Wow! What a week it was . . .

BY VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS

Thursday, October 22, 2009 12:18 PM EDT

Fortunately for all of us, we got a break with the bleak weather this past weekend with no rain on Friday or Saturday. Luckily, Yankee fans saw their team winning on a cold but dry night, and for me I was able to take my three-year-old grandson Blake to the outdoor activities I had been planning for weeks when my daughter said I could “have” Blake from morning to night while they attended a weekend wedding. Hooray for us all.

Finally, after holding tickets for my favorite fun place, Adventureland on Route 110 in Farmingdale, we were planning our day there and then onto Schmitt’s farm in Melville for a hayride and pumpkin picking experience.

We were lucky that the rains held off, even though the temperatures hit a seasonal low. I could deal with the cold as we bundled up and I gave Blake a lesson in bundling. That is hugging each other on the rides to keep each other warm. What could be a better excuse for hugging him for hours!

I must admit my heart was bursting as I watched his sunny smiling face as he circled in a taxicab ride, one of many kiddie rides. It made the cold, cloudy day disappear.

It was my first return visit to a place I call my local Disneyland. It also has history for me. When we lived nearby in Melville, I took Josh and his friends there for a day of fun. When he was 12, he didn’t like the idea that I followed them around from ride to ride. I asked the security person who was the owner/manager. They directed me upstairs to the management office and I met Tony Gentile for the first time and so began decades of friendship. Yes, I did sign him up for ads in the newspapers but even more importantly, I gained a friend and advisor.

Tony is an astute business person whose opinion I respected. He would offer advice to me on a wide range of business issues. I’ll never forget the morning I stopped by his office with a worry on my shoulders.

I had been in business in Bayside for a number of years, making the business of news work for me. But a young man had just bought a competing newspaper in the community and was cutting the prices on ads and potentially stealing many of my clients. I had been losing sleep over it so I decided to ask Tony for his thinking about how I should handle the situation. He instantly responded, “Don’t drop your pants! Stay your course and continue doing what you do.”

How wise he was. I took his advice and we weathered the storm and actually grew the business because of the competition. I learned that when you have competition you sharpen your pencil and work smarter and harder. It worked. That was 20 years ago and we have flourished. In fact, this past week we launched our newest publication – The Long Island City Courier Magazine. Let me tell you about it.

The launch party for the newest addition to our family was also the re-launch of the Water’s Edge Restaurant in Long Island City.

For over five years, I have been watching the “new” LIC community emerging. It has had a flourishing arts community for years. It is where MOMA chose to relocate while their new building was being built.

Long Island City is home to the famous Noguchi sculpture museum and P.S. 1, an avante garde art museum, and home to the ever-changing Socrates sculpture garden. Hidden in many industrial buildings were small galleries and artists’ workspace.

Silvercup Studios, once a sweet smelling bakery, had become, under the Suna brothers’ leadership, a world-class production space. Nevertheless, the residential housing was slow to develop. Now it is blooming and booming like a magnificent flower garden. Buildings, both rental and condos, are filling once abandoned land.

Queens West has new dynamic leadership with Paul Januszewski. Cranes are on every street and a new home for CUNY law school will soon come to the area. This made me feel that it was time to create a dynamic new publication for that community.

I also had the privilege to get to know the new owner of Water’s Edge, H. Singh. He and I just clicked when we first met and I was so impressed with his interest in getting involved in the community. As an experienced restauranteur with nine locations on Long Island, he was venturing into Queens for his first New York City operation.

I also love successful people who “get it” about giving back to the community that has made them successful. Therefore, he, I and many leaders of the community came together last week to enjoy a double celebration.

The restaurant, sitting on a barge in the East River at 44th Street, has the most breathtakingly beautiful view of Manhattan. Every time I go there, I feel like I am on a movie set!

Now the beauty of the scene is outpaced by the quality of the food and service. Since I was so busy greeting people at the party, we decided to go downstairs for dinner. An amazing three-course meal was offered for only $25 during Restaurant Week. It is the best bargain in town and you have the added bonus of the view and valet parking. We look forward to serving our newest community and I know H. Singh feels the same way. Try it, you’ll love it!