LETTER FROM THE ACTING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Criss-crossing time zones and continents in a matter of hours, firing off texts and e-mails from the remotest corners of the planet and spending workdays inside climate-controlled concrete towers: Modern life often sets itself at odds with the natural world and its rhythms, making it far too easy to disconnect from our environments.

But in recent years, residents of one of the world’s most frenetic cities have begun to re-engage with the wilderness that surrounds them, remembering its history as a seaside port. New Yorkers from Queens to Brooklyn to Lower Manhattan are embracing their waterfront. And as editorial assistant Caitlin StallPaquet discovers, it’s the humble oyster that’s drawing the city out of its shell onto its waterways (page 52).

The Billion Oyster Project helps rebuild the depleted oyster stocks that sheltered the harbour for millennia. Not only do the bivalves filter dirty water, their reefs create breakwaters that act as storm barriers. Years of neglect of the natural environment, as well as an overreliance on fossil fuels, are contributing factors in destructive extreme-weather events. In 2012, the ravages of Hurricane Sandy underscored the value of rehabilitating oyster habitats. By reconnecting with the water and its denizens, New Yorkers hope to foster a cleaner, safer and healthier city.

With a significant investment in waterfront parks, bike trails and ferries, alongside a swell of new bars and restaurants, the city’s shores and the islands offer travellers a novel experience of New York. And at sea level, with the waves lapping alongside your kayak and seagulls circling above, skyscrapers in one direction and the torch of the Statue of Liberty in the other, the city truly is your oyster.