Taking a stroll through Sea Cliff

Bright sun and chilly air filled Sea Cliff Village on Friday. The sound of birds and construction echoed by Hempstead Harbor as crews worked to repair the roof on Village Hall. A cargo ship chugged through the waters, and coastal roads Cliff Way and The Boulevard were devoid of vehicles.

Village Administrator Dan Maddock said the village will be springing back to life soon. During the winter most of the village’s activity was across Hempstead Harbor, as crews dredged up gravel from the harbor’s north-side pits.

“Those pits have been there for a century,” Maddock said. “A lot of it was trucked to Manhattan to build the brownstones.”

Incorporated in 1883, the 1-square-mile village is one of the oldest municipalities on Long Island. It has been home to notable figures such as poets William Cullen Bryant and Robert Olen Butler. Artists and poets often visit the village, which is home to 5,000 people and more than 30 landmarks, Maddock said. He figures they find some inspiration from its quaint beauty.