Arete Music Academy is the best music school I have ever been to. I've taken music lessons in the…read morepast and researched many schools and Arete has a system that works. Their approach to music is sustainable and they make music fun and easy to learn. My daughter started going to Arete music academy at 3 years old. She is now playing short piano songs and getting much better. My son was also part of the meet the instruments class and also started at 3 as well. He loves to sing and has developed a lifelong appreciation for music. I even took a few piano lessons myself and was very impressed with how much I was able to learn in such a short period of time. Their staff is top notch with the best credentials. In addition to being scholars of music, they are a nice group of people that interact well with people of all ages and backgrounds. Other things that I like about Arete are: 1) The academy is very neat and clean and well laid out with many sound proof music rooms. 2) They have the finest pianos, Steinway, Yamaha, Kawai which are excellent for taking lessons on and are perfectly tuned! 3) The office staff is very nice and easy to talk to. 4) Top music staff from all the best music universities. Not only do they know music in and out, they can teach it very effectively. 5) They have many programs for all ages and instruments. There is something for everyone. This is definitely hands down the best music school in the area. I wish this Academy was around when I was a child. I am looking forward to having my children become music scholars in the coming years.

My daughter has been taking piano lessons at Arete for a little more than a year now. She loves her…read moreteacher who is enthusiastic and loving. She's made music learning fun for my daughter, which makes me a happy mom. As a parent, I like it there for several reasons: 1) their space is always nice, clean and bright 2) their instruments are in good conditions 3) the staff is very friendly and helpful. We have had to miss lessons a few times and they were able to accommodate the time changes. Most importantly my daughter enjoys going there.

Great school, location and staff! Directors are friendly, educational and motivating.read more

When you don't live in the city, finding kid activities and programs is challenging, especially in…read morethe area of art-based activities. I am very fortunate for One River; it's a friendly environment, and my kid hasn't ever complained. Unfortunately I have not ever toured the facility beyond the main lobby, so I can't speak on the room layout and cleanliness. But it has been around for a while and they may need some Reno work. Cons: The cost is pricey; metered street parking; limited art classes.

My daughter started at Light Bright in September and I could not be more happy. Ms. Noelia, Ms…read more Olga, Ms. Geraldine and Ms. Gabby are all phenomenal. The way they take pride in their lesson plans, the communication is always clear and the amount of love and affection shown to my daughter has been a great experience. When Jay started she had a hard time being social. She is now social with her peers and in new environments. I genuinely appreciate all of their hard work because I see a massive difference in my daughter.

If you're looking to abandon your child and ensure they don't receive proper care, this is the…read moreplace for you. I registered for back-up care as a last resort and only scheduled two days. Both days were unacceptable and honestly upsetting. I'm extremely concerned and disappointed with the level of care my children received. My daughter came home in a dress and without any underwear on, despite me packing a duffle bag full of extras--clothes, underwear, socks, wipes, a blanket, and a towel. Why wasn't her bag checked? Why was she sent home improperly dressed? Worse, I found her belongings scattered all over the floor in an unlocked classroom during pickup--no supervision, no help. I had to gather her things myself. My son wasn't cared for properly either. His clothes were falling off of him, and his face was covered in dried snot that I had to clean myself. I packed his swimsuit, towel, and shoes, yet he didn't participate in water play because no one bothered to check his bag. The level of security is also concerning--there's no check-in or ID process. I could have walked in with his cousin, who is not even registered, and no one would have noticed or stopped us. Their lunchboxes were untouched, which means no one ensured they even ate. That's neglectful. To top it off, communication is nonexistent. No one returns phone calls or answers emails. I also witnessed a teacher berating a child with visible annoyance. Completely inappropriate. These are not minor issues. This is a pattern of carelessness, poor supervision, and unprofessional behavior. I expected basic safety and attentiveness. What we experienced was the opposite. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATE: The business owner gave me a call AFTER I posted this review and left a voicemail message. I called her back and left her a voicemail message a few days ago. Instead of calling me back, she decides to provide a response to my review below.

I enjoyed the tennis classes as a beginner adult. Nice facilities; good teachers. They had a game…read moreall courts with all the students and it was so much fun! Some refreshments too. The only thing is, the clinics fill up fast so they should have more beginner adult clinics.

Tennis Prime has been one of the best decisions we made for our 6 year old daughter so far! We…read morestarted the Pim Pam Pum program last year when our daughter was 5 years old, she had never played tennis before. The program was fun for her but she also got better every week. Then we enrolled her into the tennis summer camp and she made so many new friends and loved all the instructors. All of the coaches are super caring and good with kids. The program, led by Ivan and his wife, is very organized and offers fun activities for the kids beyond tennis. Our daughter loved it so much and improved in leaps and bounds that 3 of our friends enrolled their kids into the summer camp and private lessons. Our daughter is still going weekly getting private lessons and it's worth every penny. They teach everything the right way, starting from the fundamentals. We love Tennis Prime and all of their coaches!

Our family absolutely loves Englewood Field Club. It's one of those rare places where kids truly…read moreget to be kids again--outside, running around with friends, having good old-fashioned fun without a screen in sight. The atmosphere is relaxed, welcoming, and very family-focused. The summer camp is exceptional. Our kids have been going for years, and there is truly no other local camp that compares. The camp includes daily swimming and tennis lessons, provides food, and--most importantly--really teaches kids how to swim properly and play tennis. Even if tennis isn't a child's sport of choice, it's such an important life sport, and the instruction here is outstanding. The swimming program overall is fantastic and genuinely builds strong swimmers, not just confident splashers. The tennis program is equally excellent for both kids and adults. Adults can jump into matches, enjoy friendly competition, and feel part of an active, social tennis community. What really makes EFC special are the shared moments. Friday summer nights are the best--kids playing in the field with friends while adults relax on the patio. In the winter, family skate nights are such a highlight: kids skating, great dinner service, and adults hanging out with friends. It's a super fun place to spend time, build friendships, and make lasting family memories. We're so grateful to be part of this community.

This is a great club for all ages! We first found this club when we were looking for a day camp for…read moreour daughter who was 6 at the time. She had a great summer at camp, learned to play tennis and was so excited to be on the swim team competing against other clubs. In the winter, the club has an outdoor ice rink and our daughter learned to skate and joined the figure skating team eventually competing in Lake Placid and NYC. While our daughter was having a great time at the club, we also got to participate in all of the sports activities offered including tennis, paddle, pickleball, squash and working out in the gym. If you are looking to make new friends and be active, this is a great place to be. Love the EFC!

漢字は、知っているつもりでも、いざ書けと言われると案外手ごわい。 読める字と書ける字の間には、細いようで深い溝がある。…read more米国の遠方から、私は漢字検定を受けるため、はるばる試験会場まで足を運んだ。会場はニューヨーク育英学園。受けるのは二級である。二級は常用漢字全体が出題範囲になる。普通の大人でも、勉強しなければ簡単には受からない級だ。だから、ただの記念受験のつもりではなかった。 前日には紀伊國屋で試験用の鉛筆を買った。一本では売られておらず、十本セットだった。念のため、アルファゲルのシャープペンシルも買っておいた。ホテルに戻って鉛筆の箱を開けると、一本も削られていない。少し慌てたが、すぐに思った。そうだ、控えがあるではないか。とはいえ、補習校なら鉛筆削りくらいあるはずだとも思った。子どもたちが通う学校である。鉛筆削りのない教室など、想像しにくい。 当日、会場に着いたのは試験開始の十分ほど前だった。遅刻ではないが、早くもない。教室には地元の子どもたちがすでに座っていた。その中に、私も一人の受験者として座った。周りが子どもばかりで、妙に居づらかった。 教室の前には鉛筆削りがあった。係のおばさんに使ってもよいかと尋ねると、きっぱり断られた。理由は分からない。十本の鉛筆は、その瞬間、ただの木の棒になった。私は仕方なく、あらかじめ買っておいたシャープペンシルに頼ることにした。 ところが試験中、そのシャープペンシルの使い方がよく分からない。芯が出ない。押しても、回しても、うまくいかない。分解して戻すうち、かちゃかちゃと音がした。漢字と格闘するはずが、机の上では文房具との格闘が始まっていた。 最後には何とかなったが、係のおばさんが来て、何をしているのかと尋ねた。試験後には、普通なら持ち帰れるはずの問題用紙まで、解答用紙と一緒に出せと言われた。数週間後、それは郵便で送られてきた。おそらく向こうが間違いに気づいたのだろう。 帰ろうとした時、そのおばさんが私に英語で話しかけてきた。しかも、お世辞にも上手とは言えない英語だった。試験開始の十分前に来るのは日本的ではない。ここはアメリカでも日本の礼儀を守るべきだ。試験中の音も迷惑だった、と言う。 最初、私は少し反省しかけた。たしかに十分前に着いたのは余裕がなかった。試験中にかちゃかちゃ音を立てたのも、周りの子どもたちには迷惑だったかもしれない。自分にも落ち度はあった。そう思った。 けれども、すぐに別の違和感が広がった。私は日本人である。ただ、外見だけではそう見られにくい。だからこそ、下手な英語で注意されたことが、単なる言葉の選択には思えなかった。しかも私は、常用漢字全体を相手にする二級を受けに来ている。日本語で説明されれば、当然理解できる。それなのに、そのおばさんはたどたどしい英語で、私を日本語の外側へ押し出したように感じられた。 私は長く人種差別に苦しんできた。日本人でありながら、外見によって日本人ではないかのように扱われる。その痛みは、一生ついて回る。だからその英語は、ただの連絡手段ではなく、私のアイデンティティに向けられた精神的な武器のように感じられた。 もちろん、そのおばさんの内心は分からない。もしかすると、彼女自身も米国でひどい目に遭ってきたのかもしれない。言葉で傷つけられ、外見で決めつけられ、日本人として軽んじられたことがあったのかもしれない。だが人は時に、自分を傷つけた刃を、いつの間にか自分の手に握ってしまう。 人はどうすれば、あそこまで支配欲を身につけるのだろう。小さな教室で、小さな規則を握りしめ、目の前の一人を従わせようとする。その姿は腹立たしかったが、どこか痛々しくもあった。 その時、昔通っていた海外の補習校を思い出した。後に聞けば、そこの校長にも今回のおばさんに通じるところがあり、やがて校内でクーデターのような騒ぎが起きたという。そのため、ボランティアの先生が一年余計に残ることになったらしい。小さな学校の小さな権力争いほど、巻き込まれる人には重い。 今回、私が心配になったのは、その昔の補習校の人たちではなくて、ニューヨーク育英学園で働く人たちである。子どもたちのため、漢字や日本語のために時間を差し出している先生やボランティアの人たちが、もし同じような空気の中にいるのなら、どれほど大変だろう。ほんとうに、ご苦労さんと言いたい。 後日、私は一応、二級に合格した。漢字の試験としては、どうにか通ったのである。けれどもあの日、私は漢字以外のものまで試された気がした。 読める字と書ける字の間には、深い溝がある。 人間もまた、見た目だけで読まれてよいものではない。

Wonderful, dedicated teachers. We have been extremely happy with the school from the very…read morebeginning. Children learn Japanese, all academic subjects, and also English.

This is a wonderful place to bring the whole family. They have about 12 different trails, all…read moreseparated in different levels of difficulty. The trails are free to enter but they do request for volunteer donation for non members. Different tiers of annul membership available to purchase at main office that comes with some wonderful perks, such as free access to trails and special events. The main office also has some of the exhibition items like insect box and turtle box. Outside the office there's also bird and butterfly cages. We went to the center for our daughter to participate in butterfly feeding event. Upon arrival we found out we had to buy the tickets for one of the two scheduled events. Luckily there were slots available to the second event on the day. The ticket was reasonably cheap, only $8. It also came with an additional bird's exhibition that took place right in front of office deck. All the stuff members were very friendly, informative and interactive. We spent wonderful couple of hours here on beautiful warm summer day.

This place is huge!!!! Visit and buy a membership and go often! The staff is kind, dedicated and…read moreknowledgeable! Sign up for a program or hike today!