~ By Deborah Ng
I lived over 30 years in Elmhurst, Queens, New York. Though it’s not a place I choose to live now, Queens will always have a special place in my heart. Even now, five years after moving away from New York, I still visit often and keep up by reading Queens blogs.
When I was growing up, the trend was to buy up houses and knock them down to be replaced by apartment buildings and multiple family houses. My area of Queens was the city’s melting pot and more families moved in each month. I couldn’t believe it when …read more

This house is not technically a retreat, it’s an individual residence… But it is so nice that I’d retreat to it.
Talia Mana, an Offbeat Homes reader sent me pictures of one of her previous homes located in Whangarei New Zealand. Talia has since sold it but had a hard time doing so. Seemingly folks thought it was a little too wacky — I actually think it’s very approachable. But then, I see a lot of wacky homes.
Here’s a view of the front; notice the rocks incorporated into the outer wall — I love that look. You get rocks that …read more