amusement park made sense for his city. As part of his effort, he began a public campaign. This campaign included public appearances, newspaper pieces and radio.
It also included a piece of showmanship. He took a flight to Chicago, and when he returned east, upon the arrival of his TWA flight at Newark – the only commercial airport serving the New York City region at the time – as his ticket said "New York" – he refused to get off the plane. Instead, he demanded to be taken to New York, and ordered the plane to be flown to Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field. Along the way from Newark to New York, he gave an impromptu press conference to reporters who obligingly reported this incident in their papers.
This media event helped propel LaGuardia's dream. He ordered construction of a new airport. The city voted with him and a new airport was to be built at the former North Beach.
Therefore, over time the amusement park area would be transformed into a 105-acre private flying field and first named Glenn H. Curtiss Airport after the aviation pioneer, and then renamed North Beach Airport.
After the City of New York took over the airport and enlarged the grounds with the purchase of adjoining lands and by filling in 357 acres of waterfront, it re-opened just in time for the 1939 World's Fair as New York Municipal Airport-LaGuardia Field.
The airport was leased to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 1947.
Over the years, even though both became properties of the Port Authority (whose other properties include the George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and PATH Trains), the New York airport with LaGuardia's name would continue to compete with New Jersey's airport for money and attention.
For a long time behind Idlewild (now JFK airport) these two other airports sought higher profiles as New York's second airport – often at the expense of the other.
Land limitations at LaGuardia have helped Newark, now Newark Liberty eclipse LaGuardia – especially with Newark's expansion of international flights. Still, LaGuardia is one of the busiest in the nation, handling more than 23 million passengers in 2008.
The competitive juices between LaGuardia and Newark persist – a living legacy to the New York City mayor who refused to get out of the plane those many decades ago.
