It’s been a week since the beginning of the Labor Day weekend and the unofficial finale of the summer of 2012. Most of us are back to our old routines. Although traditionally we celebrate New Year’s in January, September seems to be a point of demarkation and renewal for most of us. People begin work refreshed from their summer break, students are back in their classes, everyone is looking ahead at new beginnings. Many people that I know think that this is the time to clean house, make resolutions and begin anew. Sometimes its an opportunity for a do-over on the New Years resolutions we broke months ago! However you look at it, the unofficial end of summer has come and gone.
© 2012 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.
Lookout Building - Hudson Harbor
Over the past couple of years, I have been tracking the progress of Hudson Harbor which is located right on the Hudson River against a major portion of the Westchester’s Hudson River Walk. This development is a combination of luxury townhomes as well as condominium flats. Interspersed between the town homes will sit a complete community including shops and dining – creating complete mini-community on the Hudson River. Included in this package is a complete fitness center, a large out door pool both for residents only as well as guest houses for residents who have visitors.
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There are those who mock the importance of the public sector. Often when they do, they take direct aim at institutions of knowledge such as our public libraries. Personally, I don’t want to live in a world when a place where much of our collective knowledge is curated, cataloged and disseminated is considered unimportant. Perhaps we don’t “go to the library” as much as we used to, but we “visit” the library online, can download ebooks and utilize its knowledge base to better ourselves. Libraries also offer a quiet place for youngsters to study. Something many of our less fortunate American youngsters do not have at home. One might even say that an attack on our public libraries is an attack on the upward mobility. And they aren’t just for the underprivileged, I grew up fairly wealthy but still remember very fondly the time I spent in the public library when I was in school. Special programs spark young minds into thinking about careers that go beyond finance and Wall Street. These same programs can also invigorate older brain cells to think in new directions.
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The picture I snapped of the NYC skyline from Irvington NY on a sultry summer night was taken to make a point. New York City is becoming increasingly expensive. Friends of mine looking to purchase or even just to rent tell me tales of spiraling costs. So what about considering a move to Westchester? I know, I know some people will only consider New York City – anything less is blasphemy. But if the cost of living is killing you, Westchester is not the moon.
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A few months ago I wrote a blog at the request of the White Plains Beautification Foundation. They were raising money for a new Cedar of Lebanon evergreen tree for the Holocaust Memorial Garden. Although I’m very familiar with downtown White Plains, I had never actually seen the garden. Located at 148 Martine Ave. right next to the Michaelian Office Building, it is a bit tucked away. I promised myself I’d go to see the garden and bring my camera – and I finally managed to do so on Thursday.
The Gates of Remembrance dominate the garden. They were created by the sculptor Rita Rapaport in 1992. They memorialize the lives lost and the suffering of millions during the Nazi era. The posts of the Gates remind me of flames. The plaques represent the concentration camps (barbed wire) the prisoners held in the camps (a piece of torn fabric with a prisoner’s number) Kristallnacht (the Bible in flames) and the Ten Commandments (broken tablets).
The Gates of remembrance are a powerful, massive and solemn image juxtaposed against the tranquil background of a peaceful garden.
The Holocaust Memorial Park – Because we must never forget…
©2012 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://fotosonthefly.biz – All rights reserved.
One of the interesting things about living in Westchester NY is that you are surrounded by water views. But when I think about vivid sunsets, I tend to think of the River Towns such as Dobbs Ferry, Irvington or Tarrytown for a spectacular show. On the eastern Sound Shore side of the county I expect to see mellow display when the sun sets. The other night I was walking around Harbor Island Park in Mamaroneck NY and happened to face south with the water and the east to my left and the sunset in the west to my right. It was as if the sunset in the west was meeting up to join the dusk in the east. It was actually quite a show. I was lucky to catch it because the colors faded fast, but here it is….
© 2012 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.
The Club Car opened its doors a few months ago in Mamaroneck NY. The restaurant has received rave reviews. But for me, it is the restoration of the magnificent 1888 Romanesque building that steals the show. The building had been boarded up and deteriorating for what seemed like forever. The condition reminded me of the Tarrytown Music Hall in my youth. People shook their heads and discussions of tearing down the Music Hall were openly discussed. The restoration that ensued was well worth the effort and the same is true for the Mamaroneck NY terminal building.
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Since I’m working more and more with real estate photography, and since twilight photography is a major player in the real estate market these days, I am practicing low light photography whenever the opportunity presents itself.
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Every once in a while its fun to relive one’s childhood – at least the fun parts…Rye Playland is the perfect place to relive some of my fondest childhood memories. Whether it be my first tentative steps on ice skates in the winter or all the wonderful rides that the summer season has to offer – Rye Playland is an amazing place for children of all ages . That includes “adult” children…
But Playland is not your typical amusement park. Playland of Rye New York is a Westchester landmark. Built in 1928 the entire design was in the Art Deco style. The original design included the boardwalk and ice-skating rinks along with many rides and attractions. The park was declared a national historic landmark in 1987.
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Welcome to the new suburbia – a bit more urban, a bit more hip, definitely downtown where you can leave the car and walk to just about anything including shops, fine dining and Metro-North. The village of Scarsdale is just such a location and this photo of the village tries to capture the old-world charm of one of Westchester’s premier towns.
Village Views – Scarsdale NY
© 2012 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – from http://fotosonthefly.biz
It’s been a week since the beginning of the Labor Day weekend and the unofficial finale of the summer of 2012. Most of us are back to our old routines. Although traditionally we celebrate New Year’s in January, September seems to be a point of demarkation and renewal for most of us. People begin work refreshed from their summer break, students are back in their classes, everyone is looking ahead at new beginnings. Many people that I know think that this is the time to clean house, make resolutions and begin anew. Sometimes its an opportunity for a do-over on the New Years resolutions we broke months ago! However you look at it, the unofficial end of summer has come and gone.
