This too is Yonkers: By Eric Schoen
It’s hot. It’s humid. Tuesday night’s lightening lit up the sky like I haven’t seen in years. The water in the pool and in the ocean is comfortably warm. The drinks at the bar are there to comfortably cool us off.
So don’t we need and deserve a political vacation? Time off from Sean and Wolf and Anderson and Rush. Notice how each of them takes time off during the summer. Don’t we need time off too!
On my radio show last week (Thursdays 10-11:00 a.m. WVOX 1460 or on the Simple Radio App alternating with Rising Editor Dan Murphy) I decided I wasn’t going to talk about politics. I was going to talk about things important to listeners and ways to enjoy the summer and the beautiful weather. From the calls and emails, people loved it.
Let’s start out with the West Nile Virus found in mosquitoes in Yonkers. Warm, wet, humid weather is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. The authorities say cover up when outside but who doesn’t want to wear shorts this time of year. Some simple tips so you can attempt to keep the bugs away from you.
Stay away from scented bath soaps, shampoos and perfumes during the summer. They act like magnets attracting bugs to our bodies. The same goes for scented laundry soap. With so many on the market find one that is scent free. Many people swear by Avon’s Skin So Soft to keep away the bugs. After getting bitten 3 times on one arm while on the Jersey Shore at Asbury Park several weeks ago, I knew it was time to get my bottle of Skin So Soft from my Avon rep.
Were you among the masses who hit the Walmart in White Plains Going out of Business Sale for 75% off everything? Now that’s the way to do a sale. No advertising just word of mouth and all that was left by weeks end was pet food.
I hope Walmart relocates quickly in the area, hopefully in and around Yonkers. I would love to see Stein Mart or Dillard’s, stores familiar to those of you who holiday in Florida open in this area. For now you will have to visit these stores websites for great bargains. Dillard’s has no physical location in New York so you save the tax!
The hot new attraction this summer is the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York. The center is the first non-profit cultural institution and national-scale visitor experience dedicated to comedy. Featuring more than 50 immersive exhibits that celebrate comedy in all of its forms.
What famous comedian was born in Jamestown? Lucille Ball, the Queen of Comedy. A visit to Jamestown must include a trip to the the Lucy Desi Museum. This tribute to the First Couple of Comedy explores the life stories of both Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and features original costumes, gowns, props, exact re-creations of the I Love Lucy television studio sets, and more!
(By the way, Optimum features I Love Lucy reruns from 5-7 a.m. In the morning. Start your day with a laugh versus the same news of the day you heard yesterday!)
On these hot, humid days, make sure that you and the members of your family are well hydrated. Whole foods has these big bottles of water for 69 cents that you can freeze and sip in the car all day.
It’s always a fun trip to visit the wineries of upstate New York or Long Island. Many offer tours with tastings free or for a small charge. Beware if you hit a winery with a Bachelorette or Bachelor Party. Apparently these events are out of control and many wineries steer away from them particularly on busy weekends. As always, if you are drinking don’t drive!
Out shopping in the last few weeks at Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond, I noticed so many parents coming in to shop with their college bound students. So much for Internet shopping! I guess people like to see and feel what they are buying. At least the parents do!
Pretty Woman is in previews on Broadway. Julia Roberts went to see the show within the last week. The reason I bring this up is that some out of town tourists also went to the performance arriving late. If you are going to see a show on Broadway make sure you know the correct time that your show begins. Starting times are all over the place and vary by day of the week.
Several years ago I was late for a show because I didn’t look at my tickets or online for the correct time. It happened to a friend from out of town a few weeks ago. Stubhub, TicketsNow, BroadwayBox and the ever faithful TKTS booths on 47th Street, at Lincoln Center and the South Street Seaport are all good places to pick up last minute theater tickets up to 50% off.
Lot of controversy about MoviePass, the subscription service that lets you, until your renewal date see a movie a day for $9.95 a month. After your renewal date it’s 3 free movies a month with discounts for other movies you may wish to see. Bottom line. With movies costing $12-$15 if you see one movie a month you are ahead of the game. AMC theaters and Alamo Cinemas also offer movie subscription services. It all depends on the theater you and your family go to most often.
If you haven’t tried UBER or LYFT you are in the minority. They get you where you want to go, often at a lower price than the cost of a cab. Perfect for those who indulge at the bar and should not be drinking and driving. Problem is New York City allowed these companies and other ride sharing companies like VIA in New York City to expand clogging city streets. You don’t have that same problem in Westchester. Hopefully the amount of Uber and LYFT cars in New York will be capped so that a 30 minute Yonkers to New York theater district trip won’t take you an hour driving your own car.
Indiana Jones fan? Head to London September 20 (beautiful time of year to visit) where the largest collection of Indiana Jones props, etc. will be up for auction. You can probably bid online but this looks to be a major event for fans of the movies!
You can get many good deals on hotels, cruises and other last minute vacation trips the last 2 weeks of August through Labor Day. Though most of our schools start after Labor Day, most of America heads back to school mid-August. And don’t forget those fall weekends. Prices are low and the weather is gorgeous.
So, an article free of political chatter. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know!
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen and Dan Murphy on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM or download the SIMPLE RADIO app for free from the APP STORE.
