Posts categorized as Rockaway

His appearance is what you’d expect: utilitarian. The Wildman is wearing a long-sleeved blue windbreaker and khaki pants with multiple pockets. A strap holds a shovel and an iPad. A safari hat shades his face. His fingernails have already been in the soil.  “Take a quick look at my books and then we’ll get started,” he says. Several cooking and foraging books are laid out on the front window of his dusty car. As the parents get their kids’ jackets zipped and the snacks packed up, the Wildman breaks out […]

I often click “Interested” for Facebook events that pop up in my feed but I don’t often end up going. A few weeks back I saw an event at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge – The Controversial Legacy of Robert Moses. I’m intrigued by Robert Moses and I’ve been meaning to walk the trails at the refuge this summer but hadn’t yet. Sunday morning rolled around and the house was a mess, but instead of doing the pile of dishes in the sink and sweeping the never-ending accumulation of cat […]

A garden is a reflection of its caretaker and their unique creativity. I love seeing someone’s personal expression reflected in this way. This week I’m taking you on a garden walking tour, stopping at quirky, beautiful gardens worthy of praise in Rockaway Beach. Holland Ave. btw 91st and 92nd – The Psychedelic Garden Wall. This is the perfect backdrop for a selfie! The mural is above and beyond – “wow factor”! Many people feel they don’t have the space for a garden but this design proves that anyone can make […]

Last weekend really felt like summer. The ocean water is warm. The weather outside is over 80 degrees and there are hordes of DFD’s and locals alike swarming the boardwalk to experience all Rockaway has to offer. Seeing as how it was so summery, I packed as much summer fun in as possible. My sister Natalie and my nieces and nephew stayed over for the weekend. Both days we hit the beach! My friend Dave took the kids out on his foam board. They had a blast. The kids made […]

The first sewing class I attended at  The Studio Phantasmagoria was not what I expected. I walked in and studio co-owner Jackii Ramis told the students to take a seat and relax. “Do you want some tea?”  “Yes!” We all practically said in unison. Already my concern about having know clue how to sew dissipated. Jackii passed out booklets and we  flipped through as the tea steeped. We reviewed the basics, discussed our pencil skirt pattern design and outlined what we would accomplish in each class. After taking our measurements […]

Previously published in The Wave. We’ve had a handful of exotic visitors this year in Rockaway. Over the winter, the Snowy Owl spent a couple of months relaxing in Breezy Point. Several seals hit the beach recently, beating the summer crowds no doubt. In April, two dolphins joined a group of surfers at the line-up for a swim. Rockaway attracts the extraordinary and seemingly is a landing pad for the kooky and creative – humans and animals alike. So when my friend Matt Johnson posted a picture of a peacock […]

The Beach 91st Street Garden will be hosting a FREE yoga glass. Everyone is welcome. Please bring your own mat (there will be a few extras just incase someone doesn’t have one) Bring water, wear comfortable clothing and please let us know if there are any injuries or anything the instructor should be aware of. They kindly ask before class if you are not a garden member to fill out a waiver. If anyone would like to donate to the garden you may on the day of the event or here: https://www.gofundme.com/b91garden […]

Photo courtesy of Tim Hill. Previously published in THE WAVE 125TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE I met Kerry and Jeanne of the O’toole family and Patty Shea last summer as they were walking down my block, all smiles. Turns out, at one time, it was their block too. We had a thriving community back in the day on 91st St.” Jeanne tells me. I was excited to meet these new friends, learning of their lives lived from the 60’s through the mid 90’s, on the same street that I now call home […]

Anne’s husband, Dan Payne getting involved. I “met” Ann Kirby-Payne (@narrowbackslacker) on twitter some years ago – #rockawaybeach. Last week I saw a photo she posted captioned “I just want to give a shout out to @NYCSanitation and especially our #Rockaway team at the QE14, Stephen Dixon Garage for their quick response to my request to adopt a trash bin around the corner from my house!” Adopting a garbage can? Intriguing. I wanted to learn more about the NYC Adopt-A-Basket Program and what is required of its volunteers. I sat […]

Over the summer I wrote a column about the development and design of my front garden. The wholesaler I was working with charged by the truckload, so the price would be the same whether it was half full or packed. This was a great opportunity to get hold of a tree, preferable one native to the area that would provide food for the birds and animal life. After consulting with plant whisperer and good buddy Walter Meyer* of Local Office Landscape Architecture, we decided to go with a serviceberry (Amelanchier […]