Perfect Weekend Weather Ahead
LIC Arts Open, Astoria Spring Fair, Kite Flying & mas
May 17, 2012 / Queens Buzz. Weather. Mostly sunny, with six to ten mile an hour winds [perfect for kite flying], and temperatures in the 70's during the day and 50's at night.
The LIC Arts Open continues with receptions Thursday and Friday nights, and two days of open artists studios on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 pm in LIC [art]. The Museum, a modern play running through Sunday, offers an artsy theatrical experience at the PaintCan - which is a floor of LIC art studios - and it allows for an evening of total immersion into the art world through theater (and being there) [limited seating so buy tickets using link in theater section of our Queens events calendar]. The painting shown to your right was created by Michele Bonelli at PaintCan Studios in LIC.
In Astoria, the Astoria Performing Arts Center continues its run of The Secret Garden beginning at 8 pm Thursday and running through Saturday [theater]. And the St Demetrios Spring Fair starts Thursday evening beginning at 5 pm and runs through the entire weekend [kids]. The fair includes prize games, a ferris wheel and scrambler and Greek food.
On Friday, Thalia Theatre in Sunnyside opens Callas & Medea, a modern tale and theatrical production [theater]. Space Womb in LIC opens a new solo exhibit entitled Teleportraiture beginning at 6 pm [art]. The Sculpture Center in LIC opens a new exhibit - Bill Bollinger begininng at 5 pm [art]. Tablao Flamenco returns to Astoria for a season finale dance performance beginning at 8.30 pm at the Chian Federation Building in Astoria [dance]. And Flushing Town Hall presents Tap Extravaganza beginning at 8 pm in Flushing [dance].
On Saturday, It's My Park Day all over Queens [sporting / park] beginning about 10 am. It's My Park Day is a chance for park users to get involved in prepping the parks for the season. It's also Kite Flying Day at Socrates Sculpture Park, where kids can make (or bring) and fly kites [kids]. The breeze should be nearly perfect. The Queens Museum of Art is showing Shorts Showcase films on Saturday, and Cinemarosa on Sunday from 3 - 6 pm [film]. And GreenSpace is presenting Fertile Ground & Take Root dance performances on Saturday and Sunday (respectivley) in the evening [dance / Member Calendar].
On Sunday morning beginning at 8.30 am, there's a bike race for young children in Astoria Park [kids]. At Bliss on Bliss Studio in Sunnyside, a new solo exhibit opens beginning at 1 pm and includes a violin performance at 3 pm [art]. And in Flushing there's a lecture at the Queens Historical Society about living artists who incorporate historical themes in their work [history]. Also in Flushing, Sunday is the last day of the Frank Larson photography exhibit and Queens International art exhibit [art]. And in Astoria, at the Museum of the Moving Image, it's the last day of the JODI Street Digital exhibit [film].
In the Member Calendar events include drawing lessons in Jackson Heights, wine tastings in LIC, art exhibit in LIC, Italian classes in Astoria, theater in Sunnyside, bilingual dance classes and theater in Sunnyside, dance performances in LIC, art & music in Sunnyside, and an historical lecture about the role of American Indian in the Civil War in College Point.
Also, go to the Queens Events section of this site for additional events and details. Use the search box in the header or the Business Directory on the side bar to find telephone numbers, website links and maps. And click here to view some neighborhood local shops & restaurants, many of whom are supportive clients - Queens Shops. Enjoy.
Art Imitates Reality in the 'Museum'
Play Portrays People in Art Museum & Parallels Visits to PaintCan Studios during LIC Art Open
May 15, 2012 / LIC Arts Open / Queens Buzz. The Museum was the first play written by Tina Howe back in 1976. It’s a mix of comedy and satire depicting the scene in an art gallery on the last day of a controversial artist’s show. The play includes about forty characters who come through the gallery to see the show before it ends.
The ‘set’ is a large artist studio in the PaintCan, which is the affectionate name given the third floor of 10-10 44th Road. The PaintCan is the home to about a dozen or more artists’ studios containing a range of artwork and artists that were easily worth the visit themselves. We’ll post a separate report on the PaintCan in the coming day.
Click to read our review and see photos of the Museum, a play about art and life, part of the LIC Arts Open at PaintCan Studios
5 Boro Bike Ride In QueensBike Ride Start Time is 7.45 am and End Time 6 pmMay 2, 2012 / Long Island City & Astoria / Bikes & biking in Queens / Queens Buzz. On Sunday, May 6th at 7.45 am the 5 Boro Bike Tour will begin at the southern tip on Manhattan just north of Battery Park. 5 Boro Bike Tour Course & MapThe bike tour is the biggest of its kind in the USA, hosting approximately 32,000 cyclists each year who travel of 40 mile route between the hours of 8 am and 6 pm on a Sunday when NYC auto traffic is diverted to accommodate the tour. Click here for a map of the 5 Boro Bike Tour 2012 in Queens. |
Beautiful Day For A Bike RideMay 7, 2012 / Long Island City & Astoria / Queens Buzz. This Sunday some 32,000 bicyclists rode through Astoria and LIC on their way to completing a 40 mile bike ride through all five boroughs of NYC. I caught up with them at the Con Edison rest station along Vernon Blvd in LIC. Some of the cyclists had come from other countries and they saw this as a nice way to see all of New York City, not just Manhattan. Others had come from other states and were cycling enthusiasts who echoed the same sentiment. The Con Ed rest station offered beautiful vistas of Manhattan, while offering raisins, bagels, bananas, Larrabars and rest rooms. Many caught their breath, made adjustments to their gear and selves, consumed a bit of nourishment, before resuming the relaxing trip and heading on to Brooklyn and Staten Island. I followed them out of the rest stop down Vernon Blvd - click here to see our slide show of the 5 Boro Bike Ride in LIC, Astoria & Queens 2012. |
Experiential Literature - StillspottingAn Intimate Journey Into The Jackson Heights NeighborhoodApril 15, 2012 / Art in Queens / Jackson Heights / Queens Buzz. I rode my bike through the backstreets of Woodside on a warm spring Sunday of 2012. The sun was glistening, the air was fresh and warm. People were working in their yards, conversing in the streets, and heading to or from somewhere. And I was on my way to the Stillspotting kiosk in Jackson Heights. A few weeks ago the Guggenheim Museum had contacted me about the Stillspotting program they were to launch in Queens starting April 14th. After a few brief conversations with the publicists, I thought I had a sense of it, but my understanding - like the concept itself - was fluid. I wasn’t sure whether or not it would be interesting, but I decided to check it out anyway. Click here to read more about Stillspotting Queens in Jackson Heights. |
Bike Forum - Bike Lanes In QueensBicyclists & Others Meet To Discuss Bike Lanes In QueensMarch 3, 2012 / Sunnyside / Biking in Queens / Queens Buzz. I attended a bike forum at the Sunnyside Community Services Center on a warm, wet Saturday in March. I noticed quite a few bikes locked to signs and poles outside the center as I entered. Inside there were between 50 – 75 people in attendance, most of who were bicycle enthusiasts, although I was informed that some were not. The forum had been organized as a collaboration of Community Board Two [hereafter referred to as CB2], City Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer and the Queens Department of Transportation [hereafter referred to as QDOT]. Evan O’Neil and Emelia Crotty of CB2 opened up the session wherein they outlined the history of bike lanes in western Queens and the current state of bike lanes and bike parking. This was to put things in context, so that the bike forum attendees could spend their time planning for the future in the breakout sessions. Click here to read our report about the bike forum in Queens, including a history of bike lanes in Queens, NYC and in other parts of the world, and a slide show of the bike forum presentation and participants. |
Queens Taste 2012Sampling the Fare of Queens Restaurants & Food EntrepreneursMay 1, 2012 / Flushing / Queens Restaurants / Food in Queens / Queens Buzz. I arrived at Queens Taste 2012 at Caesars on the fifth floor at Citifield about an hour after the event had begun. The feeding frenzy that generally occurs at the very beginning had passed, and most people had found tables and were pleasantly enjoying the fare and light dinner conversation, along with intermittent people-watching. Borghese Red & White Wines of LII started into the food and beverage area surveying the vendors offerings this year and made my first landing at the Borghese Vineyards wine table. I met Ann Marie Borghese, who along with her husband, bought a farm in the 1970’s in Cutchogue, NY, which is located about in the middle of the northern fork of eastern Long Island. Click here to view our report of Queens Taste 2012 [formerly Taste of the World]. |
The Wedding ... Community Theater With Redemptive ThemeCan One Marry A Billionaire And Still Keep Their Sense of Self?December 12, 2011 / Jamaica / Theater in Queens / Queens Buzz. Saturday afternoon I made my way to the York Performing Arts Center in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens to see a new play entitled The Wedding. The play was written by Beverly Morrison Caesar for Arts in Christian Theatre [ACT] which is associated with the Pentecostal Church on Guy Brewer Blvd. Beverly’s plays contain a redemptive message and are performed by volunteers from the church and surrounding community. I spoke to Beverly about how the play originated and how she combined theater, pantomime and a fashion show all in one grand performance. Click here to read more about The Wedding at the York Performing Arts Center in Jamaica Queens. |
Restaurants In Long Island City LICDining At The Waters EdgeLong Island City Neighborhood / LIC Restaurants / Restaurants In Queens / Queens Buzz. So if you’re considering whether to go to Waters Edge Restaurant let me give it to you in a nutshell. The food was nearly perfect, the setting has a view that’s nearly beyond compare, and the service hit that mark rarely seen – politely being there with information about the food or the menu, or the plate or beverage precisely when you wished it, while floating in the background the rest of the time. The prices were a good value even by the competitive Queens standards. The Waters Edge provides world class food, service and ambiance at reasonable prices and is a steal when compared to its neighbors across the river. Appetizers range from $12 to $21 and entrees range from $28 to $39. The Waters Edge Restaurant is located at the East River on 44th Drive. So you can skip the rest of this review if you wish, but we have a lot from our experience to impart to the interested reader and some photos to match. Let’s start with the ambiance. Click here to read our report and view photos of the Waters Edge Restaurant in LIC. |
Astoria Furniture Stores Have It All -Queens
Astoria Shops / Astoria / Queens Buzz. The furniture stores located on the southern end of Steinway Street in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens seem to have something to offer to just about everyone. This part of Steinway is a furniture shopper's mecca, offering plenty of choices from classical colonial, to urban apartment living to bedding to suit nearly every spine.
I took a quick trip there, which is easily accessible via the N, W, G, R or V subway lines and within a sturdy walking distance from Long Island City, Astoria, Sunnyside and Woodside. Just up the street from Steinway is Broadway, where you'll find the Omonia Cafe where after a good morning or afternoon of shopping, you can kick back along one of the sidewalk tables ane enjoy a bit of coffee and some delicious baked goods. Click here to learn more about the furniture stores in Astoria Queens.
Click here to buy water perfume online.
Mens Clothing Styles - Queens
Shopping Queens / Astoria / Queens Buzz. Esquire Men's Clothing Store continues to serve the greater Astoria and Queens area, as it has for nearly thirty years.
The shop is owned and managed by Frank and Kevin Adhami, and their father, who is in his eighties, still visits the store on an almost weekly basis.
Esquire is located along Steinway Street between 30th and 31st streets. The store contains a wide selection of men's coats, suits, casual wear, shoes and men's accessories like belts and ties.
This story will provide some information about the store itself as well as fashion recommendations for the Spring and for job hunters.
Click this link to view a story written on Men's Clothing In Astoria Queens NY.
Queens Farmers Markets Open
In Jackson Heights & Socrates Sculpture Park
Astoria Sunnyside Woodside Jackson Heights Long Island City LIC Flushing Jamaica / May 4, 2012 / Queens Buzz. In 2011 the Jackson Heights Farmers Market became the first year round farmers market in Queens and was soon followed by the Socrates Sculpture Park market in LIC / Astoria.
Click the link below to see a listing of the Queens Farmers Markets 2012 including links to maps. Click the other link below for a listing of the Queens Street Fairs schedule of 2012 including dates and maps showing their locations.
Click here for our updated posting of Queens Street Fairs - Queens NY. Click here for a listing of the Queens Farmers Markets. You will always find both street fairs and farmers markets for the current month in the Queens Events section of the site [see top tool bar for button / link].
Queens Real Estate
Astoria, Jackson Heights, Long Island City LIC, Sunnyside, Woodside, Flushing, Jamaica
Queens NY / Spring 2012. These links will take you into sections & reports on the Queens real estate market in Queens beginning in 2009.
These reports include reviews of apartment rental prices, as well as condo, co-op and home prices and availability in the Queens market.
We have also done neighborhood specific reports about Astoria real estate, LIC / Long Island City real estate, Jackson Heights real estate, Woodside & Sunnyside real estate, Flushing Real Estate and Jamaica Real Estate.
While we found these neighborhoods mirrored / trailed many of the national trends, we found some interesting differences, including differences from neighborhood to neighborhood.
Click here to read the Queens Real Estate market analysis 2009.
