Golden Oldie

Alper’s True Value Hardware Wins Beautification Award during its Centennial Year

Longevity and looks: Alper’s True Value Hardware has dual reasons to celebrate this May. The hardware store, a Port Washington mainstay since 1911, is the most recent recipient of the Golden Storefront Award, a joint beautification award by Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington and the B.I.D. This just days before an official street designation by the Town of North Hempstead on Saturday May 14, as the corner of Irma Avenue and Main Street, where the store is located, becomes “Alper’s Corner” to mark its centennial anniversary.  “It feels great,” said Doris Novick of the attention the store is garnering. Novick and her sister Sheryl Cohen own and operate Alper’s along with husbands Mark Novick and Lew Cohen. The store was opened by…

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Port Night Out Returns Dec. 15

The call to make the second Port Night Out another hit.

Don't miss the second Port Night Out on Dec. 15. The first Port Night Out was a terrific success from our standpoint. My wife Nancy and I strolled down Main Street and went to many stores that we had never visited before. We (mostly Nancy) made a number of purchases and met new store owners and employees who welcomed us and will surely see us again in the future. They all told us how they liked the opportunity to meet new customers and to have a reason to be able to stay open later and bring in additional business. It becomes feasible to remain open when other shops are, and thus shoppers are encouraged to come out for numerous stores and not just one. We also enjoyed great food and wine, which we enjoyed along the route, with music …

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Holidays in Port Washington

Got Holiday Shopping Lists? “Port Night Out” Offers Something for Everyone

Local merchants put the “happy” in the holidays on two December evenings with rewards and entertainment.

Forget the malls and online. Port Washington merchants want you to shop locally this holiday season and they're pulling out the stops to make it fun and rewarding. On two Wednesdays in December, merchants along Main Street are staying open late, offering entertainment and incentives both Dec. 1 and Dec. 15 from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 pm. The evening shopping hours, billed as "Port Night Out," are designed to boost foot traffic to local merchants while showcasing Port Washington as a retail destination. "Port Washington has a tremendous mix of boutiques, mom-and-pop merchants, dining and cultural offerings," said Mindy Germain, executive director, of Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington. "Port Night Out will offer 'shoppertainment' …

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Turkish Delight: Tava Wins Beautification Award

The Mediterranean brasserie and burger bistro serves up curb appeal.

Diners in search of burgers or baba ganoush would do well to stroll through the welcoming doors of restaurant Tava, which serves up both Mediterranean cuisine and American diner fare with style and panache. Recently named "Best Turkish" restaurant by Long Island Pulse magazine, Tava's crisp red, black and gold façade has also garnered the merchant another prize: the latest Golden Storefront Award, bestowed by community groups Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington and the Greater Port Washington Business Improvement District. "Tava's elegant exterior has brightened up this stretch of middle Main Street for the past three years," said Mindy Germain, executive director of RFMBPW. "Tava helped anchor this area as a new 'restaurant …

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Look Book: The Dolphin Wins Beautification Award

The bookstore’s high-visibility new location wins latest Golden Storefront.

For more than 64 years, the Dolphin Bookshop has been a beloved purveyor of books, toys and other treasures. Now the shop has a prize of its own: the latest Golden Storefront Award, bestowed by community groups Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington and the Greater Port Washington Business Improvement District. "Dolphin's unique and eclectic bookshop is a destination in Port's waterfront 'Arts and Antique District,'" said Mindy Germain, executive director of RFMBPW. "We are happy that Port residents have recognized the Dolphin for adding beauty and charm to this vibrant retail intersection." In June, the store moved to its current location in the historic Alfred C. Bayles building at the corner of Main Street and Shore Road after …

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Port Washington Kids "Party in the Park"

More than 600 Port Washington residents attend a free carnival Sunday at Blumenfeld Family Park.

Port Washington kids were  in great spirits on Sunday at the annual "Party in the Park" carnival, held at Blumenfeld Family Park. More than 600 people showed up for face painting, cotton candy and carnival games at the park, conveniently located in the middle of town. The free event was organized by Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington, in cooperation with The Town of North Hempstead. Superhero-themed inflatable bouncing castles – provided by Frankie's Carnival Time – were set up all around the park, and lines to get inside to some of them were long. Milan John, a 4-year-old local resident, tried cotton candy for the first time. "It's good," he said. "I want to play more games." Twins Sami and Jarad Levine, both 10, came by after…

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Tree-riffic News for Port Washington

Trees will be replanted this fall though the exact date is still to be determined.

The trees that were chopped down on July 12 as part of a redevelopment process of the Monfort Shopping Plaza, located between Main Street and Campus Drive, will be replaced. "They are going to be replanted this fall," said Mindy Germain, executive director of Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington. "Residents have been working with the developer on tree selection and I think it's going to be nice." Thanks to the newly minted Peninsula Tree Committee, this has all been made possible. On August 10, a tree summit meeting was held with elected officials from every village, town and state in the peninsula and five goals were proposed in order to prevent another shocking tree catastrophe. Councilman Fred Pollack, New York State Senator …

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Bank Bags Gold

Capital One Bank Wins Latest Golden Storefront Award

Banks are generally judged on rates, not good looks. Yet the attractive façade and well-groomed grounds of Port Washington's Capital One Bank has won the branch both starring roles in the bank's well-known "What's in Your Wallet" ad campaign and now a Golden Storefront Award. In the bank's ubiquitous ads, the branch at the corner of Port Washington Boulevard and Main Street is marked with a giant red push pin. Now the bank is distinguished by another marker: the latest Golden Storefront Award, bestowed by community groups Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington and the Greater Port Washington Business Improvement District. "This is actually the second beautification award we've given the bank," said Residents executive director …

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Gold Medal Market

Ayhan’s Mediterranean Marketplace wins August Golden Storefront Award.

Perched at the intersection of Main Street and Shore Road, Ayhan's Mediterranean Marketplace is a cornerstone of the Lower Main Street historic district. The distinctive white stucco and glass building, with its cobalt blue patio umbrellas and plantation shutters, conjures up a stateside slice of the Greek islands. The market anchors a triumvirate of Ayhan restaurants and acts as a gateway to Port Washington's Lower Main Street harbor area. It's a fitting locale for owner Ayhan Hassan, a native of Cyprus, the Mediterranean island at the crossroads of three continents. "We are the most visible corner in town," Hassan observed . "Lower Main Street is rejuvenating. We are becoming a Mecca for weekenders."  Hassan's postcard-worthy views and …

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