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Believe It or Not, These Awesome ‘Sand Pyramids’ Were Found in New York City

Jan. 2, 2013 9:40pm
Photographer Stephane Missier Shows Pyramids in The Rockaways, Queens Created by Sand From Hurricane Sandy

(Photo: Stéphane Missier a.k.a. Charles Le Brigand)

This isn’t a scene from ancient Egypt and it isn’t another planet either. Believe it or not, these pyramids lie within New York City limits.

The sandy structures are the result of debris that was swept in by Hurricane Sandy that has now been swept off the streets and transported to this parking lot at Jacob Riis Park in The Rockaways, Queens.

Photographer Stephane Missier Shows Pyramids in The Rockaways, Queens Created by Sand From Hurricane Sandy

(Photo: Stéphane Missier a.k.a. Charles le Brigand)

Photographer Stephane Missier Shows Pyramids in The Rockaways, Queens Created by Sand From Hurricane Sandy

(Photo: Stéphane Missier a.k.a. Charles le Brigand)

TheBlaze in an email interview with the Brooklyn-based photographer Stéphane Missier (a.k.a. Charles le Brigand) learned he stumbled upon the strange sight when riding his bicycle on December 30. He was on his way to take photos of devastated beach homes when he saw the parking lot.

“I knew the city was using the parking lot as a debris transfer site but I wasn’t expecting such an eerie landscape,” he said to TheBlaze.

He described them as looking like the “dark side of the moon, the Sahara [desert] and pre-Columbian pyramids.”

“Also, there were all kinds of construction and hauling trucks on the site as well as generators, watch towers, and pole lights, so I really had the impression of being on another planet — on some kind of spatial station,” he shared with TheBlaze. “The wind was pretty strong too and really accentuated that lunar feel.”

Photographer Stephane Missier Shows Pyramids in The Rockaways, Queens Created by Sand From Hurricane Sandy

(Photo: Stéphane Missier a.k.a. Charles le Brigand)

Missier wrote on his website about the photos that he believes the sand shoveled from the streets and dumped on this location was shaped into pyramids by the winter wind.

Eventually, Missier wrote he was kicked out by “courteous” sanitation police officer.

We asked Missier how he thinks the city has been recovering.

“The streets are clear, but that doesn’t mean people are OK,” he responded.

See more of the photographs by Missier (aka Charles le Brigand) here. Find more of his work, which he wrote on his website is inspired by “everything raw and gritty,” on his Flickr stream here.

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Comments (45)

  • sophillyjimmy
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 7:32pm

    Mayo Bloomberg is a billionaire and could afford to remove the sand at his own expense if he really cares about the city he is in charge of so Mayor Bloomberg, go pound sand!

    Report this comment

    sophillyjimmy  
  • Momma_T
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 4:05pm

    JQUENT,
    Journalism 101: “Dirt” brings better ratings.

    Report this comment

    Momma_T  
  • Zubo
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 3:02pm

    Now NYC has it’s own Madonna monument.

    Report this comment

    Zubo  
  • ghostlyspirit
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 12:10pm

    These sand piles offend me !!!!! I demand someone remove them now !!!!!!! visit http://www.godandspirit.com

    Report this comment

    ghostlyspirit  
  • AmericaMustBeFree
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 10:46am

    Looks like parts of Utah!

    Report this comment

    AmericaMustBeFree  
  • oicu814me2
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:54am

    Those are cones! Geez. Come on Blaze. Dont know a circle from a square.

    Report this comment

    oicu814me2  
  • thibx
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:46am

    the muslims feel right at home.

    Report this comment

    thibx  
  • WeStateMedia
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:37am

    Ahaha! I’m loving some of the comments here. More entertaining than the article for sure!

    Report this comment

    WeStateMedia  
  • Melika
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:26am

    OMFG, will someone please fire Klimas?! How is it she is still working on this site? Is she sleeping with Beck?All of her articles are National Inquirer quality.

    Report this comment

    Melika  
    • Cagey1
      Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:45am

      The reporter should be fire! She must be sleeping with Glen Beck! How do you live with yourself Melika? Just because you do not like the subject matter a person writes you go on with impunity to defame her. I guess this is the way you would like to be treated. Shaking head…How sad you are.

      Report this comment

      Cagey1  
    • JQuentinEvermann
      Posted on January 3, 2013 at 10:15am

      C’mon dude, this is the internet, where anything goes. This isn’t real, it’s a bathroom wall in a virtual high school. It’s why we use fake names, unless your names is really Cagey1.

      Point is, this really is crap. I can drive to the end of my street and see something more impressive than this (it’s a landfill), but I don’t see mountains of garbage in Texas on The Blaze. Know why? ‘Cause it isn’t news.

      This is the story of some dude with a camera on a bike that took pictures of piles of dirt.

      Serioulsy, no, SERIOUSLY, this is a story about a guy who took pictures of dirt. Pictures of dirt. Pictures. Of. Dirt. Dirt! DIRT!

      But in all seriousness, how did this not make Drudge? Or Fox? Or even MSNBC?

      Blaze on blazing Blazers! Blaze and enjoy the pictures of dirt.

      Pictures of dirt. Dirt. DIRT!

      It’s dirt.

      Dirt.

      Dirt.

      Report this comment

      JQuentinEvermann  
  • skiziks20453
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:23am

    What a waste. why didn’t they redeposit the sand on the beach, where it came from? Oh yea. the gov. workers want to move, load, stack all those thousands of yards of material twice.

    Report this comment

    skiziks20453  
    • garylee123
      Posted on January 3, 2013 at 12:46pm

      The new “Department of Sand Enumeration” (D.O.S.E.) has been funded. It’s purpose is to allow the 15,000 newly hired union workers to number each grain of sand to assure that it is replaced properly.

      Report this comment

      garylee123  
    • 4xeverything
      Posted on January 3, 2013 at 2:19pm

      Do you mean…why didn’t they redistribute it? Seems the order of the day, huh?

      Report this comment

      4xeverything  
  • tajloc
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 8:52am

    hmmm…Reminds me of the piles of snow at my house. Unfortunately we missed the big piles of money that is being sent to the folks on the east coast. I guess I’ll have to deal with my piles on my own.
    Hey here’s an idea. Take the sand out and put it back on the beach. Then the GOV will give you cash to rebuild where your precious used to be right out on the water. We promise to not use oil products until after you finish so you can have a party in your new “digs” (a joke…get it?) I hope the GOV does not run out of my money.

    Report this comment

    tajloc  
  • Brainmuffin
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 8:41am

    Look at all those layers. It must have taken millions of years for all that sand to collect.

    Report this comment

    Brainmuffin  
  • term limits for congress
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 8:36am

    I hope the muslims are not offended by these religious symbols.

    Report this comment

    term limits for congress  
  • GUYFROMMAINE
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 8:24am

    These mysterious “sand piles” appear all over Maine as well. You can find them at gravel pits and at the town and state garages. Up here, we have used these piles to help deal with other another strange phenomenon called “winter.” The sand from these mysterious piles keeps our cars and trucks from going into the “snow banks.”

    Report this comment

    GUYFROMMAINE  
  • FlagWavingPatriot
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 7:58am

    New York City is most certainly another planet.

    Report this comment

    FlagWavingPatriot  
  • Stoic one
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 7:19am

    Buhhaahaa..

    sand pyramids.

    a progressive voter.

    It’s magic!
    (sand cones>>>>conveyor belts)

    Report this comment

    Stoic one  
  • asybot12
    Posted on January 3, 2013 at 1:07am

    Oh for pete’s sake shaped by the “winter wind” Go to any gravel pit and at the end of every conveyor belt is an cone shaped pile of sand, gravel or dirt. I cannot believe the ignorance of this “photographer” riding his bike he should go back to drinking 16oz sugar drinks . He shows signs of deficiencies!

    Report this comment

    asybot12  
    • xmilitary
      Posted on January 3, 2013 at 7:13am

      A cockroach from NY is amazed by piles of sand. Too funny.

      Report this comment

      xmilitary  
    • starman70
      Posted on January 3, 2013 at 7:28am

      Do you mean that Nanny Bloomberg hasn’t outlawed sandpiles? He’s not afraid that some kid might actually enjoy all that sand?

      Report this comment

      starman70  
    • lobster
      Posted on January 4, 2013 at 9:35am

      I guess it all depends on the definition of “piles”, i.e. the grapes of wrath or conveyor belt discharge.

      Report this comment

      lobster  
  • Chromo200
    Posted on January 2, 2013 at 10:38pm

    Plasticize the “pyramids” and make them a tourist attraction. By plasticize the wind and rain will not erode the the pyramids. Bloomberg can have a soda stand to sell 8 oz drinks.

    Report this comment

    Chromo200  
  • Robphelps
    Posted on January 2, 2013 at 10:26pm

    yepper

    Report this comment

    Robphelps  
  • sparkyrules
    Posted on January 2, 2013 at 10:18pm

    Cool.That pic in the middle has two ears/antenna on top.But I’ll bet he’s never seen huge white road salt piles up North here either.Chicago road salt piles.I imagine Missier would do wonders with his photography skills with these monsters.

    http://dailychicagophoto.blogspot.com/2009/11/hint-of-whats-coming.html

    Report this comment

    sparkyrules  
    • jd9215
      Posted on January 3, 2013 at 7:20am

      @SPARKYRULES Those “ears” as you call them are spotlights.

      Report this comment

      jd9215  
  • Stelex
    Posted on January 2, 2013 at 10:06pm

    Owww, this one hurt my brain. Yes piles of sand…….important stuff. WTF. WE THE PEOPLE just got F’d over several different way’s and the Blaze posts Sand Cones. Glenn is anyone in control here anymore.

    Report this comment

    Stelex  
    • oldguy49
      Posted on January 2, 2013 at 10:09pm

      amen and pass the ammo ……TERM LIMITS………FLAT TAX…………

      Report this comment

      oldguy49  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on January 2, 2013 at 10:02pm

    Interesting what can be found in the nation, nice pictures, and how long until Bloomburg outlaws the pyramids?

    Report this comment

    Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • MisterSarcastic
      Posted on January 2, 2013 at 10:22pm

      The pyramids aren’t the problem. He will outlaw sand.

      Report this comment

      MisterSarcastic  
    • gbo
      Posted on January 2, 2013 at 10:43pm

      I don’t think Bloomberg has enough courage to ban either pyramids or sand outright. His backdoor approach to freedom removal is via apportionment. No sand pyramids bigger than 16 ounces!

      Report this comment

      gbo  
    • SUNTZU
      Posted on January 2, 2013 at 11:20pm

      Bloomberg is the outlaw…

      Report this comment

      SUNTZU  
  • AZgirl9000
    Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:53pm

    An even more amazing find is a NYC photographer who doesn’t know the difference between a pyramid and a cone.

    Report this comment

    AZgirl9000  
  • randycalifornia
    Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:52pm

    C’mon……everybody knows that these pyramids were made by space aliens!

    Report this comment

    randycalifornia  
  • banjarmon
    Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:49pm

    Maybe NYC should be relocated to Egypt. We in the US would be better off!!

    Report this comment

    banjarmon  

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