Jazz Lawn Party / August 16, 2015 by Cynthia Catera

If I could turn back time......If I could find a way.....it may have been to the Roaring 20's with the rule breaking times of prohibition and shaking my hips to the Charleston. Since I haven't mastered time jumping, I'll have to settle for 2nd best, and that's the Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governors Island.

BANNERMAN CASTLE / October 14, 2014 by Cynthia Catera

When approaching Pollepel Island, with a view of the Bannerman Castle, you're taken to worlds and life-times away...to a fairy-tale land of stories untold.

Little to my dismay, the truth unfolds that this was in fact a military surplus warehouse built by businessman and architecturally obsessed Francis Bannerman VI in 1901. Being an avid man of the import/export business, Bannerman was the first to offer mail-ordered catalogs for guns and ammunition for the military, and this structure was a means to store the excess which overflowed from his New York warehouse. Since the island has uneven footing and rocky cliffs, the warehouse had a whole floor dedicated for recreational activities. He even built a house for his family, several yards from the warehouse.

Working from a young age, Bannerman, living in Brooklyn, would collect scraps of metal from the Navy Harbor, and would continue to have a "cut-the-cost" or perhaps a "reduce-reuse-recycle" mentality that contributed to his great business skills. This eventually caught up with him, and literally backfired when a small fire broke loose in the warehouse. In normal circumstances, this would be easy to attain, however, Bannerman, decided to reuse the flooring when building the structure, without realizing this was previously wood was soaked in oil. This in turn, only heightened all destruction, in which the fire burned for 3 days.

What is left of the warehouse, which I will still refer to as a castle, still holds its magnificence and beauty. Bannerman, having a knack for details and architecture, built a landmark that takes us through time, and his story will be forever told.

THE BOTSFORD BRIAR / October 10, 2014 by Cynthia Catera

While in Beacon, we stayed at the BOTSFORD BRIAR. With Shirley and Charlie as gracious hosts, one is sure to feel right at home. The Gardenia Room, hinted on an English Countryside theme with the soft floral accents pairing back to deep mahogany finishes...and there's nothing like starting a day off than breakfast in bed:) Having a knack for antiques and the fine detailing lost in modern-day replication, this place was like a museum in which hours can be spent admiring the decor.

Weekend in Beacon / October 10, 2014 by Cynthia Catera

A quick ride away from the city, you will find yourself in small and quaint town with accents of Victorian influence. This is Beacon, NY. An art-filled, pocket sized town, sitting just East of the Hudson. With countless of activities to immerse yourself in, I stuck to the basics with nature, antiquing, and of course...eating.