Ann Delaney Beach Blog

Category: Life at the Shore

  • Traffic Conditions

    detour.jpg  Oh, the difficulties of driving at the shore in February.  Detours on Ocean Drive by the 21st Street bridge, Dune Drive at 67th Street, one lane of the 96th Street bridge, and Third Avenue down by the Bird Sanctuary.  It makes for an exhausting commute.  Thank goodness we don’t have to deal with many cars as we weave our way through the island…that would be just too much to handle  😉

  • Winter Moon

    fullmoon.jpg  Very pretty (a cell phone camera doesn’t do it justice)- the full moon rising over the calm ocean.  It’s starting to feel like spring- more moderate temperatures, more hours of daylight, and the sound of birds in the morning. 

  • February 8th??

    febbeach.jpg  What a bonus- 55 degree weather in February.  Beautiful on the beach this morning.

    walkon.jpg  This is my typical walking attire in the winter- ski jacket with a hood, hat, gloves, and several layers underneath (it slows down my pace, but I have to be warm).  Today, I still wore the goofy hat, but just a fleece jacket and the gloves came off halfway through.

    And for those who ask:  No, the year round residents do not wander along the beach all day.  We have jobs and other responsibilities…but we are naturally drawn to the ocean and appreciate our good fortune of living at the shore.  And, yes, I do try to walk on the beach everyday.  It never gets old  🙂

  • Come on Down!

    Escape the cold and snow this weekend. 50 degree temperatures are predicted! Take a walk on the beach- breathe in the fresh salt air and feel the warm sun on your face.

    We expect to see prospective tenants and buyers around the island all weekend- a real sign of spring at the shore.

    thumbsup.jpg  I appreciate your referrals of friends and relatives.  🙂

  • Groundhog Day…Beach Version

    sandpiper.jpg  Yes, he saw his shadow, and brought us 50 degree weather and sunshine on Groundhog Day. Today, it’s snowing.  Very unpredictable little bird!

  • Confidence and Optimism

    Trying to look on the bright side of the doom and gloom news reports. 

    High gas prices forced us to re-think our driving habits- saving the environment along with our money.  Eating out less is good for our diets (although “walking” to Springer’s is still okay in my book :) ). Do I really need it?- thinking before spending leads to less waste.  And, we are thankful for things that we may have taken for granted in years past.

    I’m still queasy from receiving my year end retirement account report.  And the annual notice of our tax assessment arrived in yesterday’s mail.  The fair market value of local real estate has dropped almost 20% from the peak in 2005- but that looks pretty good compared to the losses in the stock market.  Hey…just trying to see the positive side of things.

    Here’s to a brighter tomorrow…the weather sounds just right for a walk on the beach!

  • Summer Rentals

    The majority of our summer tenants (and property owners for that matter) live within a 2 to 3 hour driving radius.  We are all experiencing similar cold weather conditions, so thinking about the beach helps us to cope!

    Prospective tenants are actively searching on line (and sometimes in person) for their ideal summer vacation house.  After a quiet fall, it’s great to have some business.

    The 2009 rental season may be a bit bumpy- and likely, we will have more last minute rental requests than ever before. 

    emptybeach.jpg But, I’m confident that the beach will be full!

  • Atlantic City to NYC Train Service

    For those of you who live near regular public transportation, this may not be a big deal.  But, we are excited about the new direct train service between Atlantic City and New York City. 

    From the atlanticcitynj.com web site:

    ACES, the Direct Express Train service between New York City and Atlantic City is scheduled to start on February 6.  Special introductory one-way ticket prices are set at $50 for coach seats and $75 for first class. The weekend-only trips to Atlantic City transit will take about 2½ hours and will travel directly from New York City’s Penn Station to Atlantic City.  

    The NYC to AC trains will make the 143-mile run Friday, Saturday and Sunday with two trains on Friday, three on Saturday and four on Sunday.  The newly remodeled cars will carry as many as 300 passengers per four-car train.

    Tickets for the new Atlantic City Train Service will go on sale January 15. Passengers will be able to make reservations and get additional information at www.acestrain.com.

  • More Snow at the Shore

    It doesn’t last (that’s what we like best)- but it’s pretty for a few hours.

    82ndstpath.jpg   82ndst.jpg  The beach side promenade between 80th and 83rd Streets (major renovations underway at the Windrift, by the way- the 2 inside bar areas from what I could see).

  • Stone Harbor in the Winter

    I guess we’re considered a fascinating bunch! The attached article was front page news this morning in The Press:

    http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/185/story/383897.html

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