FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.co APRIL 21, 2016 • TIMES 17 BUZZ QUEENS New York’s first pop-up urban beach beer garden is coming to Ridgewood this summer BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport Have you ever wanted to feel the sand between your toes with a drink in your hand without having to leaving the comfort of Ridgewood? Well, Rockaway Brewing Company is bringing the beach to Ridgewood this summer. The Long Island City-based brewing company is launching La Playa NYC, New York’s first pop-up urban beach beer garden starting on June 4, at 176 Woodward Ave., right on the Ridgewood/Bushwick border. Rockaway Brewing Company is partnering with the Camber Property Group to bring life to the empty 5,000-square-foot lot. Crews will haul in 140 cubic yards of Long Island sand and decorate it with beach chairs, sun umbrellas, a thatched palapa, beach volleyball courts and kiddie pools to create an easily accessible urban beach experience that welcomes the entire community all summer long. “We were looking for more places to share our beer with other communities,” said Marcus Burnett, co-owner of Rockaway Brewing Company. “In LIC, we maxed out our space and we thought this would be a great way to bring our brand into Ridgewood.” La Playa NYC will feature local NYC farm brewery beers, a 100-yardlong wall for neighborhood artists to create and display their unique work, and four BBQ grilling stations, equipped with prep areas, grills and washing stations, where guests can bring their own food to cook, Burnett said. In collaboration with the NYC’s Guild members with Farm Brewers licenses, Rockaway Brewing Company is using La Playa NYC to champion state-grown products including New York state-grown hops and grains in all of their beers. All of the taplines at La Playa NYC will feature NYC breweries that support New York State grown products. “The idea is to bring a community together around the things we love about Rockaway, an accessible urban beach,” Burnett said. “The beer garden aspect creates an opportunity to share the camaraderie of the local farm brewers with a larger audience.” Throughout the summer La Playa NYC will also feature local talent including DJs, guest chefs, beer talks and special performances, ensuring a summer of beach, beer and fun for the whole community. The pop-up urban beer garden will run from June 4 until September, with the chance of running later. It will operate Mondays through Thursdays from 5 p.m. to midnight, and from noon to midnight on Fridays through Sundays. EXCLUSIVE Font: Engravers Old English Normal Rendering courtesy of Rockaway Brewery Local bank donates big to Ridgewood biz group Photo by Ken Brown The Ridgewood Local Development Corporation recently received a $5,000 grant from Investors Bank and the Investors Foundation to support its neighborhood improvement programs. The RLDC, which started the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) in 1988, provides myriad services to support business on the shopping strip. The RLDC and BID have worked with many community-based nonprofits to support Ridgewood as well. Shown in the photograph from left to right are Investors Bank’s Stephanie Rodriquez, Ridgewood branch manager Susan Placella, RLDC Executive Director Ted Renz, Ridgewood assistant branch manager Helen Boddie-Kahn and Jamie Santiago.
RT04212016
To see the actual publication please follow the link above