Tag Archives: transportation
2015–Year of the Taco–Again?
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
A Ferry Nice World, Long Ago
I often try to imagine a world without cars, and vintage maps are helpful. This week, I am gazing at two examples–(1) the Beers 1886 map of Central Rockaway Beach, New York and (2) a sepia drawing of Staten Island as it appeared from … Continue reading
We Demanded the Sand–but THIS is Ridiculous!
Rock Viv is back! I survived Hurricane Sandy, which struck the Northeast coast of the United States at about 9 p.m. on Monday, October 29. I sent a panicked text message to a friend a few minutes later that said: … Continue reading
Happy Earth Day, Jamaica Bay!
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
Wisdom and Folly in Action
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
Tourists in Our Own Town
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
You Can’t Even Say “Speed Kills” Anymore
Some force on the planet was clearly at work, other than the combustion engine of the late model Infiniti G37 hard-top convertible coupe–the car that helped save three lives today. At about 8 a.m. on Saturday, August 20, the young … Continue reading
Snow Drifts on the Monday after Christmas–Let’s Call it a Block Party!
The great Boxing Day Blizzard of 2010 (sixth largest snowfall in NYC history) finally ran out of steam on Monday, December 27, late in the morning, and everyone was boxed-in! Rockaway residents began to shovel out their driveways…and their sidewalks…and their … Continue reading
Round One–NYC Waterfront Advocates Dispute Rockaway’s Claim to “Sixth Borough” Title
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
C-Span Should Have Been There!
I have to say I was impressed with the 60 or so Rockawayites who came out for the “town hall” last evening. This was not your usual Rockaway gathering! Eric Ulrich and James Sanders of the City Council jointly ran a tight, effective 2-hour meeting and … Continue reading
Oy Vey Rockaway 