My Funny Vale ntine 6 | BOROMAG.COM | FEBRUARY 2015 EXPLORE YOUR BORO Story By Dina Laura If I want to know the time of year, I need not look any further than my hallway. My nextdoor neighbor, Barb, is sure to adorn her front door with decorations heralding whatever holiday is about to occur. Oh, how I loved her miniature Santa suits, strung all around her doorframe at Christmas. It's like I'm a kid again, waiting to see how my teacher is going to decorate the bulletin board next. These days, however, I pause before I open the door. Hearts line the walls outside my apartment. Oh yeah, it's Valentine's Day. Oh yeah—I'm single. But then I remind myself, Valentine's Day isn't just about lovers—it's about love. Why can't February 14th commemorate celebrating the awesomeness of me? I think the time has come to be my own Valentine, and find some cool things to do solo in Queens. Of course no day can begin without my daily dose of coffee. A habitual early riser, an IV straight into my vein is probably what I need to jolt me awake, but I could never dream of depriving myself of the wonderful aroma and taste of a good cup of joe. So off I'll go to the New York City Coffee & Bagel House (29-08 23rd Avenue, www.nycbch.com). The visually stunning decor combined with friendly service and free Wi-Fi makes this a go-to place for yours truly. And they leave water bowls outside for dogs. Sufficiently caffeinated, I’ll hit an early morning ‘Surf’ class at Tone Pilates & Wellness Studio (36-19 Broadway, www. toneny.com). I'll be hanging five on my surfboard, with owner Jessica Hope Restrepo making sure I don't plummet off. In fact, Jessica and her partner, Alicia Lavender, take great pride in making their clients feel safe and cared for. No key tags are needed at this studio. These ladies know everyone's names, and have created a sense of community and family. Classes are purposely small—6 for Surf, 9 for Mat, and 3 for Reformer—but the prices rival area studios. And it's not just about teaching people Pilates. Jessica expresses a higher purpose for what she’s doing. "We want to be something bigger than what we are,” says Restrepo. “We want to give out something more to the universe than what we are. We want to change the world, and even by us changing one body at a time, it's what we're doing. Everyone who walks out of here not only feels good physically, but emotionally." That's what I call an allinclusive workout. Now that I’m energized, I’ll be ready to expand my mind and for me that means a book. Coming from a mom who reads three books per week on average, books matter to me—a lot. Lucky for me, the Astoria Bookshop (31-29 31st Street, www.astoriabookshop.com) is around the corner from the Pilates studio. It's a cozy space, with nifty handwritten cards attached to certain shelves which highligh featured books. Personalized service is the cornerstone of owner Alexis Beach's business, whether that means to recommend a book, or to special order one for any of her customers. The store also hosts various events, including story time for kids, author readings, and my favorite, the Drunk Vocab Bee, co-sponsored with Astoria Coffee (30-04 30th Street, www. astoriacoffeeny.com) taking place on February 7th. At this point, I'll be in desperate need of nutrients. Juice Doctor (23-92 27th Street), celebrating its grand opening on February 7th, is owned by brothers Sal and Angelo Beninati—their father owns Othello Deli next door. These guys truly walk the walk and talk the talk. Both are avid juicers and health advocates. Sal graduated with a Culinary degree from Johnson and Wales in 2011, and his knowledge of juicing is impressive. Their menu is based on the human anatomy, with a chart on the wall illustrating which juice is good for which part of the body. Juices catered to your specific needs can be made, and they also have grab and go options. Delivery service is an added bonus. Everyone on staff has a background in health and nutrition and is available to provide onsite counseling to customers. Besides Juice Doctor, Sal is also the chef at Othello, overseeing their menu and doing all the cooking. As for my juice, I'll have what he's having if it means I can keep up with Sal's pace. Next, I'll head to the First Con-tact Convention, Enigma Events’ version of Comic Con (New York LaGuardia Airport Marriott, 102-05 Ditmars Boulevard, www.enigmasevents.com) to embrace my inner nerd. Geared toward independent artists, the convention will feature illustrators, colorists, and authors of comics, fantasy, and graphic novels, as well as films, panel discussions, vendors, and Cosplay awards for the best costume. Wondering if this is truly up my alley? FYI, I read Orson
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