Posts Tagged ‘Rockaway’

It’s the year of the corn! At the Beach 91st Street Community Garden’s Spring Plant Sale, back in May, Erin Mulholland, Native Plant Nursery Manager at RISE, stopped by and brought with her organic flint corn seeds.  Erin generously shared enough seeds for everyone. Many of our gardeners planted them, including me. And then poof! We have a maize of tall stalks popping up all over the garden. I can’t imagine a more beautiful thing; it’s corn! (flint corn). Growing corn is a first for me. To be honest, I barely planted my […]

A few weeks ago, while jump roping, I thought, “I can definitely write 500 words about jump roping.” I had a random idea to keep my jump rope outside in the backyard. The thought being,  I’d use it more, having it there instead of its former location – buried in the hall closet. It would be a fun outside exercise thing. I realized that, being summer, putting on sneakers was annoying and became a roadblock to my new jump roping endeavor. So the next incarnation developed. I bought an old […]

The Beach 91st Street Community Garden has teamed up with Rockaway Art Room for drawing meet-ups at the garden! I can’t explain how wonderful it felt to spend an hour and a half outside on a beautiful evening, sitting with a mix of conversation and concentration. People were scattered around the picnic table under the pergola, where the wisteria had finally taken off! Garden members, friends, and their little ones stretched out on a blanket, drawing the plants that surrounded them. My neighbor Anne created lovely black and white pen sketches of those […]

I attended the Shakespeare On The Rocks Fundraiser Gala last week, and it was a theatrical party to remember! There were many familiar faces — our Rockaway celebs, fancy Brooklyn folks, artists, and community supporters. Cast members from last year’s performance of Romeo and Juliet were in attendance, along with gala hosts, founders, and co-producers/directors Elwin Cuevas and Robert Bryn, who held court all night. The evening featured lively short performances—including a memorable one by Actor Catherine Yeager McQuaid —as well as romantic poetry by Owen Loof, a sneak peek […]

It didn’t feel right to write about anything else this week after the heartbreaking news that Mike Honan passed away. I’ve known The Honans for 22 years. Their family welcomed me into Rockaway and were some of the first people I met here. They treated me like family. Mike Honan, an Irishman, married Fran Chiodo, an Italian, and I remember how comforting it felt to be with them, like I wasn’t the only Italian on the peninsula. If I needed to name an example of a beautiful marriage and a […]

Potato Fest 2025 is Saturday, Oct. 11, 12–4 pm, at the Beach 91st Street Community Garden. This community event is a joyful celebration of the beloved root vegetable—and a chance to get together with friends and neighbors in the garden to share a meal of (mostly) potatoes. The dishes are home-cooked by community volunteers—thank you to everyone cooking!! Expect hands-on, potato-inspired fun and activities: a hot potato showdown, a potato art craft, a Mr. and Ms. Potato Head play corner, and an education station to explore the fascinating journey of […]

Far Rockaway through Breezy Point, and all in between – the big ol porches with wicker furnishings are iconic. They hold a place in time—before me, before the boomers, before their parents. These porches are portals. A glimpse into another version of Rockaway: a place where women’s long, lacy dresses touched the sand, parasols twirling, walking next to the gentlemen in tophats. Not a Croc in to be seen! Where summer homes were grand, dance halls held the drama, and fishing piers lined the Irish Riviera. All the porches whispered, […]

  Rehearsal in action! Josh Armstrong (left), Eric Dahl (center), Steve Hyltons (Right).  Photo by: Jena Cumbo It’s the perfect, hot, sunny beach day — yet fifteen dedicated actors, some from Rockaway and others from afar, head up the stairs to the small rehearsal space at the Knights of Columbus on Beach 90th Street, as they have been for months. The scene: discipline and dedication, with laughter and serious tone scattered throughout the hours. Sword fights! Stops and starts, iced matcha, tension over creative, 5-inch tan, sparkly high heels, and drama twirled into the […]

We’re in the icy heart of Rockaway Winter. And it’s a good thing. Every year – 10 years now – I enjoy the winter more and more here. It’s a time to rest and recharge and be kind to our bodies. It’s time to plan our goals. It’s a time to connect with friends in a more intimate way. It’s a time to catch up on the things you set aside during the active summer that were postponed because the holidays popped up so fast. It’s a time to visit […]

I procrastinated ordering the now-required, rat-resistant NYC Sanitation bins because, frankly, I was bothered by having to pay $177.90 when I already had bins. The garbage cans I had, though, didn’t meet the requirement—55 gallons or smaller, with a lid.As of November 12, 2024, New Yorkers with 1–9 residential units are required to place all trash in 55-gallon bins or smaller for pickup. No more trash bags on the sidewalk! Recycling and cardboard remain optional. As of January 2, 2025 — last week — homeowners and building owners can be ticketed for […]