Costume Parade of Jack O'lanterns

Merchant's Urchins Parade  On Saturday, October 27th come Downtown for a Costume Parade followed by Pumpkin Painting!  The annual Merchant’s Urchins Parade begins at 9:45 am at New Street in  New Roc City  and ends at Library Green Park. Treats and pumpkin-painting on the Green follows. BID Family Days are made possible by a partnership with the New Rochelle Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) in conjunction with the Library, City School District and Parks & Recreation!

No Faux Pas Here- Etiquette the easy way

Author Inga Watkins & Just Funki Owner Rhonda 

Have you checked your manners lately? Well, if you haven't, maybe its time you picked up Faux Pas to Fabulous!  The book is the brainchild of the Emily Post of New Rochelle, Inga Joseph Watkins. This New Rochelle model, mother & merchandizing degree holder is the CEO and founder of Modelquette.  She has worked with Calvin Klein, Whitney Houston and Brandi just to name a few! Her trademarked company is a brand worth investing in- and many guests at her book signing @ Just Funki agreed.

She has perfected the art of balancing multiple roles effortlessly or shall I say etiquettely.  I picked up a copy of her go-to guide for manners and enjoyed the witty tips and antidotes. The book has a target audience from 8-80 and beyond. Being Faux Pas is never in style, so learn the art of class by getting her book while supplies last.

Me with Author & CEO Inga Watkins 

Our 100th Post! History in the Making!

When I started New Rochelle Now in April 2012, It was totally out of necessity.  I was relatively new to the Queen City, and struggled to find out what was happening on a day-to-day basis. I view NRN as my version of Time Out New Rochelle. To commemorate my 100th post, take a walk with me down memory lane and visit some of my favorite haunts and havens. You may even spot something you missed the first time. 

NoMa Social

Places to kick back
After a long day at the office, why not hit a local lounge?  New Rochelle has many to choose from - The Gnarly Vine is an intimate wine bar with a welcoming atmosphere and affable staff. If you want something slightly more upbeat try NoMa Social  the decor is futuristic and the food is fantastic. For those who want to dance the night away or watch others do so,  head to Don Coqui. Now if you need a space to crank out that thesis, head to R.Patisserie where silence is golden and the lattes are hot.

Don Coqui

Speak  Italian
New Rochelle is the prefect town to feed my Love for Italian food and Pizza. Posto 22  is sure to serve as your own personal kitchen. I make a trip once a week. At  Spadaro, the food is served family style and they don't have a menu so come hungry and ready for a taste of Italy! The guys at  Blackboard Pizza buy all their ingredients fresh daily and they know the the ABC's of  perfect pizza.

Castle Gallery

Become a voyeur
New Rochelle has a host of Gallery's and artist spaces and each one is different from the next. The Castle Gallery is a vast estate with rotating exhibits that will marvel you. If you want to simply pop in and see something by a local young artist head over to the Backstreet Gallery . For an all encompassing experience go over to this live/work gallery & Artist space at the  Media Loft. 

 Alvin Clayton of Alvin & Friend's

Food that feeds the Soul
 Having the esteemed honor of one of the Best of Westchester has not gone to Alvin Clayton's head. He continues to churn out plates of love, peace and soul at his New Rochelle restaurant Alvin & Friends. How sweet it is. Sweet Potatoes has perfected the art of cooking for many and making it taste as if it was prepared just for you. Go in and get a taste of that down home soul food you have been missing up north.

La Ceniga

Latin flavor 
New Rochelle has a tremendous amount of Latin fare to choose from. For date night I would suggest
 La Ceniga! Once inside, you may feel as if you just entered the Meatpacking District with it's hip crowd and sumptuous food. My second pick is the Peruvian gallery style restaurant  Cholos Kitchen, plan to go there only if you are hungry, because you won't be able to resist trying several items off of the menu. 

Shop till you drop
Before you head to The Westchester for your next shopping spree, try heading  downtown to  Consign it on Main! They have everything you need for your home and then some. The Sweet preserves boutique located in the rear of the store is a treasure chest of luxury goods. Stop by and tell Amy that I sent you. For your seasonal home refreshers, go to the  The Curtain Shop.That place is not just curtains. The jewels at Just Funki are all handmade originals and each piece is like a work of art. Rhonda is a master jewelry maker her handmade chandelier is magnificent.

The Curtain Shop

Wide open spaces
Wildcliff  is an oasis in New Rochelle. This open air space has showcased many local talents as well as billboard hit-makers. I would go just for the view. When the weather permits, two words BEACH BAR! The Hudson Park Beach Bar's newly revamped tiki bar will make you want to go to Aruba-Jamaica..KeyLargo- Montego.. but, New Rochelle is a much shorter flight.

Wildcliff

New Jazz Workshop - PACking them in

Friday October 19th @ 8pm

If you are feeling in a Jazzy kind of mood this weekend. Come out to the PAC House Theater on Friday night when The New Jazz Workshop hits the stage. Bassist Dezron Douglas, known for his musical versatility is one of the co-founders. He is one of the most in demand bassists in jazz today and established himself as a composer and bandleader. Co-Leader Sax Man Lummie Spann Jr. received a full scholarship to the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford.  Together they are  accompanied by Theo Hill on the ivory keys with Curtis Torian drumming his way through the evening and Josh Evans tooting along with his trusty trumpet rounding out the the crew. 

New Jazz Workshop

Tickets for the show can be purchased here TICKETS ! The PAC house theater is a marvel to see and a acoustic dream. Eric Woodlin of Incoming tide keeps thing Jazzy with his PAC House events and this one is sure to be a toe-tapper. 

PAC Theater- 311 Huguenot St, New Rochelle, NY

Eric Woodlin - Incoming Tide Entertainment

Verbosity's Vault - A Movie Star Opens her Closet

Chenoa Maxwell

Something wickedly brilliant emerges from the closet of  New Rochelle's dexterous ingenue- Closet Talk. This exciting new weekly webseries, hosted by the immensley talented Chenoa Maxwell, literally takes place inside her lush walk-in repository. The show where salacious and taboo topics about Fashion, Art, Life, and Love are discussed! The conversations will captivate you and her frocks, finery's and frippery will make you flustered. Closet Talk, Fashionably Fluent!  

 

Video 

Chenoa is no stranger to the camera. This New York native began  her career in front of the lens, and is perhaps best known for her breakout performance as the lead female in Miramax’s indie feature Hav Plenty.  On the small screen, she enjoyed a successful run as the much beloved “Lena” on “Girlfriends”.  But, it is in the movie, G, a modern urban retelling of The Great Gatsby, staring opposite veteran actor Blair Underwood that Maxwell emerges as a true screen siren.

In 2006, Chenoa took a hiatus from Hollywood and moved to London to study photography.  After receiving her formal training from such notable photography masters such as David Alan Harvey, Phillipe Pache and Stephen Shames, she pursued her passion for photography by traveling the world shooting reportage for various non-profit organizations.  Chenoa’s distinctive style and use of light quickly established her as a sought after photographer and in 2008, she landed her first cover job for Dime Magazine featuring Shaquille O’Neal.

Specializing in environmental and celebrity portraits, Chenoa continues to be commissioned by many of the major publications, movie and music companies and is privileged to be the entrusted personal photographer for a host of celebrities. Her striking images have been exhibited in the Art Meets Architecture Exhibit in Sag Harbor, NY, Soho Photo Gallery in New York, Lex Leonard Gallery in New Jersey, and Cinema Odeon in Firenze Italy, Knickerboker Art Show, NY, Split Second: Africa, Mimosa Champagne Lounge, Oakland, CA and is currently exhibiting her works entitled Introspection: India at The Papillion Institute of Art in Los Angeles, CA.

Columbus Day - Celebrate America!

Head over Hudson Park today in honor of Columbus Day. Starting at 3pm , meet fellow New Rochelleans and  parade marchers, as they celebrate the man who "discovered America".  Now I will not get into the controversy that claims Columbus was not responsible for the discovery- I will leave that to historians. Drive,walk or ride your bike over to Hudson park, because the Pinta, Nina and  Maria are in the shop for repairs.

Columbus Statue in Hudson Park

The explorer Christopher Columbus made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain: in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502. He was determined to find a direct water route west from Europe to Asia, but he never did. Instead, he accidentally stumbled upon the Americas in 1492.

Paine to Pain- A Common Sense Run

Paine to Pain Half Marathon

 On Sunday October 14th @ 9am, the sound of a single gunshot will pierce the air from within the area surrounding the Thomas Paine Cottage. There is no cause for alarm. This is the 5th Annual Paine to Pain Half Marathon! The 13.1+ mile race is a giant single loop that meanders its way through the woods, trails and parks of lower Westchester and ends at New Rochelle High School. You will never run the same trail twice and spend 90% of your trot on dirt. On your mark- get set- go!

www.painetopain.com

From now until October 10th,  simply complete the  Registration Form ,designated waiver and then gear up to set your personal best. The $60 last minute sign up fee can be slashed several dollars if you sign up early next year. So get off that couch and bring out inner Bruce Jenner in you!

Paine to Pain is organized by New Ro Runners

*Sponsors include: Fairway, Walgreens, Westchester Road Runners, Robeks, VitaCoco, Houlihan Lawrence, REI, Sound Shore Medical Center, Twin Lakes Farm, Bike MS, Village of Scarsdale

3-D Fazzino - Step into reality

Charles Fazzino

If you have been following my blog, you would know that New Rochelle has a high concentration of artists. The Williamsburg of Westchester as I like to call it; has galleries galore and Charles Fazzino is no exception.   Charles, a world renowned celebrated 3-D artist has his studio and gallery in downtown New Rochelle. His works are showcased at  high profile events and even at the most watched television show in history- The Superbowl as well as the The Grammy Awards and the MLB All-Star Game.

NY Skyline

Artist Workshop

I had the pleasure of visiting his artist studio during the New Rochelle ArtsFest. The collection of art was so vivid I liken it to virtual reality. Mr. Fazzino holds a bachelors degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York.  Stop by and visit his 3-D studio and bring home a rendering that is as frenetic as your favorite city!

Spooks in Store - Halloween Pop-up Shop

Pop-Up Halloween Store @ 245 North Avenue

Thanks to a story in the New Rochelle Patch, I uncovered a treasure trove of tricks- A Halloween Pop-Up store on North Avenue. Located at 245 North Avenue, this pop-up store will be open for the month of October. I spied two creepy costumes at shockingly low prices which will soon be in my clutches. They also have a hauntingly good amount of adult masks to bring out the Franken fiend in you. Get there soon because before you know it, the best costumes will be ghost.

Social Networking with Young Professionals

Young Professionals of Southern  Westchester talk Social Media

The Young Professionals of Southern Westchester are back! This time they are getting social. Talking social media @ NoMa Social. On Thursday October 18th, @ 5:30pm, come and speak with tech savvy professionals who will assist you with creating Twitter and Linkedin accounts. The bevy of point and click professionals will bring you up to speed with the latest social media trends and best ways to market your business or blog.

NoMa Social 1 Radisson Plaza

Sponsored by the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce, this event is sure to be the trending topic of the day. Register now because availability is going fast! Social Networking Event Or email Rocio Moneral for additional information rmonreal@newrochellechamber.org  Don't forget to bring your iPhones & Laptops and cyber savant Jennifer Flowers from Accreditation Guru will teach you how to link, tweet and get virtually connected. 

Jennifer Flowers

 Jennifer Flowers, MBA has dedicated her career to the accreditation arena. Her 15+ years of accreditation experience includes serving as Director of Volunteer Services and Accreditation Commission at the Council on Accreditation (COA). . Her diverse expertise includes strategic plan design, Board development, creation of policies and procedures necessary to comply with accreditation and licensing standards, and the formation of effective volunteer management programs.Professionally, Jennifer has held key management positions in both for-profit and non-profit organizations prior to founding Accreditation Guru, Inc. in 2009. She earned her B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, Berkley and holds an MBA in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.