There are plenty of nice restaurants and bars in Rockaway Beach. Some have nice water views, and the sunsets are truly spectacular. Some are decorated very nicely, ornamented with all sorts of plants, pictures, paintings, creating an undeniably…

I recently attended a 50-year celebration of St. Francis Prep’s historic move from Williamsburg to Fresh Meadows. While the distance is only 11 miles, the differences between the two locations could not be more different culturally. The…

Each year the mermaid confers with alumni of hers from mermaid school. They spend a weekend in Manhattan regaling each other with tales from yesteryear. Which generally means I am left on my own here on the Rock. So, as in previous years, I…

My brother moved to Nashville in 1986 to go to Vanderbilt University graduate school. Two years later, he got married to the woman of his dreams and set roots down in “Music City.” He always loved music, but his business was in banking, and…

I have always been a Dylan fan, in fact my mom had the “Free Wheelin’” album, and I remember her playing it constantly as a kid. My mom wasn’t a beatnik or a hippie, but she had albums by Dylan, Fats Domino, Fats Waller, Peter, Paul &…

I’ve been wandering around New York again, and in case you were wondering what’s happening in New York during Christmas, I have some tips for you! First off, if you decide to go to Manhattan during the season, you should be forewarned that…

When we are young, we have aspirations. We hope to pass a test, make a team, get into a high school or college, meet “the” soul mate, and so on and so on. The aspirations aren’t really a list but taken from afar they do constitute one. As…

After a beautiful summer at the beach, I thought it was time to get back to the desert. Yes, as much as I love Rockaway, the ocean and the waves, I truly love the southwest desert. The mermaid and I love Arizona, Sedona and the Grand Canyon…

There is a winery on the North Fork of Long Island called Osprey’s Dominion. It was the first winery out east that I ever visited, and I was not disappointed. In fact, it was the first place I ever tried a Cabernet Franc, and I loved it. The…

I don’t often do book reviews, but I recently found myself drifting in and out of a 1,200-page book that was fascinating to read, but frustrating in that it never ends! It is about the history of New York, and I love that subject, but the…