Tag Archives: developers

2015–Year of the Taco–Again?

Posted on December 16, 2014 by rockviv

I guess you could say it started with that bridge, which connected the borough of Queens to the island of Manhattan and points west in 1909. The zenith was reached last week, when the world’s largest travel guide publisher, Lonely … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and Economics, Jamaica Bay, The Arts and Entertainment, The Built World, The Land We Share | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jane’s Walk 2014: Fifth Avenue of the Peninsula, Beach 116th Street and Rockaway Park Into the New Century

Posted on May 1, 2014 by rockviv

At the turn of the century, only ten streets of hundreds on the Rockaway Peninsula were numbered—and Fifth Avenue (now known as Beach 116 Street) was one of those ten streets. The City of New York, which replaced the Town … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and Economics, The Built World, The World of Human Beings | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Are You Better Off Than You Were in 1974?

Posted on October 26, 2012 by rockviv

Things have changed a lot in the past eight years. In October, 2004, I stood in front of my class of sixth graders at Channel View School for Research to teach a lesson on the skill of persuasive speaking–the literacy … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and Economics, Creatures of the Planet (Non-Human), New York City Government, Planet Earth, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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

Is Independence a Fiction in Bloombergville?

Posted on July 4, 2011 by rockviv

Independence Day is one of those American holidays celebrated with disparate emotions among the populace.  Are you part of the investor class or a wage earner?  Wage earners live for the weekends, particularly the three-day ones.  Those of us who … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and Economics, Local Government-Rockaway Peninsula & Broad Channel, New York City Government, Philosophy, Religion and Philanthropy, The Arts and Entertainment, The Land We Share, U.S. Government, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A House of Cards Faces Into the Winds of Jamaica Bay

Posted on April 12, 2011 by rockviv

Our elected officials are waiting.  They are watching.  I firmly believe they are looking to hear and see us at all of these meetings.  Some just don’t seem to care, but it behooves us to express our opinions to those who do. The Jamaica … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and Economics, New York City Government, New York State Government, Planet Earth, The Built World, The Land We Share, U.S. Government, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Shifting Sands and Strong Foundations

Posted on April 4, 2011 by rockviv

Sometimes, I close my eyes and try to imagine what Rockaway must have been like in 1858.  When there were less than a dozen homes on the peninsula, and land was valued only for the salt hay it produced.  If … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and Economics, New York City Government, The Built World, The Land We Share, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sinners and Saints–Your Choice This Week!

Posted on March 14, 2011 by rockviv

In case you’re not a fan of beer drinking, here’s a novel way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day—by reading a great book about the history of Ireland. “How The Irish Saved Civilization,” the first title in Thomas Cahill’s “Hinges of … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and Economics, Local Government-Rockaway Peninsula & Broad Channel, New York City Government, New York State Government, Philosophy, Religion and Philanthropy, The Arts and Entertainment, The Built World, The Land We Share, U.S. Government, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Vandalia Dunes Are Gone–Is Four Sparrow Marsh the Next to Go?

Posted on January 14, 2011 by rockviv

Frankly, I’m shocked about the new stores being proposed for just north of the Flatbush Avenue exit of the Belt Parkway, near Toys R’ Us.  However, members of Community Board 18 in Brooklyn have “warmed” to the idea, according to Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal.  I’m sure … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and Economics, Creatures of the Planet (Non-Human), New York City Government, The Land We Share, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Round One–NYC Waterfront Advocates Dispute Rockaway’s Claim to “Sixth Borough” Title

Posted on December 1, 2010 by rockviv

I did not attend the waterfront conference in Manhattan yesterday, sponsored by Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance.  For those of us in the contingent work force, that would be rough.  What I earn each week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday pays the rent.  However, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and Economics, New York City Government, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments