Posts categorized as Community

It just so happened I got booked with some freelance days in the city the very first day the ferry set sail. Perfect timing! Everyone has heard the details thus far, there are some kinks to work out, yada yada yada. But overall the response from our community seems positive, as is mine. After work on May 1st I headed to Pier ll for my voyage back to Rockaway. The ferry before us was at capacity so the line for the 6:30pm seemed endless. The mood was jovial despite this. […]

This Mother’s Day weekend the market at The Edgemere Farm will be Saturday and Sunday from 9am -1pm. You can pick up your tomato plants and many other garden must-haves to kick of this gardening season. For more info visit their website. The farm is located at  385 Beach 45th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691.

Previously published in The Wave. My neighbor Simon Chardiet* was surfing around beach 99th the day before “blizzard” Stellaaaa. While waiting for the next wave, he noticed a duck getting tossed around. Simon paddled over and saw the fowl was injured. He felt compelled to take action. “It was going to die. If I was that duck, I would hope someone would try to help me and not turn a blind eye.” Simon managed to secure the duck and they both bodyboarded to safety. On land, he got assistance from […]

Previously published in The Wave How to eat pizza is a contentious subject among New Yorkers. There’s the right way — folding — and there is the semi-legitimate way eating it flat/open.  Among the horrifyingly uncouth methods, there is crust first, removing the cheese and eating the bread separate.  Then there is The Unspeakable: eating a slice with a knife and fork. With John Kasich, it was understandable. He’s from Ohio; what does he know about pizza?  In 2011 at La Famiglia in Times Square, President Donald Trump, a native […]

Previously published in The Wave My Grandpa Ralph loved to gamble. One vivid memory I have of us, is when we’d go to OTB.  He used to take me to the one in Bellerose, back when they had brick and mortar locations in the city.  I was around 15 years old, and I would place bets for him. He couldn’t see the racetrack program very well  because his diabetes affected his vision. This was also a good way for me to learn. Grandpa Ralph was teaching me how to bet […]

Why is it so much fun when it snows? I didn’t even mind shoveling the front of the house. Most people can work from home so that’s a good thing. It justifies day drinking (definitely a good thing) and it just feels like a special day. Everything slows down, it’s a break from the day to day frenzy. After shoveling so my housemates*  don’t slip and fall and sue me,  I walked around and took  some photos. My block facing the bay. I took this one by  Borders and the blvd. The police […]

I’m getting a strange feeling that at the Parks Dept. quarterly round table, while deciding what trees to plant near the new boardwalk someone said, “Lets plant black pines and junipers for Rockaway resident Paula DiGioia, she loves Christmas and booze!” If only our climate allowed for grapevines… I’ve been walking to the YMCA when the weather permits and I’ve noticed new tree plantings around the boardwalk, from 90th-70th. It’s the dead of winter, but the weather has been mild. I’m guessing that’s why the Parks Dept. decided to get’em in! Props to Parks! […]

Yesterday I was fulfilling my roll as The Desperate Housewife of Rockaway Beach. I was doing laundry, cleaning and I needed to go food shopping. I stepped outside to check on Baby Biff Ball and Obama when I realized how beautiful it was outside! I dropped everything and made a bee-line for the beach. Here are photos from my day. Shoes on beach don’t happen to often. This seems like the work of Whit or Keone? I brought back a treat for the cats! They liked playing with it (Cookie and Lefty […]

Matt invented a special sandwich and the only place you can get it is from our corner bodega – 91st and the blvd. We started ordering from Rockaway Express three years ago when we began the renovation – we didn’t have a kitchen. We call the sandwich The Veggie – American cheese, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions with mayo, salt/pepper on a roll. A few weeks ago I was going there to get egg sandwiches and Matt said  “Get me The Veggie with eggs on it.” My mind was blown – brilliant. Let me just tell you this is […]

Very proud of my Mother-in-law Maureen (and Tomato Gal contributor!). She’s been recognized in The Wave for her dedicated service in the beatification of Veterans’ Circle. Check it out! Photo Credit Dan Brown: https://www.facebook.com/skininkmag