Today's MOZEN: Nyack - A Love Letter

Words and photos F LoBuono

It's no secret. In fact, I write about it so often, my friends make fun of me for it. I adore Nyack and have since I first set foot in the village 35 years ago. There is simply so much to love about the place: the River, the Palisades, the architecture, and, most of all, the people - they care about WHERE they live and HOW they live.

And, it's reinforced on a nearly daily basis.

It happened again last night. It was Halloween evening and, in a rare occurrence, I actually had the whole day off. So, I prepared our porch with some spooky images, candles, and, of course, plenty of candy in the hopes that the kids who make our neighborhood so special would be enticed to visit with us.

After a relatively slow start, they did start coming and, kept coming - the youngest ones with their parents at first, then the older ones, often on their own. One thing that struck me that makes Nyack so special is its diversity. We saw EVERY ethnicity represented. Our initial guest was a young Latino couple with their young son dressed as Ironman. Next, came a young mom with her toddler, a tousled blond-haired, blue-eyed Superman. After them, an Asian couple brought their two Harry Potter themed costume kids to Trick or Treat. As the evening came to a close, a group of high school kids, black, white, and brown ones, came by for their goodies. And, EVERY single one of them couldn't have been more polite or grateful for the treats they were given.

With the current situation at our Southern border creating controversy and mayhem, it was such a pleasure to witness such a diverse community come together in the spirit of unity that is what truly makes our Country great! I knew not the immigration status of any of our visitors - nor, did I care. All I saw were thoughtful, clean, caring, human beings of all ages sharing a simple, good time.

I love this place.

Still.

Always.