I stared writing a monthly column in the Rockland County Times called “Reconnecting Rockland.” In it I focus on planning, engineering, real estate development, and architecture issues that are facing the County. Check out Part 1 and Part 2, aptly named “Back to Our Roots.”
Archive for the ‘History’ Category
“Reconnecting Rockland” Column in the Rockland County Times
Posted: April 27, 2012 by HaverstrawLife.com in Downtown, History, Opinions & Politics, Sustainability0
Why Buy Local?
Posted: February 16, 2012 by HaverstrawLife.com in Activities, Cafes & Restaurants, Downtown, History, New Stores“Every day we’re faced with choices: Buy from Home Depot or the guy that owns the hardware store in the Village? Get a cup of coffee from Starbucks or the local coffee shop? In these difficult economic times, to me it makes more sense to shop, buy, and dine at our local businesses. Buying local strengthens [...]
Bill Batson’s Take on the ‘House by the Railroad’
Posted: February 7, 2012 by HaverstrawLife.com in History, Local ArtisansArtist Bill Batson takes on the ‘House by the Railroad‘ with his sketch of the famed house in Haverstraw (left) that inspired Edward Hopper to paint and Alfred Hitchcock to kill off his leading lady on-screen in “Psycho.” Read more about Batson’s take on Edward Hopper and the house that started it all. Batson discusses [...]
How or Why Cars Erode Cities & Villages
Posted: February 7, 2012 by HaverstrawLife.com in Downtown, History, SustainabilityTags: Architecture, automobiles destructive, car, cars, Cars Erode Cities, downtown Haverstraw, downtowns, Haverstraw, Jane Jacobs, Main Street, New York, Old Fashioned, parking, storefronts, streetscape, sustainability, traditional neighborhood, village of haverstraw, walkability, walking
Jane Jacobs was one of the first writers to document the effects of cars on urban fabric. By “urban,” I mean “old-fashioned” or traditional towns and downtowns. Densely populated cities and villages throughout the United States were beginning to take steps to incorporate automobiles into the built environment. Planners and politicians began to see parking [...]
Lower the Floor in the Haverstraw Tunnel?
Posted: November 29, 2011 by HaverstrawLife.com in History, SustainabilityThe great Cap’n Transit wrote a blog post on the virtues of lowering the floor of the Haverstraw rail tunnel, which is seen by State officials (and the CSX freight rail company) as the biggest impediment to restore passenger rail services on the West Shore Line.
A Facebook Vignette: Urban v. Suburban
Posted: November 18, 2011 by HaverstrawLife.com in Activities, Downtown, History, Opinions & PoliticsI love the Haverstraw – Our Hometown Facebook page. It features several discussions on the history of Haverstraw and brief accounts of life in the Village, today and in the past. Renee, a member of the page recently gave an account of her experience while visiting Downtown Haverstraw. She describes perfectly the relationship between density [...]
Haverstraw Village Local Currency Plan
Posted: October 14, 2011 by HaverstrawLife.com in Downtown, Events, History, SustainabilityThe Concept: Haverstraw Notes Local currency is a powerful, local economic development engine. The problem with national currency like the U.S. Dollar is that value is quite often removed from a local economy, as that value is transferred to national retailers (chains) or is spent elsewhere, in other communities. By creating a local currency system [...]
What’s in a Name?: “Short [and] Long Clove”
Posted: October 14, 2011 by HaverstrawLife.com in HistoryThe Short and Long Clove of southern Haverstraw has some interesting roots . . .
Tony Bourdain’s Take on the Hudson Valley
Posted: July 29, 2011 by HaverstrawLife.com in Downtown, History, WaterfrontTags: Anthony Bourdain, black dirt region, blue crabs, cruise, culinary, food, Haverstraw, Hudson River, Hudson Valley, New York, No Reservations, Pine Island, television, Tony Bourdain, village of haverstraw
Anthony Bourdain’s take on the Hudson Valley by boat, and by multi-day feast.
Local photographer Thomas McGuire captures Haverstraw from atop High Tor Mountain. High Tor towers above the Village of Haverstraw, which is nestled between the base of the peak and the Hudson River. Photo #2 is the old Haverstraw High School, today Haverstraw Middle School, seen from above – the school is celebrating its 75th Anniversary [...]
How to Spark a Downtown Renaissance
Posted: April 11, 2011 by HaverstrawLife.com in Cafes & Restaurants, Downtown, HistoryTags: Andres Duany, community, Conservation, Death and Life of Great American Cities, Downtown, farmers market, gentrification, Haverstraw, haverstraw ferry, haverstraw village, HaverstrawLife, Hudson River, James Howard Kunstler, Jane Jacobs, manhattan, new urbanism, New York, renaissance, revitalization, Richard Florida, Rob Hopkins, Robert Caro, Robert Moses, Robert Owen, Transition, Urban Planning, Village, village of haverstraw
The myths and secrets about economic growth, revitalization, real estate and change in urban areas are plentiful. One way to understand how your community might develop into one of those places you’ve dreamed of living in and why certain places ascend, and other places decline, it helps to read works by the top experts in the field.
Our History of Trains
Posted: March 9, 2011 by HaverstrawLife.com in Downtown, Ferry Service, History, SustainabilityI have been both amazed and frustrated by the recent “national conversation” on high speed rail. Never before in the history of these United States has transportation (especially railroads) become part of the partisan divide. It seems the R’s need more issues to fight over with the D’s; and where are the I’s in all [...]
There Are Frontiers All Around Us
Posted: December 7, 2010 by HaverstrawLife.com in Downtown, HistoryTags: Braddock Pennsylvania, Creative Class, Frontiers, Haverstraw, haverstraw village, Hudson River, Hudson Valley, Levi's, New York, upstate new york, Urban Pioneers
I have to applaud Levi’s for taking on this issue. For years, I have been explaining to friends, family, and neighbors that a place like Haverstraw is exciting. It’s a blank canvas, cast in a light that’s filled with incredible history, with which any “pioneer” can make a name for himself/herself. Haverstraw is a place [...]
Haverstraw Gear!
Posted: October 4, 2010 by HaverstrawLife.com in Downtown, Events, History, Local Artisans, UncategorizedTags: $15, $5, brick, built on brick, Haverstraw, New York, represent, shirt, sustainability, t, t shirt, tote bage, tshirt, Village, village of haverstraw
Haverstraw, N.Y. Built on Brick T-shirts for sale for $15. Canvas tote bags are $5. Order one today!
Built to Last
Posted: September 13, 2010 by HaverstrawLife.com in Downtown, History, New Construction, SustainabilityThere’s something about old fashioned communities that attracts so many of us. What is it exactly? Can you pinpoint that special something about Nyack, or Piermont, or Hoboken, or Brooklyn, or . . . HaverstrawVillage that creates excitement, the platform for a thriving community?
