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Community Corner

Finding The Fun in New Rochelle

Rachel McCain, longtime New Rochellean, gives us the lowdown on where to go and what to do for fun in our city.

Let's face it, finding fun things for 20-somethings to do in New Rochelle is hard.

Whether you're living the proverbial good life in an overpriced apartment overlooking the Sound, moving back to the stately quarters of your parent's basement (or never left), finding constructive ways to spend your time in New Rochelle can be a bit of an enigma. Especially when you're between the ages of 21-29.

We've clearly outgrown the days of hanging out at New Roc or aimlessly walking down Main Street with friends, yet we're simply not willing to stay home on Saturday nights and knit.

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Not that there's anything wrong with knitting— it's actually kind of fun— in a grandma kind of way.

But one simply cannot deny the age-old question that seems to be paramount in the minds of all those that grew up in the post-New Rochelle mall time period:

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"What is there to do?"

From Kaleidoscope class at Trinity Elementary, to becoming a Davenporter at Isaac E. Young, and eventually receiving NRHS Alumni status, I am very proud to say that I grew up in New Rochelle. I had a lovely childhood, received a robust and invaluable education, and have been exposed to an immense amount of cultural diversity.  

Seemingly enough, none of this has stopped my friends and I from dying of boredom in our free time.

Pondering what one can do in New Rochelle has become a rhetorical question over the years— especially now that I am well into my twenties. Gone are the days of sneaking into the seedy bars that once lined North Avenue with fake I.D.s.

I can now officially enter an establishment that does not smell like vomit and bad decisions and present my real age and identity (not that I ever took part in sneaking in a bar on North Avenue). Let's not even discuss the begotten days of hanging out at the Thru-Way Diner until the wee hours of the morning.

Nevertheless, entering a new age group also ushers in a new collection of undertakings that the Queen City of the Sound has to offer. Whether you've outgrown certain activities or are just looking to try something new, New Rochelle definitely has array of interesting things to do for the younger set. This column will fill you in on what New Rochelle has to offer.

To get you started—there's a new Yoga studio over on Centre Avenue right off of Main Street. The studio not only offers classes for folks of all ages, they also offer Belly Dancing workshops.

On Main Street, you can find a cigar lounge. Scattered throughout the city, there are a number of small art galleries that sometimes exhibit work from local artists.

Two swanky lounges and a handful of bars give New Rochelle an updated nightlife scene. Most of the old bars that thrived on North Avenue once upon a time have now been turned into an eclectic mix of small bistros.

In addition, we've got day spas, antique shops, restaurants, and boutiques. This column will cover them all and tell you what's worth the trip.

Stay tuned next week for our first round-up.

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