6 minute read
Chamber Manager
The Chamber works for you
The Long Beach Chamber of Commerce wishes you all a Happy Spring as we embark on another Beach Season. Coming out of the pandemic is fabulous news but we cannot overlook the toll it has taken on our businesses and our community as a whole. Our businesses have labored through the winter and are steaming towards a prosperous summer. We have all had to pivot in our business and family lives to maintain some sense of normality. Life was no different at the Chamber and pivot we did as well to see how best to serve our Business Community and to help navigate the unknowns.
Working closely with the City Administration we pinpointed areas that would help our restaurants with seating capacity and getting creative with outdoor seating. Also creating parking areas in our Business Districts for curbside pick-up and drop-off for our Retail Establishments. As you all know, a strong Business District helps to keep our taxes stable and that is exactly what is needed now. With things ever evolving in our City by the Sea, there are many bright spots to acknowledge. First is the Superblock. We all know what is happening over there, after all we have been talking about it for 30 years and now it rises out of the ground. This project will bring great investment to our Business Community and a fair share of spending capital. Next up is our Road Reconstruction on the Boulevards connecting the LIRR and the Beach. And various other projects to increase the quality of life. The best way to describe Long Beach is a touristy Beach Community in Summer that transitions to Local Life in the Winter.
The Chamber is proud to see everyone back on their feet and looking forward to a beautiful Summer. We are fortunate that our membership is skyrocketing and that people, and I mean the entire Community, are represented so that all can enjoy the benefit when we work together and keep businesses strong. We are happy to proclaim Long Beach is Open for Business! Come and enjoy our beautiful beaches and venture into town and enjoy our beautiful restaurants or visit our Brewery, that's right we have the Bright Eye Brewery right here in town, and do a little shopping along the way. The Chamber is here to serve our Community both Businesses and Residents and that doesn't happen without the hard work of our Board of Directors. They are to be commended for helping get us all through these trying times, and our thanks to them can not be measured. We invite you all to come visit us at one of our Monthly Meetings which have really become the place to be on the 3rd Monday of the month. Look us up for dates and locations and stop in to say Hello, as we take issues head on. In closing, let's support our Local Businesses so that they can thrive and bring to you a great experience.
Sincerely, Jamie Lynch, Co-Chair Leah Tozer, Co-Chair and The Board of Directors
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BreezY
By James Bernstein
There are so many great things about the beach — the view of the gently bobbing waves in the morning, the fragrance of the salt air, and the warmth of the sand. But it is ultimately the breeze from the ocean that always draws people back to the boardwalk and its colorful cafes.
It‘s the sea breeze and the hot croissants, sizzling burgers, malts and milk shakes and candy-colored ice cream cones offered from the sizzling grills and counters.
Long Beach residents and visitors from elsewhere flock to the popular eateries on the boardwalk — Riptides, Marvel and Beach Burger. These spots jut out from the boardwalk like a surprise gift to the hungry, the thirsty, or to those who just want a break from a stroll, a jog or a bike ride.
Brian Braddish, son of the well-known former Long Beach
on the boardwalk
Courtesy Marvel city council member Kevin Braddish, opened Riptides about seven years ago, hoping to draw in longtime Long Beach residents and sun worshipers from across Nassau and Queens. He has been successful. His seasonal outlet, shaped like a box with an indoor porch, draws hundreds on weekends and an SRO crowd on summer holidays.
Riptides, Marvel and Beach Burger draw people in. They are meeting spots for retirees, a place to play a hand or two of cards, a way station to a more serious destination, like a meeting, but maybe most of all, a respite from the worries of everyday life.
Courtesy Riptide's Facebook “Everyone comes to these places,” said, Perri Taxin of Long Beach, a teacher in the East Meadow school district who, like others in her profession, was gearing up for a long week off just before Good Friday and Passover. Riptides, Marvel and Beach Burger would be her summer hangouts, Taxin said. It was Kourtney Guenego’s 47th birthday, and she was celebrating at Rip Tides with a friend, Barbara Coyle, of West Belmar, N.J.
Continued on page 18
Photos by: Joe Abate/Herald
Courtesy Riptide
Continued from page 17 “This is a local breakfast spot,” Guenego said. “I raised my family here. I always meet friends here. You can’t get over the view, of the breeze. It keeps you coming back.” T.K. Chiu, a golf instructor, was enjoying breakfast with his friend, Joyce Chau, a womens’ clothing designer. They come every few weeks, from Levittown. The trip is worth it, Chiu said. “It always reminds me of summer,” Chiu said. Cindy Wenger of Woodmere brought her three daughters, just to sit on a bench outside Marvel, the ice cream store, and take in the atmosphere. One of the them, Rebecca Wenger, 20, a student at SUNY Binghamton, said she began coming to the local joints three years ago, and has not stopped since, at least when she is in town. “I love the food,” she said. “I love this whole place.”
Courtesy Beach Burger
