Author Archives: rockviv

Unknown's avatar

About rockviv

You've entered the cyber-locale of Vivian Rattay Carter. I've lived and worked in the New York metro area since 1979, in diverse places like Astoria and Rockaway Beach (Queens), Kensington and Windsor Terrace (Brooklyn), Grand Street and Tribeca (Manhattan), and Norwood, Woodlawn, and Riverdale (The Bronx). I treasure the amazing parks, architecture, and cultural institutions of our multicultural city, as well as the musicians and music lovers who enjoy congregating here.

Living Fossils Among Us

Posted on May 20, 2012 by rockviv

Here’s a cool story:  I helped find good homes for 30 living fossils in April.  Really, I did. The Rockaway Civic Association gave away 100 free trees donated by the New York Restoration Project and Million Trees NYC.  About a … Continue reading →

Posted in Creatures of the Planet (Non-Human), Horseshoe crabs | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Happy Earth Day, Jamaica Bay!

Posted on April 22, 2012 by rockviv

It’s more than just a body of water or a marsh ecosystem–Jamaica Bay is an integral part of the environment in the Rockaways.  No matter how you enter or leave the peninsula, or spend your days here, you see the … Continue reading →

Posted in New York City Government, The Land We Share, U.S. Government, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Wisdom and Folly in Action

Posted on March 30, 2012 by rockviv

James A. Garfield, who served as U.S. President for six months in 1881, once said: “all free governments are managed by the combined wisdom and folly of the people.”  This week’s vote on Participatory Budgeting projects in the 32nd Council … Continue reading →

Posted in Local Government-Rockaway Peninsula & Broad Channel, New York City Government | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Inspired at the Laundromat

Posted on March 8, 2012 by rockviv

There they go again!  The unsung elves of our cherished local Rockaway Artists’Alliance have toiled to create inspiring public art in some of the most unexpected places.  Discovering this kind of public art adds to the offbeat joy of living … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and Economics, The Arts and Entertainment, The Built World, The World of Human Beings | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

In Praise of WFUV

Posted on February 16, 2012 by rockviv

One of my favorite cause buttons carries a simple message:  “The best things in life aren’t things.”  A fixture of my life these days is non-commercial radio and television, where I now get much of my news, entertainment and creative … Continue reading →

Posted in Meet Your Fellow Man, The Arts and Entertainment, The World of Human Beings | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Finding Fannie Holland

Posted on January 25, 2012 by rockviv

I’ve received the good news that Images of America: Rockaway Beach will be published on June 4, 2012.  I’m planning two upcoming slide show events in Belle Harbor to preview some photos from the book, one which will feature coffee and pastry on a Sunday … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Religion and Philanthropy, The Arts and Entertainment, The Land We Share, The World of Human Beings | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Inspired by “The Search for Harmony Bay”

Posted on January 17, 2012 by rockviv

I submitted the final content for my upcoming book to Arcadia Publishing on the second day of 2012, and it was quite a relief!  Time to post an entry on Oy Vey Rockaway.  The outstanding visual artists of Rockaway never … Continue reading →

Posted in The Arts and Entertainment, The World of Human Beings | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Drum Roll, Please…

Posted on November 12, 2011 by rockviv

After three years of thinking about it, and six months after contracting to produce it, I am close to finished with writing Images of America: Rockaway Beach, to be published by Arcadia Publishing Company in June, 2012.  The cover mock-up has … Continue reading →

Posted in The Arts and Entertainment, The World of Human Beings | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Tourists in Our Own Town

Posted on October 16, 2011 by rockviv

You’re almost at your destination when you see the first person walking down the block sporting a long, furry tail.  You are within walking distance of a ‘comic-con,’ those wildly popular, so-called ‘geek conventions’ dedicated to comics, graphic novels, anime, … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and Economics, Meet Your Fellow Man, The Arts and Entertainment, The World of Human Beings | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

H2O, Gerrymandering and Socialists in Archie Bunker Land

Posted on September 10, 2011 by rockviv

I’ll never forget the words of the engineer who inspected the Belle Harbor home our family was about to buy, in the spring of 1994. “The number one enemy of your home is water,” he said.  Do everything you can … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and Economics, New York State Government, The Built World, The Land We Share, U.S. Government, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment