34. Waterbank

The strip of land along the coast and the small island at the mouth of the Black River is a quaint, faded urban coastline with neglected chain stores and lackluster attractions. Waterbank used to be a popular tourist destination and sightseeing locale, but now it’s a declining shopping are with a handful of water- and beach-themed junk shops to give it a sense of local flavor. The beaches of Waterbank are mostly red clay, but sunbathers occasionally venture out to where the dark waves lap at the shore. A handful of moderately affordable apartments dot the coastline, but those who live in them pay primarily for location and few other amenities.

Background

From the 1920s to the 1940s, Waterbank was a popular vacation spot. A brief period of bad fishing harvests all but closed the area down for almost a decade, but then it reopened in the mid-1950s. Its resurgence lasted for two decades, but Waterbank lost most of its local flavor, instead being a beachfront market for Gap-like stores and casual dining chain restaurants. Waterbank never recovered from that second burst of capitalistic grandeur, and those stores still remain, slowly accumulating sea-grime and memories.

Alternative Name(s)

Harbor

Type

District

Location under

New Castle