Visiting the Rockaways

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As the Ramones once sang, it’s not hard, not far to reach, we can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach.  While it isn’t as iconic as Coney Island, I would have to say that the Rockaways are far and away the better beach.  It’s actually the only place in New York City with decent surfing!  With the summer winding down, it’s time to get there and soak in those last rays before you have to go back to school, the weather warms up, or both.  Here are some of the great things you can do here:

Shopping:

• Breezy Point Surf Shop: Even if you don’t surf, this store is packed to the gills with all sorts of merchandise such as flip flops, t-shirts, and of course shark-tooth necklaces.
• Off Season: If you’re into a more hip surf experience, then trendy minimalist Off Season, founded by fashion executive Abra Boero, is the place to go, offering designer apparel and large pours of Sangria.  
• Rockaway Beach Surf Shop: This family-run business is a Rockaway institution, and open since 1969, it’s one of the oldest surf shops on the East Coast.  The specialties here are surfboards, skimboards, and boogie boards, and they also offer surf lessons.

Beaches:

• Jacob Riis Park: At the end of the Rockaway peninsula, Jacob Riis Park Beach is a great haven away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of New York City.  Yet it’s also home to a great beach bazaar that offers everything from shopping to volleyball to food to live music.
• Fort Tilden: Located near an old military fort, this ocean-front park features plenty of nature walks.  It’s part of the massive Gateway National Recreation Area that runs through Brooklyn into New Jersey.  
• Rockaway Beach & Boardwalk: In addition to great sand and waves, Rockaway Beach offers seven playgrounds for children.  It’s also a great place to test your surfing skills.

Food & Drink:

• Rippers: Open since 2011, Rippers is one of the spots in Rockaway Beach revitalizing the area.  Offering everything from hot dogs to smoothies to beer funnels to a fun 80s soundtrack, it attracts a large crowd.
• Ship to Shore: Everybody loves to bring alcohol to the beach, and if you do, the Ship to Shore wine shop offers rare and low-cost wines, some of which can’t be found anywhere else.  
• Tacoway Beach: Located inside the Rockaway Beach Surf Club, the kitschy Tacoway Beach serves both alcohol and tacos crafted by chef Andrew Field.  

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Exercising With Your Baby

Maria Haymandou’s latest blog post is here!

When you’re a new mom, finding any time to get anything done, particularly workouts, is difficult indeed.  Luckily, there are plenty of workouts that are easy to do, and you can keep your baby right there with you.  I recently read an article that shared some of these, and I thought I would share them with you all:

Baby dancing: Dancing offers a light cardiovascular workout with all three major muscle groups and improves both your balance and coordination.  Hold your baby to your body and support their head.  Put on some music and dance with your abs drawn in.  Try intervals of slow and moderately fast music to keep your heart rate up.  

Curl-up: Lie face-up on the floor with your knees bent and feet on the ground, like you would do for a sit-up.  Place your baby on or just above your lower belly and hold them securely there.  Then lift your head, neck, and shoulder blades off the floor in two counts, sort of like a miniature sit-up.  Do 20 reps, rest, and then do another set.

Reverse baby curl: This one’s very similar to the curl up, except put your feet up and bring your knees toward your chest, placing your baby on your shins.  Contract your abs and gently tilt your hips up off the floor as your lift your heads and shoulders at the same time, then lower and repeat 20 times.  

Overhead press: Sit cross-legged, holding your baby in front of your chest with your elbows bent.  Straighten your arms upward, pause, then lower your baby.  Do 10 reps, rest, then do two more sets.  

Bench press: Lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent, like with the curl-up.  Hold your baby securely, and bring them close to your chest, with their face touching yours.  Lift your baby up, pause, then lower your baby to the starting position.  Do 10 reps, rest, then do two more sets.  

Pliés: Stand with your feet further than hip-wide apart.  Keep your abs drawn in and bend your knees, lowering your hips and pressing your weight into your heels.  Slowly straighten your legs and return to a standing position.  

Walking lunges: Stand tall, holding your baby against your chest.  Take a large step forward with your right leg and bend both knees.  Push off your back leg and step your feet together.  Repeat with the opposite leg.  

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Ending Your New York Summer Right

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Just as quickly as it began, summer is almost over.  It’s time for your kids to start actually doing their summer reading, get their school supplies, because in less than a month they’ll be back in class.  Yet what are you going to do with that one month left?  If you live in or near New York, there are luckily some great final summer activities you can do before it’s time to go back to school.  Here are a few suggestions, taken from a great post on the blog Brooklynbased:

Alamo Drafthouse: Theaters like the Alamo Drafthouse and Nitehawk, which deliver food and drink to you while you’re watching the movie from the comfort of reclining chairs, have taken Brooklyn by storm.  But it’s easy to spend a lot of money there.  Luckily, the Alamo has “Kids Camp”, with special screenings that offer families an affordable way to watch movies together.  Choose your own ticket price, buy tickets online, and reserve your seats.  100% of the proceeds here go to Camba, which helps families in need.

DeKalb Market Hall: If the food at the Alamo Drafthouse isn’t for you, then the DeKalb Market Hall is located in the same building, and offers a wide array of options from all sorts of popular New York vendors that range from Ample Hills to Katz’s Deli.  If you’d rather not eat out, the market hall also features a surprisingly not-too-crowded Trader Joe’s for you to pick up food.  

Central Park: This Saturday, City Parks Foundation will be putting on their SummerStage Family Day, performing with radio show host Bill Childs.  Just get there early to claim a good spot!  

Robert Mann gallery: Through August 18, the Robert Mann gallery will be hosting an ice cream-themed photo show called “I Scream You Scream”, meant to evoke the feeling of summer.  The show isn’t meant specifically for children, but is still a great stop.  

Melt: The highline is a great spot to take anybody, and if you bring your children, you can take them to Melt on 30th street for a classic ice cream sandwich.  Melt also has a location at Dumbo if you’re in Brooklyn and would prefer to stay there.  

Box Art: Summer is all about making memories, whether it’s putting them in scrapbooks at summer camp or uploading them onto a Facebook album.  Brooklyn-based Box Art Photos will take your favorite photo and create a 5×5 handpainted wooden box with the original photo adhered to the front.  

Puppet shows: If you’d rather your kids experience live entertainment, there’s still time to catch the “Reluctant Dragon” puppet show, based off the 1898 short story by celebrated childrens’ author Kenneth Grahame.  It tells the story of a sonnet-loving dragon who befriends a young boy.  It might be a good idea to read the story to your kids aloud first; the language is dated for sure, but it’s great for putting them to bed.  

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