2010 › May

New shop alert: Fort Greene’s Feliz

by Alex Robertson Textor on

The sparklingly new Feliz (185 DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-797-1211) is Fort Greene’s latest home furnishings shop. Fort Greene, a National Register of Historic Places-listed neighborhood in Brooklyn, is a popular neighborhood of classic brownstones, good restaurants, and strong arts facilities.

Owner Genevieve Platt opened Feliz on May 15. The shop is so new that there isn’t even a sign outside announcing the shop’s name yet. Inside, Platt has curated a comfortable collection of objects that nods gently to South America, the Middle East, and down-home Americana.

The collection is folksy and imaginative. “I call it a variety store because I’m not good at classifying things. We sell everything from fish plates to sandals,” says Platt, adding: “I’m sure the collection will evolve over time.” Her objectives are simple. She seeks to stock her shop with attractive, well-made, affordable, and functional items, avoiding knick-knackery that will just gather dust on forgotten shelves.

Some of the best items are the least expected, like the shelf of yerba maté from Argentina and Uruguay or the collective-produced Senegalese baskets from Fair Trade Federation member Swahili Imports.

Other standouts include piles of cottage industry-crafted espadrilles from Spain’s La Rioja region and vintage American kitchen and dining products. Some of the latter are quite whimsical, and include a butter mold and a tea bag holder that looks like it is part of an antique chemistry set.

Beyond these, there’s a deep collection of other highly useable objects throughout: Tocca‘s bath and body beauty line products, cards, books, contemporary jewelry by local artist Naaima Z, candles, candle holders, and incense. A few items are produced in-house, as well: some beautiful pillows (raw silk and denim) and refurbished furniture.

Platt, who has lived in the neighborhood for ten years, hopes that Feliz will be the sort of shop that everyone in the neighborhood will feel comfortable visiting. She’s off to a good start.

Yu Interiors, with its outstanding mix of vintage modernist and smart new items, is located just two blocks away. With two carefully selected home furnishings shops in close proximity, this Fort Greene microhood (what would it be called? GreLaDe?) is slowly strengthening its home furnishings credentials.

Affordable Beachy Day Trips from NYC

by Amy Chen on

Memorial Day weekend in New York City is either an excuse to barbecue or to hit the beach. From Manhattan, reaching a decent beach can become quite the odyssey, especially if you don’t have a car.

Even if you’re not lucky enough to summer in the Hamptons, you can leave the city and lounge on a beach without spending a fortune. Not all beaches around New York City, however, are created equal. Depending on your mood, here are four beaches that are within a day trip from Manhattan and accessible by public transportation.

Coney Island
Good for: Nathan’s hot dogs, a boardwalk with carnival games and rides (the new Luna Park opens Saturday, May 29), the New York Aquarium (the sea lion show is surprisingly fun), and the bone-rattling Cyclone wooden roller coaster.
Beach quality: Expect cigarette butts in the sand, virtually no waves, and murky water that’s OK for dipping in your toes. Come to think of it, I don’t know anyone who has actually jumped all the way into that water.
Cost from Manhattan: $4.50 for a round-trip subway card. Give yourself at least an hour in travel time by subway.

Fire Island
Good for: Relaxing on (comparatively) uncrowded beaches.
Beach quality: Rougher waves (beware of swimsuit malfunctions — wear a suit that can take the beating), but don’t expect too much in the way of amenities. Bring a beach umbrella because there’s little to no shade.
Cost from Manhattan: Long Island Rail Road train from Penn Station to Bay Shore (from $21.50 for an off-peak round-trip ticket) then a ferry (from $10 for a round-trip pass). Check the train and ferry schedules carefully, and make sure you don’t miss the last ferry back. For one-way travel times, allot two hours for the train and at least 20 minutes for the ferry.

Jones Beach
Good for: Summer music concerts, lots of junk-food concession stands, some picnic tables, and decent waves.
Beach quality: Serviceable but crowded with families. Beach umbrella rentals are available.
Cost from Manhattan: $16.50 for the MTA’s Jones Beach package with discounted one-day round-trip LIRR tickets to Freeport and a bus connection to the beach. This year’s service is available on weekends May 29-Sept. 12 plus Memorial Day (May 31); weekdays June 28-Sept. 6.

Atlantic City, NJ
Good for: Gambling, strolling the boardwalk, and people-watching.
Beach quality: Obviously not the Caribbean, but not bad for a quick getaway. Keep in mind that you can easily sit in three hours of traffic trying to get to the Hamptons.
Cost from Manhattan: The Atlantic City Express Service train from New York’s Penn Station is the fastest route by public transit. One-way tickets start at $29 for the 2.5-hour trip.

Having visited each of these beaches and mostly by public transportation, I feel obligated to share these seven seemingly obvious tips. Feel free to add your own.

[Image Credits: Amy Chen]

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Check the schedule. When traveling by train, bus, or ferry, double-check the schedule for any service changes or delays. This is especially important if you need to connect by bus or ferry to reach the beach.

Have a Plan B. If you know you’re the type to dawdle, aim to catch the second-to-last departure on the way home. That way, in the event you lose track of time, you have a buffer and won’t have to stress about finding your way back.

Do the math. Depending on the size of your group or if you’re traveling with a lot of kids or gear, it may be more cost-effective and easier to rent a car. In the New York area, car-sharing companies such as Zipcar and Connect by Hertz offer hourly rentals with gas and insurance included. (Expect to pay a membership fee and familiarize yourself with any mileage limits — I once exceeded the daily mileage limit with my Zipcar rental and paid a penalty that effectively doubled the price of the rental). Don’t forget to factor in any parking fees or tolls.

Lighten your load. Can you rent chairs or umbrellas at the beach? Then don’t bother schlepping all that gear on the subway, train, bus, or ferry.

Know the rules. Does the train, bus, or ferry allow coolers or glass bottles? What about the beach? If certain items are prohibited, you could find yourself dragging unnecessary stuff and then being forced to dump all of it.

Bring a cover-up and a change of clothes. If it took you two hours to get there, you’ll want to be comfortable on the ride back.

Oh, and don’t forget to wear sunblock.

America’s Top 10 Beaches: Coopers Beach in Southampton, NY takes the top spot in 2010

by Leigh Caldwell on

Coopers Beach, Southampton’s stretch of white sand on New York’s Long Island, has been named 2010’s best beach in the America by Dr. Stephen Leatherman.

“New York has world-class beaches, but I don’t think a lot of people in the United States know about them,” said Stephen Leatherman, director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research.

Leatherman cited the fine sand, availability of parking and amenities, and Southampton’s long history as a beach community in his announcement.

Leatherman, aka “Dr. Beach,” announced his Top 10 picks for this year just in time for Memorial Day weekend, as has been his tradition since 1991. The coastal scientist says he uses more than 50 criteria — including water quality, temperature, sand quality, cleanliness, safety and environmental management.

Dr. Beach listed two Florida beaches this year — Siesta Key Beach and Cape Florida State Park — despite the oil spill still leaking in the Gulf of Mexico.

He told the Associated Press that Cape Florida State Park, near Key Biscayne, “doesn’t get the wave activity” that would encourage tar balls to wash ashore. As for Siesta Key, in Sarasota, Leatherman said he studied currents and does not believe the oil will reach the shores in Southwest Florida.

%Gallery-93850%Here are Dr. Beach’s Top 10 Beaches in America for 2010:

  • 1. Coopers Beach in Southampton, New York
  • 2. Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, Florida
  • 3. Coronado Beach in San Diego, California
  • 4. Cape Hatteras on North Carolina’s Outer Banks
  • 5. Main Beach in East Hampton, New York
  • 6. Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii
  • 7. Coast Guard Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts
  • 8. Beachwalker Park in Kiawah Island, South Carolina
  • 9. Hamoa Beach in Maui, Hawaii
  • 10. Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida

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Daily gear deals – $30 Jawbone 2 headset, $90 Samsung Dualview camera and more

by Scott Carmichael on

Here are the hottest gear deals for today, Friday, May 28th 2010. Remember, these deals are often valid for just one day, so act fast before they are gone.

Today’s first deal is for the highly rated Jawbone 2 noise canceling Bluetooth headset. Available in black or gold, and for just $29.99. On sale over at Daily Steals.

Our second deal of the day is for the fantastic Samsung TL220 dualview digital camera. With two screens, this camera is perfect for self portraits, or keeping a baby entertained while you take their picture. Being sold as “refurbished” for just $89.99, over $150 off its normal price. On sale over at oddly named “Cowboom”.

Next up is a great deal on a product we just reviewed here – the Griffin travel stand for iPod and iPhone. This small plastic stand is excellent for watching a movie, and when folded shut, it provides a storage spot for your headphones. On sale for just $11 – be sure to check for the cheapest vendors in the right hand column. Click here for this deal.

Today’s final deal is for a camera accessory kit. I won’t trick you into thinking that this is for the professional, but with a mini tripod, screen protectors, a cleaning kit a carrying bag, it is great for your point and shoot camera. Best of all, it only costs $5.23. Click here for this deal.

The other pyramids of Africa

by Sean McLachlan on


This desert land was once home to a great empire that built giant temples in honor of strange, animal-headed gods and memorialized their rulers with pyramids. It had one of the most advanced civilizations of its time and was known throughout the ancient world.

Egypt? No, Sudan.

The Kingdom of Kush in what is now Sudan built great cities and traded the products of its large and expert iron industry as far away as India and China. It lasted from about 1000 BC to 350 AD before finally being conquered by the Empire of Axum in Ethiopia. For almost a hundred years from 747-656 BC, the Kushites ruled Egypt as the twenty-fifth dynasty.

A new exhibit at the Louvre in Paris is the first to focus on Meroë, the capital of Kush in its later period and home to more than two hundred pyramids, some of which are shown in this photo. Meroe: Empire on the Nile showcases works of Meroitic art that help us understand the daily life, religion, and social structure of this often-overlooked empire.

Meroe: Empire on the Nile runs until September 6, 2010. Many of the objects are loans from the Museum of Khartoum, so if you can’t make it to Paris before September, you can always go to Sudan and the see the objects, and the pyramids, for yourself. Last year The Wall Street Journal listed the country as one of the top five destinations for the super adventurous.

Image courtesy Sven-steffenarndt via Wikimedia Commons