PlayLand Motel In Rockaway Beach: Why Not? Try It! You Might Like It!

Rockaway Beach got itself a brand-new boutique hotel -- it's already got a boutique taco stand and a boutique boutique, so clearly a boutique hotel wasn't far off. It's called PlayLand Motel, and from the few photos I've seen, it kind of looks like Sole East in the Hamptons or the Ace in Palm Springs, with a pizza joint, 12 small boutique rooms, two restaurants and a 7,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor bar. It looks very dried-palm-fronds/ faded-surf-photo, nautical-knots chic. In a pre-fab way designed to attract hipsters and people who swear they're not hipsters, of course but who even cares. Rockaway Beach needs your cash, and it's a $2.50 train ride/ extended Brooklyn staycay, so who wants to check it out? (There's a shuttle bus from Williamsburg, because OF COURSE.) 

The Meatpacking District doesn't need any more of your hard-earned dollar bills. Those two hours you spent standing in line trying to get into Roberta's could've been spent on the beach. Go support Rockaway. Until the cast of "Princesses Long Island" shows up, and we all need to just head down to Rehoboth or commit ritual group Seppuku instead.

PlayLand Motel: 9720 Rockaway Beach Blvd, Far Rockaway, New York 11693

Photo credit: Athena Calderone/ Refinery29

The Best Shit I Bought, Wore, Did, Ate, Etc In 2012

Okay. Yay, happy 2013! Given that I have more than enough running observations, statistics, judgements, trivial/ triflin' concerns, condemnation, ambitions, thoughts about cats, musings and mumblings going through my brain in just the time it took me to type this sentence, I'm therefore not usually prone to public reflection, review, or navel gazings, such as the year-in-review-style posts that fill up my Facebook feed at the end of December/ beginning of January. I'm not trying to hate. It's just generally not my thing. But, like, if I'm going to reach back into the bowels of 2012 and extract a common theme of the year, then YOLO: Why not take a minute to look back at the year that was (and all of the shit I bought), and raise a glass to 2012?

All joking and unicorn heels aside, one of my daily goals is to always remain fully aware and appreciative of my countless blessings, from having a loving relationship, friends so incredible that I sometimes feel like I should pay them for the privilege, and living in a city I love in a place I'm happy to call to home, to the little things that aren't little at all, when you take a step back and really, profoundly consider them -- just waking up in the morning, and having a healthy body and healthy mind. Truly, in the midst of the daily grind of flying out the door, rushing to work, being annoyed by the 47 billionity thousand trillion things that can annoy you on the ride to work, it's a privilege and a gift -- even on a bad day -- just to get out of bed every morning and stretch out four limbs that can carry me anywhere. Those things alone are truly more that some people can say they have. I don't care if that sounds emo. Sure, 2013 had some crap moments. Every year does. But I got to spend another year on Earth (thanks, Mayans!), and given the alternative, I'll take it.

Okay. So, let's talk shopping and other superficial stuff!

+ Best thing I bought in 2012: My Chris Habana Nostradamus necklace: I stopped into American Two Shot -- FINALLY -- last month, looking for gifts for my sister. A few hundred bucks later I walked out with this Chris Habana necklace for myself, and a pizza iPhone case for my sister. I am a TERRIBLE person. But I LOVE this piece probably way more than any healthy person should. This was my one really indulgent impulse buy of the year, and, in the words of Katy Perry, no regrets, just love.

+ Second-best thing I bought in 2012: Urban Outfitters BDG chambray button-down: Being a woman, ahem, cursed with a more than ample endowment, if you will (yes, I'm talking about the curse of the big-busted woman, but I'm trying to be discreet, because I am TOTALLY A LADY!), I truly believed I would NEVER own a decent button-down. But holy shit and Gloria in excelsis Deo! Urban Outfitters' chambray button-down came around and turned my world upside down because IT FITS, Y'ALL!

+ Third-best thing I bought in 2012: CW-X sports bra: DUDES. My CW-X sports bra changed EVERYTHING. Again, see above. If you're over like a C cup, sports bra issues can be THUH WORST. CW-X is by Wacoal, and they know what's UP. I found that the cup sizes aren't true to your real non-sports bra cup size, so the size I bought was smaller than my real size, but I don't care, because it fits like it's true to size. I can't remember what size I bought, and quite frankly, if you're that interested, then you're probably a real creeper, so fall back. But if you're not a creeper, try the CW-X VersatX Support Bra or the CW-X XTempo from Paragon or ShoeBuy.com. Zappos carries some, too. You might have to shop around a bit to find the right size and fit, but it's worth it. Trust. Seriously, after going to Lululemon and asking for a sports bra in my size and basically getting this from their "enlightened" employees:

... Finding CW-X sports bras was like a revolution.

(More favorite/ best things after the jump!)

Here's What The Hilton Looked Like Back In The Day

(Credit: This guy's Flickr)

YOU GUYS! Can you BELIEVE that this was an actual ad for Hilton? Those uniforms are BUHLOWING my mind back and forth, side to side. Is that Conrad himself in that red ringleader Svengali situation? I can't EVEN HANDLE the broccoli chef's toque on the far right. It's like the Love Boat crashed directly into a gay pride float. IN THE BEST WAY EVER. If anyone in the world opens up an actual hotel based on this Rainbow Brite creative, PLEASE CALL ME. I will be there for the opening ceremony. Also, PLEASE equip every room with those "computers."

Also, speaking of hotels, my one-year anniversary (I believe that's the poster putty anniversary? Actually it's the paper anniversary, and you know what's made of paper? MONEY! CHECKS! So FEEL FREE to send me some!) is coming up, and we're headed here for a long weekend next month:

It's the c/o Maidstone in East Hampton. With the exception of a quick day-long work trip, I've never been to the Hamptons, and Jauntsetter had a great deal. I love a boutique hotel, I love a hotel robe.