Dawn's Long Island, NY Blog

By now you must have heard that the MTA plans to raise the price of fares yet again ... and again. Yes, by this time next summer, you could be paying an additional eight percent to travel into Manhattan on the LIRR, but by 2011 that will seem like a pittance. The MTA plans to increase fares by another five percent early that year. I'm not more than an occasionally commuter. I work from home so I don't have to worry too much about the rising cost of commuting to work myself. However I do feel bad for those who will be affected by these fare hikes.

With rising gas prices and attempts to become less dependent on fuel, not to mention environmental concerns, more people are moving toward using public transportation for their daily commutes. You have to wonder, though, what they will do when the cost of doing that becomes prohibitive. What will you do? If you currently use the LIRR to get to work, will you continue to do so if fares increase? Please take my poll and then share your thoughts about the MTA fare increase by posting your comments below.

It was nice to see a Long Island town on Money Magazine's Top 100 Best Places to Live. The Town of North Hempstead was ranked number 46 on the list which appears in the August issue of the publication and on its Web Site. Attributes of the town noted by Money Magazine include Harbor Links, a public golf course in Port Washington, Clark Botanic Garden in Albertson and the Americana Mall in Manhasset. Last year's Top 100 Best Places to Live focused on small communities and included Baldwin at number 25.

I love books and I especially like owning them. I'm a huge fan of the library — actually I'm a librarian by training — but I'm a slow reader and I have trouble returning books on time. I have a Barnes and Noble membership card so I can save a few dollars when I buy books there. Today I bought a couple of books at Costco. Even with my cost cutting I end up spending a lot of money — books are expensive.

Today I saw a post on the Bryant Library Blog (disclosure: the librarian who writes the blog is my good friend) about their annual outdoor book sale. The Bryant Library, in Roslyn, has a bookstore that is open year-round as well, but during the annual outdoor book sale there are even more books available as the librarians do some major weeding of their collection to make room on the library's shelves for new purchases. There are children's books, young adult titles, adult fiction, biography, reference books as well as oversized coffee table books for sale. If you don't live near the Bryant Library, many local libraries have periodic book sales and many have books available for sale year round.

This weekend I caught a performance of the Long Island Comedy Festival at the Jeanne Rimsky Theatre in Port Washington. If you need a good laugh, and who doesn't, I highly recommend seeing a performance at one of the festival's other shows. There were five comedians performing, including the host. Most of them were extremely funny (like tears rolling down my face, finding it hard to breath funny). One I found quite offensive — perhaps not to everyone, but I heard few laughs during his performance. This is definitely a fun night out.

The Long Island Comedy festival has many comedians in its lineup. Five perform at each show. Some jokes are very local since several of the festival's comedians are Long Islanders. You can catch a performance throughout the summer. According to the official Long Island Comedy Festival Web Site, which you should check for more information, there are five shows left:

• Friday, July 25: Martha Clara Vineyards in Riverhead
• Saturday, July 26: Islip Pavillion in Islip
• Thursday, August 14: Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center in Westhampton
• Friday, August 29 and Saturday, August 30: Theatre Three in Port Jefferson

One of my favorite things to do Long Island is visit the beautiful botanical gardens and arboretums we have here. Old Westbury Gardens is my favorite one. I love strolling through the gardens and the mansion. On summer evenings I've enjoyed several concerts under the stars during Old Westbury Garden's Wednesday night Picnic Pops series.

Yesterday I received an email from my PR contact at the Gardens. He wanted to let me know we’re coming to the time of year when the waterlily and lotus pond in the Walled Garden really starts to bloom. He sent me some pictures that answer an interesting question: How do the waterlilies get into the pond (the answer is in the picture above)? Which reminds me -- I'm due for a stroll through the Gardens and I wouldn't mind attending a Picnic Pops concert. I wonder what I'm doing next Wednesday night?

More Information: Old Westbury Gardens Web Site

This Saturday (July 12) the New York Philharmonic will present a free concert at Heckscher State Park in East Islip. Conductor Xian Zhang will lead the orchestra in a program that includes Mozart's Salzburg Symphony, Bach's Concerto for two violins and orchestra and The Enigmas Variations by Elgar.

The concert is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. but concert organizers suggest you arrive by 6 p.m. in order to avoid traffic congestion. Bring a chair or blanket since the concert will be held on the North Field of the park. You can also bring dinner and a snack. If you get to the park before 5 p.m. you will be required to pay an $8 parking fee, but if you arrive later you will be asked for a $10 contribution that will be split between the Natural Heritage Trust and the New York Philharmonic Free Concert Committee of Long Island. For more information go to the Islip Arts Council Web Site.

I found the following comment posted to a blog entry I wrote about drive-in movies at Old Bethpage Village Restoration. After apologizing for posting an unrelated comment, Jeanette H. said:

... I would like to ask if you would mind doing a write up on the different knitting/crocheting shops available to the Long Island knitting/crocheting community? I don’t mean the big box (A C Moore, JoAnne’s or Michael’s) stores but the smaller privately owned ones that are scattered across our island.

The knitters and crocheters of Long Island will be very grateful if you can provide us with a listing.

Thanks so much!

No need to apologize Jeanette. I'm happy to have your comment regardless of where you posted it. To make it easier for me to find your question next time, you can post it on the About.com Long Island Forum. Of course if you have something to say that is related to a blog entry, please post your comment there.

Your suggestion to write an article about knitting/crocheting stores on Long Island is a great one. I would love to provide such a resource. I'd like to call upon my reader's help with compiling information for the article. Tell me about your favorite knitting and crocheting store in your neck of the woods by posting a comment below. Give me as many details as you can, including location, hours and a Web Site address if there is one. Caryn, another reader, saw Jeanette's comment and posted the following comment in response:

I came across your comment about knitting stores (while I was looking up the drive in movie schedule!). I own a store in Port Jeff called Just a Note, and a couple doors down from me is the “Knitting Cove”. They are a privately owned store, and I believe they have classes too. I think there may be another yarn shop here too, but I’m not positive.
Hope this helps!

Old Bethpage Village Restoration depicts life in the 1800s. I'm fairly sure there weren't drive in movies back in the middle of the 19th century which is why I found it a bit strange to hear that, this summer, the site will be transformed into a drive in theater reminiscent of the 1950s. Nevertheless, that is what happened this past Tuesday night and what will happen on the next eight Tuesday nights. If you can look past the fact that putting a drive-in theater in an 18th century village is somewhat like looking into the future, this sounds like a lot of fun. Here is the schedule.

• July 8: Men in Black (8:45 p.m.)
• July 15: Disturbia (8:45 p.m.)
• July 22: Rocky Balboa (8:45 p.m.)
• July 29: Talladega Nights (8:30 p.m.)
• Aug. 5: The Mummy (8:20 p.m.)
• Aug. 12: Star Trek: Wrath of Khan (8:15 p.m.)
• Aug. 19: Hairspray (8:10 p.m.)
• Aug. 26: Terminator II (8 p.m.)

We live in a society in which we consume a lot and throw out a lot. Many of us are now trying to become more conscious of our environment and learning what we can do to protect it. The Smithtown Arts Council Summer Arts Camp is showing kids how to go green through art. During this mini camp program, which is offered in five week-long sessions, campers will have the opportunity to create projects made from items we normally throw away, like cereal boxes and old newspapers. You and I might think of these items as garbage but the artists who will be teaching the campers see them as the basis for creating projects such as cubist inspired vases and lanterns, vibrantly colored self portraits, wrapping paper, rain forest murals and animal sculptures.

The Smithtown Township Arts Council Summer Camp sessions run from 7/14-7/18, 7/21-7/25, 7/28-8/1, 8/4-8/8 and 8/18-8/22. Campers may attend from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ($325) or for the morning or afternoon ($165). Class size is limited to nine campers. To register go to the Smithtown Township Arts Council Web Site.

Interested in something different? There are other mini camp programs taking place this summer. See Mini Camps: Short-Term Summer Programs.

In 2005 my husband and I took my daughter, then 9 years old, to Central Park to see The Gates. Upon walking up from the subway and seeing the first saffron fabric curtain, my daughter asked "Where's the art?" My husband and I had the same reaction until we began to realize that the beauty of that public art project, for us, was in observing the people who came out to see it. I was reminded of this incident when a new public art project opened in New York City yesterday and was featured all over the news media. The New York City Waterfalls is the work of Danish / Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. It features a series of four waterfalls at various locations in the East River.

Heather Cross, the About.com Guide to New York City for Visitors tells you everything you need to know about seeing this new public art project in her article The New York City Waterfalls. Heather tells us that the best way to see it is from the water and suggests four options for doing that.