10 things to look out for on Long Island in 2015
Luke Hemmings and Calum Hood of 5 Seconds of Summer perform onstage during KISS 108's Jingle Ball 2014. They will be performing at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in 2015. Credit: Getty Images / Taylor Hill
From the launch of a shiny new roller coaster in Farmingdale to the long-anticipated overhaul of a local landmark in Uniondale, here are 10 noteworthy things around Long Island to keep an eye out for in 2015.
1. NASSAU COLISEUM REVAMP
Next year marks the closure of Nassau Coliseum as we know it. The 16,234-seat arena will be revitalized and reborn under the direction of developer Bruce Ratner, the man behind the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. With the Islanders moving to Barclays after their current season wraps in the spring and construction slated to start in August, there's been no official word on a special event to close out the venue's 42-year history.
2. MUSIC BY 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER
Cue all the screaming tweens: The latest boy band, 5 Seconds of Summer (One Direction's former opening act), is descending on the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater next summer. Tickets for the group's Sept. 1 and 2 shows were put on sale more a year in advance. Other concerts of note: Guitarist Jeff Beck plays an intimate show at The Paramount in Huntington April 16-17. ... Steve Winwood headlines The Space at Westbury on April 23. Both are Rock and Roll Hall of Famers bringing arena-size shows to downtown venues.
3. ROOSEVELT FIELD
The mall is replacing its food court with a Dining District. Slated to open in January, the sprawling indoor-outdoor space will feature 17 counter-service restaurants, including Melt Shop, offering "artisanal" grilled cheese sandwiches; Tres Carnes, serving smoked Tex-Mex fare; and the gluten-free Little Beet.
4. RESTAURANTS
It's been almost a year since the news broke that Tommy Tan was opening a Jericho branch of his popular Bethpage Chinese restaurant, The Orient. A sign for Orient Odyssey went up this summer in the Jericho Atrium Shopping Center. Tan says the new place will cater to the adventurous diner looking for authentic Chinese fare. He hopes to open early in 2015.
Relish, the New American diner in Kings Park, recently leased the nearby storefront that used to be Jesse James Seafood. Stephen Cardello, Relish's chef-owner, plans to open a fish market that, like his restaurant, focuses on local and sustainable choices, as well as simply prepared seafood takeout. Cardello hopes to be open by mid-February.
5. THEATER
Bay Street Theater's summer season musical "Grey Gardens" tells the story of Big and Little Edie Bouvier Beale, whose East Hampton estate became a scandal for their niece and cousin Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy when it fell into such disrepair that Suffolk County was about to condemn it. The musical runs in Sag Harbor July 28-Aug. 30, marking the 40th anniversary of the Maysles brothers documentary that inspired it.
6. SAGAMORE HILL
President Theodore Roosevelt's summer White House reopens in July after multiyear major renovations. A grand reopening is slated for July 12 with a live band, a Rough Riders re-enactment, period games and interpreter Jim Foote back in the role of T.R. himself, says Martin Christiansen, chief of interpretation at the national historic site in Cove Neck.
7. NEW ROLLER COASTER
Expect a lot of excitement at one of Long Island's oldest amusement parks, Adventureland. The park says goodbye to its 23-year-old Hurricane roller coaster to make way for what's billed as the area's first spinning roller coaster, debuting in the spring, says manager Caitlin DiSclafani.
8. SENSORY GARDEN
Visitors to one of the grand Gold Coast mansions will be able to put their senses to work in a new way -- exploring a new Sensory Garden at Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park in Oyster Bay. Park director Vincent Simeone says the 3,500-square-foot garden is to be the largest of its kind on Long Island, inviting patrons to touch, see, feel and smell to their hearts' content.
9. THE BIG 3-5-0
Smithtown plans to mark its milestone 350th anniversary with numerous events, starting with an Olympic-style race -- complete with torches -- on March 1 in which participants will run around the borders of Smithtown, says Kiernan Lennon, director of the Smithtown Historical Society. Other upcoming events include a historical drama being written by playwright Sal St. George, a parade, fireworks and the unveiling of a statue honoring town founder Richard Smith.
10. HANNIBAL BURESS
Comedian Hannibal Buress' sharp-tongued shot at Bill Cosby this year started a firestorm -- at least 20 women have since come forward accusing Cosby of sexual misconduct. The 31-year-old Buress, a Chicago native, plays The Space at Westbury on Feb. 6. Who knows what will come out of his mouth?
This list was compiled by Daniel Bubbeo, David J. Criblez, Sylvia E. King-Cohen and Erica Marcus.
