July 19, 2020 --

A Wonderful Dentist …

Recently, LPR suffered from a tooth with an infected gum which required immediate extraction. LPR's dentist is Dr. Bruce Paly whose office is located in Manhattan, at 121 East 60th (between Lexington and Park). The offending lower left molar was removed without pain. LPR didn't even feel the syringe with the anesthetic inserted in the infected gum. If an LPR clickster requires the services of a dentist for ordinary procedures, such as a filling cavity or cleaning, or more complicated procedures, LPR wholeheartedly recommends his outstanding dentist, Dr. BRUCE PALY.

A remarkable discount store for rugged and casual clothing …

Go to Dave's New York, on the west side on Sixth Avenue, betw, 16th street and 17th street (closer to 17th)

Early this month, I noticed Dave's down Sixth Avenue from Old Navy.  Recalling shopping at Dave's many years ago, I recently went to Dave's for a pair of chinos.  One special aspect about Dave's, unlike lots of stores these days, there are many clothing specialists on hand to help you.   When I asked for a pair of size 38 chinos, I was promptly handed the requested pant. Going to the fitting room, I noticed a label with $62 and gulped.  But when I went to the cashier, the $62 was immediately lowers to $35.  I was told that the store can provide significant discounts because it buys in bulk.  Need jeans, chinos, shirts and other rugged or casual clothes?  Go to Dave's.  You won't be disappointed.

Going to Rockaway Beach a Lot Is the Best Revenge …

In early July, LPR purchased swim trunks at Old Navy and a beach towel at Bed Bath and Beyond, on the east side of Manhattan's Sixth Avenue, between 18th and 19th Streets.   What are swim trunks and a beach towel without a beach?  LPR decided to use these purchases on day trips to Rockaway

Thus far this July, LPR has been to Rockaway Beach three times, and plans to go as many times the remainder of summer, as schedule and summer permit.   After only three ockaway visits, LPR already. has a good tan.

This has been the first summer since Hurricane Sandy (a/k/a Superstorm Sandy) devastated large portions of Rockaway Beach, at the end of October, 2012, including blasting its boardwalk to smithereens.  Sandy hit the entire eastern seacoast, from Florida to Maine, causing an estimated $70 billion in damage. 

 At Rockaway, six miles of sand dunes were constructed, with 3.5 million cubic yards of beach sand covering the area.   The wooden boardwalk is now a concrete walkway, and there are showers at intervals along the walkway to wash sand of body and feet.  Plus there are added rest rooms, and LPR also spotted a food concession near Beach 105th Street. The Rockaway beach, from Far Rockaway to Breezy Point, has become, LPR believes, a worthwhile alternative to the Jersey shore or Jones Beach, and just the beach to go to if you don't have a car.

Thus far, LPR has been to the beach at Beach 67th street, Arverne By the Sea, as well as to the beach at Beach 105th Street.  LPR next plans to visit the beach at Riis Park, beyond Beach 133th Street.   

LPR has found that the easiest way to use public transportation is by taking the A train (to borrow the old Duke Wellington song title).

Caveat: take the A train that goes to Far Rockaway, not the A train that goes to Lefferts Boulevard. The Arverne beach, at Beach 67th Street  is just one stop after Broad Channel. The Broad Channel stop is the station where you change to the shuttle that takes you to Beach 116th street, and the stations between, Beach 90th, Beach 98th and Beach 105th Streets.

Arverne is the stop for surfboarders.  There is even a surfboard school at the Arverne beach.  Ordinary beach-goers  can swim in the Atlantic, near the  surfboarders.  The day LPR was there, waves seemed to be five to seven feet high, and these waves were topped by surfboarders.  This part of Rockaway is not as heavily-visited as the beach further west, but even there, while the beach draws many sunbathers - and ocean bathers - there is still plenty of room between the beach towels, beach umbrellas, and beach chairs.

Another way to get to Beach 105th Street is by taking the Rockaway ferry, at Pier 11 at the eastern end of Wall Street, on the East River. BUT, be prepared to wait an hour and twenty minutes and more to get on ferry. You can get a ticket by using your phone, or by inserting your credit card in a machine at the pier.  Caveat: the machine does not take the Metro card (LPR thinks it should.)

The trip on the A train takes about an hour from 59th Street and Columbus Circle, without much of a wait for this train.  And the A Train includes this plus: it emerges from the subway tunnel after Grant Street, to speech by outdoors to its Far Rockaway destination, with views of the NYC skyline, at a distance, and JFK Airport, the other side of Jamaica Bay.

There is a bus operated by the ferry company that takes beach goers to Riis Park, from the ferry landing. There is also a city bus along Rockaway Beach Boulevard that goes to Riis Park.   

When LPR was last at Riis Park, about ten years ago, the beach was very pleasant but the park's facilities had deteriorated, with open spaces at the railings on the edge of the beach along the (aging) concrete walkway.   

LPR is interested in seeing whether Riis Park has been renovated the way Rockaway Beach has been redeveloped into a beach well worth the visit. Another way to get to Riis Park is via the 2 or 5 trains to Brooklyn College and then the Flatbush Avenue bus to Riis Park.

And keep this in mind: masks are not required on the beach, just from the time to you back onto the concrete walkway.  And consider this, too:  at the beach, there are no signs of the tumult that is turning the country west Rockaway upside down; just people, including families, enjoying a TRADITIONAL day at the seashore.

BTW -- if you would like to have a bagel on the beach, no need to bring them from the city.  Stop at Boardwalk Bagel and Delicatessen, 108-01 Beach 108th Street, for really large and delicious bagels, of many varieties. The shop is open from 6 AM to 7 PM.

Added Beach Thoughts …

First the frozen water bottle. Most of you probably know this. It is advisable to bring a large bottle of water to the beach -- and you should know this trick. Put the filled bottle of water in your freezer the night before and then you will have a bottle containing ice in the morning. The ice, of course, will gradually thaw during the day and, for a long time, you should have ice water to drink, till the sun warms the bottle up.

At Rockaway Beach, lying on your beach towel, you will feel the sun burning into your body, along with the breezes coming in from the ocean. The sun's intensity depends on whether sky is clear blue, or interspersed with fleecy clouds which offer moments of shade before the burning resumes. Put sun screen on your body -- LPR uses the spray version -- and don't overdo the first days under the sun.  After rthe first three days you should have a tan worthy of gated beaches that attract celebrities.