Video on LIC

We don't endorse the rah-rah attitude towards development, but otherwise this video was fun:

Walkable Sunnyside

From reader Mary:

I live on 50th and Skillman and I thought this Walk Score web site was cute -- it really shows how great Sunnyside is, with everything you need close by and easy (maybe too easy) to walk to (though obviously most neighborhoods in New York will score high on the site) -- here's the link!

Just don't let too many people know about this...

Sunnyside Real Estate: Not so Sunny

Paul and I took a jaunt to an open house being held down the block from us. Not that we're really looking to buy a place, but as we are the types who love walking the dog through the gardens at night simply to get glimpses of people's living rooms, walking through someone else's home is like invited voyeurism!

From the front the place isn't one of the houses in the gardens that seems particularly great, nor is it on one of the prime blocks. It is a house with two, two bedroom apartments, a garden and a large terrace off the second floor. However, the place looks like it hasn't been touched since it was built. And I don't mean that in a retro-cool-all-original-details kinda way. The kitchens looked barely functional, with floors as grimy as the 7 train during a rain storm. There was peeling paint and wallpaper on the walls, water damage on the ceilings, and hard wood floors that looked like they might collapse. The garden hadn't been tended to in ages, and the basement seemed like a good setting for Hostel part 3.

Now in an age when all you hear on the news is about foreclosures and watch shows about how people across the country put in stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and throw in flat screen TVs to attract buyers, it amazed me how many folks were trolling this place with intense interest. It particularly amazed me because the sellers were asking 729K for this little moneypit of theirs! 729K!!!

Paul and I left shaking our heads, further cherishing our rent stabilized gardens apartment, and realizing now more than ever "the Manhattanites are coming!!" and that the only home we could probably afford sits somewhere in Cleveland!

Inside Sunnyside--New Neighborhood Website

Check out Inside Sunnyside dedicated to Sunnyside, with classifieds, photos, and a calendar of neighborhood events. Looks like they're open to suggestions.

TOPAZ ARTS OPEN HOUSE 12/1/07

TOPAZ ARTS’ 7th Annual OPEN HOUSE: “SEEN and UNSEEN”
Saturday, December 1, 2007, 3–6pm: free admission

TOPAZ ARTS announces its 7th Annual Open House on Saturday, December 1, 2007 from 3pm to 6pm. Now in its seventh season of providing programs andspace for the performing and visual arts, the multi-faceted arts center TOPAZ ARTS opens its doors for an afternoon of celebrations, featuring an exhibition of new work by visual artists Philip Brutz (stereoscopic photography) and Alan Ulrich (sculpture), an exclusive silent auction ofartwork by emerging and established artists, followed by the premiere of new poetry in performance “The Beauty of Ghosts” by Luis H. Francia at 6pm.

A feast for the arts and the community, the Open House event is free from 3-6pm and includes complimentary food and drink. The performance of The Beauty of Ghosts on Saturday, December 1 at 6pm and Sunday, December 2 at 3pm has a suggested admission of $10. TOPAZ ARTS is located at 55-03 39th Avenue in Woodside, Queens. Subway directions: #7-train to 61 St. or the R, V, G trains to Northern Blvd. Details and directions are available at www.topazarts.org.

A Park for Drunkards!

Say! I got an idea. Let's grab a coupla drinks and go hang out with the dirty bastards at Noonan park.

Tell Gioia - The Super Hero of Sunnyside all about it.

Where's My TV At?

In between the "a" and the "t," as my old English teacher might say.

Or gone into premature reruns because of the writers strike.

One of us is a WGAeast member hoping that our employers, collectively known as the AMPTP (the modifier "dastardly" is optional), come to their senses so we can go back to work.

Here's a video that explains why we are on strike:



And here's another video that tells you a little more about the AMPTP:

Wear Your Love For Queens--Or Eat It

Online vendor Queensbound emailed us to ask if we'd tell you about her online store, where she's selling t-shirts, tote bags, stickers, and chocolates emblazoned with an "I Heart Queens" logo. Designer Clara Elend lives in Sunnyside and has this to say about her work:

Much of my art is inspired by New York City, and particularly by Queens. This borough is full of diversity in its residents, architecture, landscape, and art. Often overlooked by outsiders, Queens and it's working class aesthetic inspires a love and loyalty in its residents. After living in Queens for three years and falling in love with it, I noticed that there were no cool, well-designed shirts about Queens. So I decided to make my own shirts and created Queensbound to pay homage to this kick-ass place.

These shirts are great for when you put the gang together for a rumble down at Newtown Creek with some Soc's wearing Greenpoint neighborhoodies.

Zog Sports Winter League Sign Up

After a great fall season in Queens with our Touch Football and Outdoor Soccer leagues, ZogSports is back with Dodgeball and 3-on-3 Basketball in Astoria this winter. ZogSports, the charity-focused, social, co-ed sports league for young professionals in their 20s and 30s, is excited to bring even more members of the Queens community into ours!

ZogSports has spent the last four years helping young New Yorkers break the monotony of the typical day – work/gym/bar/home - by offering sports leagues, trips, social events, and volunteer opportunities. To date, they have brought together 33,000+ participants and given more than $290,000 to charity.

Participants can sign up as an entire team or as an individual/small group and we’ll place them on a team. Teammates get to know each other at the organized post-game happy hours at local bars.

Dodgeball

* Where: PS 235 Academy for New Americans (30-14 30th Street) in Astoria
* When: The league will begin the first week of January and runs through early-mid March. We play Tuesdays and Thursdays (about 1 game/week). All teams will play their games on a mix of nights and game times. Games start at 7:15, 8:15 and 9:15pm.
* What: It’s like you remember from elementary school, but we use Nerf-quality balls instead or hard rubber. It's 6 on 6 with at least 2 women on the court. Each "match" is round-robin, 4 games against 2 opponents. There will be 2 divisions of play: Players/Sorta Players and Casual/ Extremely Casual.

3-on-3 Basketball

* Where: PS 126 - Albert Shanker (31-51 21st Street) in Astoria
* When: Games will begin the first weekend of January and run through early April. The league will run on Saturday afternoons with games beginning from 12:00pm-4:00pm.
* What: Just like the name, it's 3-on-3 and you need at least 1 woman on the court at all times. You'll play a three-team round robin format. Each "match" is a 6-game round-robin, in which each team plays 4 11-minute games against 2 opponents (with sudden death overtime). The matches last 80 minutes. There will be 2 divisions of play: Players/Sorta Players and Casual/ Extremely Casual.

As a philanthropy-focused organization, ZogSports donates a portion of all proceeds to charity, and helps all participants Play For Your Cause by making donations to winning teams’ charities of choice. Teams have the opportunity to win both on the field as well as off, with awards given for Best Team Name, Best Team Spirit, and Best Happy Hour Team. ZogSports also partners with local charitable organizations to promote/co-sponsor their events, and organizes charity events of its own.

Traders Joe's in Under an Hour--No Kidding!

My friend Sarah and I took a trip to the new Forest Hills Trader Joe's today. Trader Joe's is always my first port of call when I travel to LA, for snack foods and Greek-style yogurt and frozen delights to keep me from spending money at the city's generally underwhelming restaurants (though they have us way beat on Mexican and sushi).

You might be thinking, what kind of crazy person goes to a new Trader Joe's on a Saturday afternoon? I mean, haven't we learned by now that weekend shopping in Queens can be a nightmare of epic proportions? I have never been more homicidal then the day the Target had no shopping carts on the third floor. None. Not a one.

But I'm here to tell a happy tale.

We got parking right away. The lot was crowded, but not overflowing.

Inside, it was a bit of a madhouse, but only because it seemed like everybody knew each other. Everybody was catching up with friends, happy to have bumped into them next to the whole wheat pasta or while reaching for the same box of pluots. Such a far cry from the outright hostility from other customers that you routinely encounter at Pathmark. (And I am the worst of sinners in this regard.)

The aisles are a bit cramped, but it can't really be helped--there are some structural pillars that block your way. Best strategy is to park your cart at the end of the aisle, where there is plenty of room, and walk up and down.

The selection is just as marvelous as I'd hoped, and I had to work really hard to keep within my budget. Wesley urged me "don't spend too much money." Not difficult, because unlike Whole Foods, Trader Joe's is known for reasonable pricing. I bought some freezer meals that will be great after the baby shows up (any day now).

I finished shopping before Sarah, because she was not operating under the same unreasonable budgetary constraints as I was. Plus, she likes to read the labels looking for low sodium and superfoods. So I finished before her. There was room by the manager's office for me to hang out and be out of the way. I asked a manager if he minded if I sat on the floor (oh, my aching back!). And do you know what he did? He got me a freaking chair, people. Like, with a back and everything. If you've ever been pregnant in Queens you know how rare it is to get any special treatment--like a seat on the subway.

We sailed through check out and were waited on by very friendly, cheerful check out clerks and baggers. And you will not believe what happened next. Did you know that they have an employee in the parking lot to help you put your bags in the car and to return your shopping cart? So you don't have to? I have never heard of such a thing.

We left the parking lot smiling. And back at home, Wesley and I at the shit out of some Trader Joe's chocolate chip cookies.

Flashy Video about Forest Hills

A little fluff piece about Forest Hills that was sent to us:



How much does it reflect the reality of the neighborhood? It seems to be downplaying or ignoring any Queens-ness in favor of praising luxe condo life and mall stores...

Nourished on the Boulevard

Just made my second visit to Nourish NYC, Sunnyside's new alternative to schlepping things home from Whole Body.

The store is beautifully designed, with a restful, spa-like atmosphere and the kind of selection that makes a natural/organic-junkie like myself swoon. I spent a little more than I intended but felt the pricing was appropriate.

Owner Claire Carson lives in Sunnyside and was very helpful when I stopped by today to stock up on prenatal vitamins and a calcium supplement. She really wants to hear from people in the neighborhood about what products you want to be able to buy without using your Metrocard or paying shipping fees.

There's a juice bar that also offers a selection of organic teas that I'm interested in trying.

It's a welcome (if luxurious) addition to the neighborhood. I hope for peaceful coexistence with the more downmarket health food store just up the street.

Macbeth/Socrates Saturday/Sunday

Come check out The Red Door Theatre Company's production of Macbeth this weekend at Socrates Sculpture Park as part of their 7th Annual Halloween Harvest Festival.

SATURDAY 10/20: The festival takes place, rain or shine, starting at 11am
MACBETH will start at 3:30 pm

SUNDAY 10/21: two shows! One at NOON and one at 3pm.

And it's all free!

Halloween Harvest Festival--Socrates Sculpture Park

OCTOBER 20, 2007, 11AM-3PM (RAIN OR SHINE)
FREE

with a special performance of William Shakespeare's Macbeth by The Red Door Theatre Company at 3:30PM

Medieval costume making workshops with Socrates Sculpture Park artists: Jane Benson, McKendree Key, Catarina Leitão, and Deborah Fisher

Enjoy jugglers, stilt walkers and musicians from Circus Amok

Play spooky games with Free Style Arts Association

Enter a raffle and win a pumpkin, carved or painted by a Socrates Sculpture Park artist

Have your face painted by Agostino Arts

Experience Electroception with artists Lilah Freedland and Mitch Miller

Dress up your dog for the third annual Canine Costume Contest
at 2pm or just watch the show!

Plus, you can purchase a treat from the famed
Once Upon a Tart!

This program is made possible by a generous grant by Con Edison.

Socrates Sculpture Park is grateful for the support of the City of New York, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Queens Borough President Helen M. Marshall, Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, City Councilmember Eric Gioia, and the City of New York Department of Parks &
Recreation, Commissioner Adrian Benepe.

Additional support has been provided by Hunters Point Condos

Neville Dance Theatre's Memento Muerto

This event is not happening in Queens, but it features my friend Karen, who has lived in Astoria for as long as I've known her, going on a decade now! I caught this show a few years back and it's a great family event.

TICKETS NOW ON SALE: www.smarttix.com or 212.868.4444

Neville Dance Theatre's expanded narration:

Memento Muerto

A 'Days of the Dead' Dance Narrative

Thursday-Saturday
October 25, 7:30pm – Halloween Reception
October 26, 7:30pm
October 27, 7:30pm

The 14th Street Y Theatre
344 E. 14th Street @First Avenue (L, Q, R, 4,5,6 subways)

General Admission $20 / Halloween Reception $25

Halloween and Mexican Day of the Dead traditions come to the stage in Neville Dance Theatre's expanded dance narrative Memento Muerto. Ghosts, spirits, skeletons and even La Muerta (Lady Death) enter the land of the living and utilize ballet, Flamenco, Mexican and Argentine Tango to take viewers on an emotionally charged journey along the paths of family unity, cultural tradition and the everlasting bonds of love.

The evening's program also includes premieres of:

THE RAVEN- a dance drama based on Edgar Allan Poe's poem.
NIGHT MOVEMENTS - a contemporary ballet work
FLAMENCO SEGUIRIYA - with guest performer Silvia Siller and musicians Dominico Caro and Jed Miley.

"wide ranging and imaginative" -Jeni Breen, Sandra Cameron Dance Center

"impressive…I was struck by the company's strength and versatility of
disciplines" -Aurora Reyes, Flamenco Latino

"…a moving medley of dances that create a journey through life and
death" -Professor David H. Chisholm, University of Arizona

STARRING:

Allison Jay (Movin' Out - Ballet Met)
Chi-Tsung Kuo (Jennifer Muller/The Works)
Karen Lacy (Metropolitan Opera Ballet)
Jennifer Yackel (Richmond Ballet - Ballet Theatre of Maryland)

Plus: Fayzah Claudia Chisholm, Romina Rodriguez-Crosta, Ammon Dennis, Travis Gallagher, Miha Glockenspiel, Brenda R. Neville, Michelina Piazza, Dante Polichetti, Emily Santoro, Silvia Siller.

Don't miss this enchanting holiday celebration of traditions both old and new!

www.nevilledance.com

718.963.2009

Sunnyside Gardens Park Pumpkin Patch and Oktoberfest

Saturday, October 13th, 2007

(Rain date Sunday, October 14th, 2007)

Sunnyside Gardens Park
718-672-1555
48-21 39th Avenue
Between 48th and 50th Streets
(take #7 train to 46th Street)
Sunnyside, Queens New York
Noon to dusk

3 Acre Park Open to All for the day!
Pumpkin Patch
Children’s Arts & Crafts
Oktoberfest Barbeque
Autumn Produce Greenmarket
Face painting
Music

Not Very Blissful

After watching "Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares" last night, and seeing moldy food and colonies of cockroaches that infested the midtown restaurant he turned around, I started to wonder how our own neighborhood places have fared in the health department inspections, which Wesley has blogged about before.

Turns out that shortly after Bliss on 46th and Skillman underwent new management, their inspection ratings took a steep nosedive. On 8/22/07 they were given a disgusting 50 rating (anything over 28 constitutes a failure and requires a follow up compliance inspection). Their previous rating back on 5/1/07 was a somewhat high, but still passing 17. In contrast, Quaint, just down the block from Bliss on Skillman, received a very respectable 2 score (though that was back on 11/8/06 - let's hope they've kept it up).

When will the health department start requiring restaurants to post their scores? And why did it take a reality TV show to expose the filth that the former Dillon's (now rebranded as Purnima) was shoveling?

Touch Football for Fun & Charity

Got this in my inbox:

This fall, ZogSports expands to Queens with Touch Football in Queensbridge Park and Outdoor Soccer in Elmhurst. ZogSports, the charity-focused, social, co-ed sports league for young professionals in their 20s and 30s, is coming to Queens for the first time.

ZogSports has spent the last four years helping young New Yorkers break the monotony of the typical day – work/gym/bar/home - by offering sports leagues, trips, social events, and volunteer opportunities. To date, they have brought together 33,000+ participants and given more than $290,000 to charity.

Participants can sign up as an entire team or as an individual/small group and we’ll place them on a team. Teammates get to know each other at the organized post-game happy hours at local bars.

As a philanthropy-focused organization, ZogSports donates a portion of all proceeds to charity, and helps all participants Play For Your Cause by making donations to winning teams’ charities of choice. Teams have the opportunity to win both on the field as well as off, with awards given for Best Team Name, Best Team Spirit, and Best Happy Hour Team. ZogSports also partners with local charitable organizations to promote/co-sponsor their events, and organizes charity events of its own.

Sounds fun, if you consider yourself a team player and like meeting new people under physicall demanding circumstances, that is. Me, I'll sign up when they add Scrabble to their roster of activities. (Fact: I played ZLOTYS on a triple word score when Wesley and I were on our honeymoon in Spain. We didn't have a dictionary with us, and he threatened to cut off my supply of Rioja if I continued to insist that it was a real word. I chose Rioja over what I knew in my heart was right. I am still upset over what I consider to be the play of a lifetime.)

In Denial Over El Comelon

I kept telling myself that the busy signal meant that they were having phone troubles. I finally walked by there today and confirmed that my favorite purveyor of rice and beans and fried plantains is gone. Seriously, I'm devastated. They could carmelize an onion like you wouldn't believe. Unless you've had the grilled chicken and onions, in which case I know you're salivating right now. And we never even blogged about it.

So where do I go now? I know there are tons more options on Greenpoint, according to the New York Times and the Department of Health. What have I been missing thanks to my obsession with El Comelon?

108th Precinct Hosts Forum on Safety

PUBLIC MEETING:
108 Police Precinct Community Council
Tuesday 7pm, September 25, 2007
Sunnyside Community Services
2nd floor
43-31 39th St.
betw. 43rd Ave. & Queens Blvd.
(Usually lasts less than two hours. Council Pres. Diane Ballek urges all to attend and to arrive at 7pm sharp.)

NATURE OF CRIMES: The attempted and completed alleged break-ins appear to be crimes of opportunity, where a back window has been left open. Another common and more alarming feature in most of the alleged home attempts is that they occur at night when the houses are occupied with sleeping residents. The site of entry is sometimes in plain sight from the other side of the courtyard.

WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND: If your residence has been broken in or an attempt was made, or you want to know how to try to prevent a break-in, please take this opportunity speak directly to 108 CO Captain Thomas Kavanagh, his team, and the specific special NYPD units who have been asked to attend. Everyone needs to hear your story. Community Affairs P.O. Juan Toro noted today (9/10/07) he finds only ³one break-in has been reported in the Gardens in the last 28 days,² which means we are not speaking up in an official matter. Criminals concentrate on an area until it becomes more trouble than it is worth. The police cannot discourage them with no information and if we do not show we care.

SQUEAKY WHEEL: Please report your crime to 911 and file a report, no matter if the attempt on your premises was successful or not. When such an attempt has been thwarted on the spot, one¹s main emotion is to try and forget about it. But if you do not file an official report, we will not get the attention we need from the NYPD. NYPD personnel are put where data exists suggesting a need, which is one reason NYPD policing is so effective. It is a hassle to file a report if you lost nothing, but getting the data in the system will protect you and your neighbors in the future. We don¹t want word to get around among lawbreakers that the area is an easy target. If you are told that you cannot file a report because no crime was committed, please note the time and place of attempt and time and name of whom you speak to -- obviously, police resources must be allocated to events with more serious priority, but down the road at the the council, such information might be invaluable to both you and the 108.

PRECAUTIONS: Please lock your doors and windows, particularly the ones facing the common areas. If you wish to have them remain open, wedge them open with pipe or wood so they cannot be opened from the outside. Secure air conditioners or fans so that they cannot be pushed into your premises to gain entry. Better information will be forthcoming 9/25 and your questions answered to the best of experts' ability regarding efficacy of alarms, lighting, locks. Get to know your neighbors and report anything suspicious in progress to 911.

LOCAL NYPD TEL. NUMBERS:
911 for a crime in progress, and that includes graffiti in progress
(Since our emergency calls to 911 are routed immediately to the precinct, call 911 rather than circumventing a good system by calling the precinct.)
311 for non emergencies
718 784-5411 - 108 precinct front desk ­ might ring awhile
718 784-5426 - 108 Com. Affairs --This # has a machine (PO's Juan Toro, and Marco Youseff)
718 784-5404 - 108 Crime Prevention Officer: Lou Chimento (free excellent, on-site advice)
If you wish to speak to Diane Ballek about becoming more involved in the Council, she may be reached at 718-784-3194

The (re)Cycle Plays: Call for Volunteers

We posted info about this event, and it turns out they could use some help:

As many of you already know, Confluence is producing a 1-day festival next Saturday called THE (re)CYCLE PLAYS. I can't tell you how rewarding this experience has been for me, the other producers, and all of the artists involved. Running a festival like this is not an easy task for a small non-profit like Confluence, which means we rely on volunteers to make sure that everything comes together and will run smoothly on the day of the event. We are still in need of some more volunteers to help us in the days leading up to the event distributing cards, hanging posters, and running errands. We also need some more volunteers on the day of the festival (Saturday, Sept. 15) to help us load in, set up, assist with the maintenance of our artist area, man the Confluence info table, assist with park clean up, and strike and load out at the end of the event.

If you are able to help us out over the next week or by signing up for a 1 or 2 hour shift on Saturday between 10am - 7pm, we would be extremely grateful for your help. Please email gabriel -at- recycleplays -dot- com.

If not, I hope that you are able to make it out to Socrates Sculpture Park to check out what promises to be a great time! All of the festival details can be found at www.recycleplays.com

THANK YOU!
Adam

Buy Raw Local Honey

A local honeybee farmer is selling honey to our CSA!
It's from Waldemar Galka who has a farm in Long Island.

To purchase honey:
- 1lb jars are $7, and 2lb jars are $13

- Choose Spring Honey (lighter) or Summer Honey (darker)

- Bring a check payable to: Waldemar Galka to the CSA pickup this Thursday 9/13 or next Thursday 9/20 Sunnyside Community Services, 2nd Floor between 5-8pm.. Please don't leave cash in the envelope.

- Put it in the HONEY MONEY envelope (just ask the volunteers for it)

- Print your name and phone number on the list that is attached
to the envelope, and indicate whether you want Spring or Summer honey.

- Honey will get delivered either during the last week of Sept or
first week of Oct.

About the honey (from Waldemar):

What is important is that the honey raw and local. The bioactive nutrients are not destroyed by pasteurization and the honey contains local pollen [said to help allergy sufferers].

The other important aspect is that I don't use any 'hard chemicals' to control varroa mites (honey bee parasites) so there is no risk of them getting into the honey even at low PPM. I produce healthy honey for my family and sell the surplus to the public. The honey is not organic since there are no organic areas in the vicinity of NYC sufficiently large - at least 6 miles in diameter, the extent of honey bee foraging - to certify an organic product.

1-lb jars are $7 each. 2-lb are $13 each.

The lighter jars are honey that's mostly from the black locust blossoms (spring time) and the amber jars are honey that's mostly from linden/basswood blossoms (summer time). This year's autumn honey is being collected by the bees at this time and, if all goes well, will be harvested in early October.

Las Senoritas de Avinon at Thalia Spanish Theater

I don't know how to add the proper accent marks onto that title--ever so sorry.

THALIA SPANISH THEATRE, celebrating its 30th anniversary, presents

the BILINGUAL AMERICAN PREMIERE

(WORLD PREMIERE in English)

THE “LADIES” OF AVIGNON

LAS “SEÑORITAS DE AVIÑÓN

in celebration of the Centennial of the masterpiece by

PABLO PICASSO

by

ONE OF SPAIN’S MOST IMPORTANT CONTEMPORARY PLAYWRIGHTS
JAIME SALOM
English Translation by CHARLES PHILIP THOMAS
Produced, Designed & Directed by ANGEL GIL ORRIOS

Associate Director HECTOR LUIS RIVERA

Starring
SOLEDAD LOPEZ, KATHY TEJADA, COCO NUÑEZ,
IVETTE OLIVERAS, ANGELA PEREZ, LORENA JORGE

and introducing as Young Picasso RAUL JULIA

Young Pablo Picasso, a struggling and as-yet unknown artist, finds love, comfort, and inspiration in the company of the “ladies” of a brothel in Barcelona. As he creates his masterpiece, the nude “ladies” from the canvas come to life. The great Spanish genius and his creation as you’ve never seen them before! DON’T MISS IT!

THE STORY OF THE MOST FAMOUS BROTHEL IN THE WORLD [thanks to him].
SIX WEEKS ONLY
OCTOBER 5 TO NOVEMBER 11 2007

alternating performances in ENGLISH and SPANISH

IN ENGLISH: FRIDAYS at 8 PM & SATURDAYS at 3 PM

IN SPANISH: SATURDAYS at 8 PM & SUNDAYS at 4 PM
TICKETS $25 STUDENTS & SENIORS $22

Special group rates

At THALIA SPANISH THEATRE

41-17 Greenpoint Avenue, Sunnyside (Queens)

Subway # 7 Local to 40th St. Station. Buses Q60, Q32 to Queens Blvd & 41st St.

INFORMATION & TICKETS (718) 729-3880

At Least a Cop Was There

School's back in session, which means at certain hours of the day the streets are swarming with teenagers. I've generally found them to be tolerable--they do form large crowds that block the sidewalk, but if you say "Excuse me" they move out of the way.

The 7 train platform is another story.

I was on a train that arrived at 40th Street at 4pm. As soon as the train stopped, each door was mobbed by a large group of teenagers, who were not at all interested in letting anyone off the train.

Right in front of me, a poor woman lugging a very heavy-looking parcel on a wheeled rack and carrying a large portfolio-sized parcel was KNOCKED TO THE GROUND by the crowd.

To their credit, a few reached out to help her up and to pick her parcels up. But most of them just climbed over her, making it even more difficult for the rest of us to exit the train. She was shaken up by it, and rightly so. It hurts to fall down. I'm not even going to get into the heebie jeebies it gave me, 7 months pregnant, contemplating what could've happened if it'd been me.

There was one cop on the platform trying to manage the situation, but he was woefully outnumbered and most of them were ignoring him. This girl fell only three doors from where he was standing.

THE re(CYCLE) PLAYS at Socrates Sculpture Park, Saturday 9/15

Come to Socrates Sculpture Park on Saturday, September 15 for an afternoon-long theater experience that sounds really unique: THE re(CYCLE) PLAYS. Here's what I've been told:

THE re(CYCLE) PLAYS is a free festival of shows related to sustainable development at Socrates Sculpture Park. The format of the festival hearkens back to the tradition of the Medieval Cycle Play, and gathers a number of talented young theater artists and companies for a common cause. Every set piece and prop is recycled, and the lights and sound equipment are powered by bio-diesel.

Socrates Sculpture Park
32-01 Vernon Blvd.
Long Island City, NY 11106
(718)956-1819


View Larger Map

Kaufman-Astoria is Super Bad

Saturday morning Wesley and I wake up bright and early, as is our wont these days. We're not sure at what point we morphed into senior citizens but our circadian rhythms seem permanently set on "wake up early and have a fun day." I blame it on the pregnancy hormones, which really doesn't seem fair because I have pregnancy insomnia to boot. I will never sleep again.

So anyway, on Saturday, after drinking coffee, reading the paper, doing the NYT crossword puzzle (that's right, suckers, I can do Saturday), enjoying the infonot, eating breakfast, doing a little light housecleaning, going to Nita's for pregnant lady's second breakfast, reading a few chapters in my book, and clearing out my email inbox, Wesley had a suggestion.

"Wanna see Superbad?"

Fuck yeah, I want to see Superbad. (You do, too, by the way).

We chose the 11:05 at Kaufman Astoria so we could get back in time to do some more Time Warner Digital Cable surfing before the Mets game at 3:30.

We get to KA at 10:50, because we believe that you should be early for a movie. (We also believe that you should shut the fuck up and turn off your cell phone, but it's much more rewarding to believe in things you can control.)

There was a crowd outside, and the gates were down. There appeared to be no signs of life inside. We really didn't know what to do. Later shows would cut into our Mets game. Wesley said, "maybe we should go get waffles?" We've never gone for waffles before, so I guess he was joking, but it was coming up on time for my third breakfast so I was having a hard time concentrating on willing the movie theater to open because of the steady hum in my head, going "waffleswaffleswaffleswaffleswaffles."

At 11:02 the gates open and all 50 of us bumrushed the entrance. I headed for the ticket line, wishing I had body armor to protect my belly from the people who were diving over and under the line to get as close to the front as possible. I don't blame them because there was only 1 woman selling tickets.

Wesley joined the mob at the machines, even though that is a true fool's errand because only 2 of them ever work at any given time and it's never the same 2. I was easily 8 people back and still got my tickets from the 1 slow lady (who even disappeared for a few minutes) before the people in front of Wesley had scored a successful swipe.

At least they started the movies on time, because that's what's important. Screw the audience, right? We made it just in time for the 100 minutes of awesome vulgarity that was Superbad. I'd say it was worth it but I'm too hungry to keep writing.

Museum of the Moving Image--New Podcasts

The ex-video store clerk in me is kind of freaking out at the Museum of the Moving Image's online offerings. They've got panels and Q&A sessions with all sorts of amazing people, from David Cronenberg to Terry Gilliam to Todd Haynes (twice!) to Martin Scorcese and a gazillion other people. They're audio-only, or you can get a PDF of the transcript.

Newest offerings are Michael Moore (Sicko), Sarah Polley (Away from Her) and a tantalizing panel called Considering Horror.

Seriously, did you guys know about this and not tell me? I'm so pissed at you for leaving me out...

Katrina Comes to Socrates Park

Check out The Blog of Joy for some cool photos from her trip to Socrates Sculpture Park to see by sculptor Takashi Horisaki's replica of a New Orleans house destroyed by hurricane Katrina.

Thanks for the heads up, Joy!

Live Music in LIC

Check out The Wallace Brothers next Friday night in the 'hood:

FRIDAY, August 24
9 pm
The Creek and the Cave
10-93 Jackson Ave (Long Island City)
1 stop from Grand Central on the 7

The Creek and the Cave is everything you could ask for in a nitespot: Mexican grill, bar, theater, lounge, pool room and patio all under one very large roof.

much love,
Mark + Carey

Hidden Queens--Huzzah!

Lots of our favorites on here--and some egregious oversights.

The Hidden Queens roundup from the New York Post is a great celebration of our borough. I'll be adding this link to our "In the Neighborhood" sidebar for easy reference.

CSA Killed My Contact Lenses--and I Liked It

The box from the Sunnyside CSA this week contained the usual goodies from the Golden Earthworm farm, including three lovely green peppers and two wondrously fragrant onions.

I decided to make steak sandwiches for me & Wesley. I carmelized the onions and sauteed the peppers, browned some flank steak in the cast iron then cut it across the grain and served it on a toasted baguette with some olive oil and goat cheese. With potato chip and a nice salad made from the CSA red leaf lettuce & tomato (and Foodtown cucumber), it was a delicious meal. I'm getting hungry just remembering it (though being almost 7 months pregnant it doesn't take much).

As we sat down to eat, I noticed that the skin between my fingers was burning, but I didn't remember touching any of the pans I used. As we were eating our sandwiches, we discovered that one of the three green peppers was a hot one. I am very sensitive to capsaicin (what makes the hot pepper hot) but I wasn't having much trouble with this one, possibly because it was cooked down & I had removed all the seeds. The fire was a quick flash that faded just as quickly.

However, as the night progressed, the burning on my hands spread and I realized that I was going to be in trouble.

See, I wear contact lenses. I learned once the hard way what careless jalapeno handling will mean for my ability to remove my contacts at night. So I'm always careful when handling hot peppers not to touch any part of them but the skin. This sneaky pepper, however, I'd been handling without care--that is, pulling out the ribs, brushing off the seeds, and cutting it up with my usual culinary abandon. I basicaly wiped it all over my hands.

That night, I braced myself for contact lens removal. There is nothing like having that on fire feeling directly on your eyeball. The last (only) time this happened I ended up discarding the lenses but I'd just switched to this pair on Friday and I hate to see a good pair go. Plus I had only just gotten used to my schedule--I am very flaky and can never remember when it's time to switch to a new pair. So I put them in the case.

In the morning, I pulled out contact lens number one and rinsed it beyond thoroughly, then stuck it in my eye. My poor assaulted eye immediately flooded with tears and began to swell up. I ripped out the lens and through both of them out. There was enough capsaicin left on my hands that even putting in the new pair caused some pretty intense burning, and for most of the morning I looked like I'd been crying.

My hands were burning for most of the day, even though I kept washing them and washing them and washing them. I finally put some burn ointment on and that helped. A friend suggested I dip them in milk, but that didn't really help.

Last night, over 24 hours since I'd handled that pepper, I took my contacts out and experienced a brief flash of burning.

Fortunately, this morning, when I put my contacts in, there was no burning at all, and my hands are back to normal.

But man, I tell you, that sandwich was awesome.

Manda Bala at MMI--Video Interview with Director Jason Kohn

I was at Sundance this year, and I kept hearing tremendous buzz about a little documentary called Manda Bala (Send a Bullet), which is screening this Saturday at 6:30 at the Museum of the Moving Image.

Here is a video interview with the director:



The interviewer, Reid Rosefelt, is a veteran publicist who helped launch the careers of such filmmakers as Pedro Almodovar and Jim Jarmusch. He wrote a lot more about the movie here, saying:

There are two basic strands to the story. One involves the super-violent world of kidnapping in Sao Paolo. We meet a woman who had both her ears cut off by kidnappers. It seems ear amputation is the preferred method of terrifying families into paying huge ransoms. There is a plastic surgeon that has developed a practice of reconstructing ears. A businessman relates that nearly every person of wealth has been a victim of crime or kidnapped. Some have been kidnapped more than once. Kidnapping is a booming business in Sao Paolo: it has the most bullet-proof cars, and the most private helicopters. Technologies.

The second part of MANDA BALA is about Jader Barbalho, Brazil's most powerful politician. It's really hard to think of too many people in the the world who are more outright evil than this man. Kim Jong-il? In a nutshell, he stole over two billion dollars from a public works project, thereby plunging the entire northeast of the country into starvation and death. I kept thinking, "what is he going to do with two billion dollars?" If he had considered stealing only one billion instead of two billion, it would have had a titanic impact on the ability of tens of thousands of people to survive.

Save the Library!

From Queens Crap:

"The Queens Library last year received $5.09 for each library patron visit, about two-thirds of the amount received by the Brooklyn Public Library and the New York Public Library, which serves Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, says the report, "Library Funding: Subsidies Rebound, Disparities Remain."

I don't know about you, but I think that the library is one of the greatest public places ever devised by humankind. I'm not joking. See, they have books. And you can get a card that lets you take them home for a couple of weeks. Nowadays, using this thing called the internet you can even get your library to order books that they don't have, then hold them behind the counter just for you and nobody else. They'll even send you an email when the books come in!

And I'm not just talking fusty old classics like that broad who wrote the book they based Clueless on. I'm talking Harry Potter. I'm talking Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Oprah's Book Club, Neil Gaiman, Spiderwick, Laura Ingalls Wilder... just to name a few who may never have appeared together in the same sentence before.

The library doesn't have to be pretty, though that helps. It ought to be quiet--but that's a post for another day, because today I come to praise the library, not to bury it. Many offer woefully underfunding continuing education and ESL classes.

And if you hate to read, did you know they have CDs, DVDs, and audiobooks? Try one of the latter for your August trek in the rental to Grandma's. Who needs an SUV with a DVD player when you can have an Oscar-winning actor read you a good story?

Has this post moved you to action? Then buy the library a book.

Buy-A-Book for Queens Library
Celebrate the Library's 100th Anniversary

Funds for new books are needed more than ever. The library's budget to buy books has decreased by $4 million, while the demand for books and materials continues to increase each year!

Make your special “Buy-A-Book” gift for Queens Library’s 100th Anniversary today! Until September 30, your gift will be worth twice as much through a very generous $150,000 challenge grant provided by The Louis Calder Foundation.

Donations of $25 or more will buy books for the Library to be enjoyed by toddlers, teens, seniors, or you! As a thank you, your name, or the name of the person or organization you choose to honor, will appear on a special, limited edition commemorative 100th Anniversary bookplate in a new book.

So Cute

The YMCA has an indoor track that runs in a circle above the pool. On Saturdays, you can see the kids having their swimming classes. Everything from dads with tiny babies to kids bumping into each other while trying to master the backstroke to little ones with floaties and kickboards.

I mean, seriously. Can anything be cuter? Except maybe the little ballet class I saw in the 2nd floor classroom last week. Tutus and everything.

Bring the Funny to the Grind

Are there funny people in NW Queens? The Grind thinks you'll find them from 9 to 11:30 on Thursday nights. No cover, 2 drink minimum--and they're claiming to have cocktails now.

If you're really masochistic--er, in the mood for homegrown entertainment, warm up with Open Mic night, starting at 7pm, also on Thursday night.

I totally, totally dare somebody to check this out. Best reader review wins a rice ball from the Cheesteak Factory and bragging rights. Send submissions to clairedeveronNOSPAM@gmail.com (make sure to delete the NOSPAM part).

WNBC-TV report on the future of Sunnyside Rail Yards

Thanks to "New Yorker" for sending Queens Rocks a link to ABC News's video report on this hotly contested issue.

Ropes Course--In Queens!

CITY’S FIRST PUBLIC…AND THE NORTHEAST’S LARGEST…HIGH ROPES ADVENTURE COURSE OPENS IN ALLEY POND PARK

DATE: Friday, July 20, 2007

TIME:
12:00 p.m.

LOCATION:
Alley Pond Adventure Course, Enter at Winchester Blvd. (under the Grand Central Parkway; north of Union Turnpike); Head to the parking lot, Alley Pond Park, Queens

EVENT & PHOTO-OP: Commissioner Adrian Benepe and approximately 50 kids will "cut the rope" and traverse the new Alley Pond Adventure Course—the first adventure ropes course in a New York City park and the largest of its kind in the northeast. Press is invited to participate in the course.

DETAILS: The Alley Pond Park Adventure Course, also called a ropes or challenge course, is a challenging outdoor activity course that is open to individuals and groups and consists of 20 high and low elements—zip lines, a climbing grotto, a web, balance boards and more.

The course is a program of the Urban Park Rangers and was funded with a $250,000 grant from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and a $120,000 grant from the J.E. and Z.B. Butler Foundation.

A Silly Storytelling Hour at Starbucks

Night Light Works Presents:

A Silly Storytelling Hour at Starbucks

Come and join us for an hour of milk, cookies and Silly Storytelling!

WHAT IT IS: A Silly Story is a story where anything can happen! And it's sure to be silly because children are encouraged to help tell it! Silly Storytelling is a great way to build children's literacy skills and develop their imaginations!

WHO: All ages are welcome, but Silly Storytelling is especially fun for ages 3 to 10.

WHEN: Wednesday July 25th from 6pm to 7pm.

WHERE: Your local Starbucks! 46-09 Queens Blvd

HOW: Sign up at Starbucks to let us know that you are coming! There is a sign up sheet behind the counter and on the bullentin board. Sign up on either sheet.

For the Grown-ups we have a special treat as well... COFFEE and A FREE RAFFLE!

Warm Up in LIC: And Unlike Last Summer, LIC Residents Aren’t Paying For It

In New York City the word “beach” means as much as the word “grass.” There’s not that many opportunities to lay in the sun, on a hammock, with cool music, (not your ipod), with overly attractive friends and a summer-y drink. Until now--P.S.1’s Warm Up Saturday series is in full summertime swing.

P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center is the sexier, or rather x/y/z generation counterpart of the MOMA. This hip counterpart set in a old school building, offers a party in a rather unexpected place, right at the foot of the 45 Road Court House Square subway stop. The party grounds are impressive— a concrete beach with full hammocks draped from an overwhelming art exhibit called Liquid Sky, chilled summer drinks at the bar, live music and DJ’s that spin while you're relaxing, socializing, dancing or trying to stay dry under the aforementioned “sky.”

In addition to the party fun, LIC/Sunnyside residents get in free—which is a steal, since regular admission is ten bucks. However, be sure to bring a proof of residence, such as a bill or lease and form of ID— they will not let you in otherwise. With this golden ticket, you are given access to P.S.1’s indoor museum which offers everything from an art exhibit in the historic building’s own boiler room to a painstaking tiny dot masterpiece.

So, on Saturday, get off your couch and turn off the AC-—Warm Up at P.S.1.

Dates & Times

Each Saturday through September 1, from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Address:

P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center is located at 22-25 Jackson Avenue at 46th Avenue in Long Island City, Queens, across the Queensboro Bridge from midtown Manhattan.

Click here for full line up and info.

Lollipop Garden Closing

From the owners:

Hello everyone,

It is with great sadness that we have to announce the closing of Lollipop Garden.
As many of you know, we have faced financial difficulties since the warm weather has arrived and we have been trying to come up with a temporary arrangement with our landlord. Well, we did have an arrangement but late Friday we have received a phone call from the landlord who simply said that (for whatever reason) the arrangement we had will not work for him and asked that we be out of the premises by the end of next week. Needless to say, we are devastated. We asked for a little break on the rent and were led to believe that our request was accepted. The landlord's change of mind on Friday caught us totally off guard and now we have no choice but to close our doors for good since we do not have sufficient funds to cover the rent.

I know this may sound really "cheap" but we would like to ask for one last and final support from the community to help us out with this sudden move. We will be open for open play all of next week at regular admission price so please stop by and say hello. All classes however have been canceled. We are also selling everything at Lollipop Garden. We will say our final good-bye on Thursday and will be open until 8:00. We want to say thank you to all of you who have supported us in the last 7 months and we apologize to those who just found us in the last few weeks.

Rate the 7 Train Online

Too bad there isn't a place to write in comments:

"During rush hour, I love that I can wave to all the people on the 46th Street platform, knowing that all of us will still be there when the train comes by."

Take the survey here.

Lemonade!

I just drank a delicious fresh squeezed lemonade from The Grind (Queens Boulevard & 39th Place, South Side). I watched her squeeze it myself. Real lemons, and you add the sugar yourself so I could get the perfect level of tartness. Delicious & refreshing after a walk through the neighborhood.

Also, I noticed that The Grind has ice cream sodas on offer. I have not had one yet, but this has been one of my pregnancy cravings. And since my boyfriend Mr. Softee no longer comes up my street at 9:15 pm, I've been despairing of having to rely on Baskin Robbins for my fix. I mean, the Foodtown can't manage to stock mint chocolate chip of ANY BRAND WHATSOEVER. I can't be the only person who has a problem with this.

I'll report back tomorrow after I have a float. I'm thinking Dr. Pepper with vanilla ice cream...

SOUTHERN QUEENS GOSPEL FEST

DATE: Saturday, July 14, 2007

TIME:
3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

LOCATION:
Baisley Pond Park, Rockaway Blvd., Sutphin Blvd. and Baisley Blvd., Queens

DETAILS: This free festival will feature performances by Brother Al Smith of the New Jerusalem Baptist Church, Brotherhood Choir, CTH Mass Choir of St. Albans Baptist Church, Echols Temple, GBC Inspirations, Growth Christ Community Choir, and others. Parks & Recreation will also offer free refreshments, arts and crafts, face painting, and raffle prizes.

The event is hosted by Black Families International and WLIB Radio with sponsorship by Sam Ash Music Stores and KFC. The Southern Queens Gospel Fest is part of a larger initiative to increase programming in southern Queens parks.

Seeking vendors for upcoming Sunnyside Gardens Craft Fair

Calling All Handmade-Craft Vendors to the
Sunnyside Gardens Park
1st Annual Craft Fair


Seeking artisans of fine quality, handmade crafts


Date: Saturday, September 8, 2007
(Rain date September 9)
Time: 11AM – 3 PM
Location: Sunnyside Gardens Park
48–21 48th Street, Sunnyside, NY


To request an application:
E-mail: sunnysidegardenspark@nyc.rr.com
Phone: 718-672-1555
Submission deadline: August 18, 2007
Tables: $50
Booth Size: 10 x 10

QMA: Il Lee, Ballpoint Drawings

The Queens Museum of Art introduces the work of Il Lee (b. 1952), a Korean-born artist living and working in Brooklyn since 1977. Using disposable ballpoint pens, Lee creates dramatic ink fields on surfaces of canvas and paper. For this exhibition, he will present a selection of large format blue and black ink drawings, including early experimental studies and an impressive fifty-foot installation—his largest work to date.

Artist Reception
Unisphere Gallery
Thursday, July 19, 6-8 pm

Gallery Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6
Friday, 12-8

Queens Museum of Art
New York City Building
Flushing Meadows, Corona Park
718-592-9700

7 Train to Get Letter Grade

Read here.

Socrates Park Outdoor Cinema Schedule

WEDNESDAYS, JULY 11 - AUGUST 29, 2007
AT SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK
32-01 VERNON BOULEVARD AT BROADWAY IN LONG ISLAND CITY
TAKE N/W TRAINS TO BROADWAY IN QUEENS
PRE-SCREENING PERFORMANCES BEGIN AT 7PM
FILMS BEGIN AT SUNSET
FREE ADMISSION

On Wednesday evenings in July and August, Socrates Sculpture Park, Museum of the Moving Image and Partnerships for Parks will present the ninth annual international festival of open air cinema, music, dance and food. Visitors to the Park can sample regional cuisine from neighborhood restaurants, picnic on the grass as the sun sets over the city, enjoy performances by local musicians and dancers, and, as the sky
darkens, see exceptional international films on a large-format screen, all set against the spectacular backdrop of the East River and the Manhattan skyline.

Pre-screening performances begin at 7:00 pm, films begin at sunset. All performances and screenings take place in the Park and admission is free. Free parking is available next door in the Costco lot.

Pre-screening performers and restaurants will be announced weekly and scheduling is subject to change. In the event of rain, the first cancelled film will be rescheduled to August 29. Please call to confirm programming or sign-up for weekly updates here.

The films for Outdoor Cinema 2007 have been selected by Chief Curator David Schwartz and Assistant Curator Livia Bloom, Museum of the Moving Image.

JULY 11 TURKEY
CROSSING THE BRIDGE: THE SOUND OF ISTANBUL
2005, 90 mins. Directed by Fatih Akin. A tour of Istanbul's unique musical scene, with its pungent blend of rock, modern, and traditional sounds, this film "uses music to paint a portrait of a vibrant cosmopolitan city and provide a window into a rich and varied national culture." (Kenneth Turan, The Los Angeles Times)

JULY 18 BRAZIL
THIS IS BOSSA NOVA
2005, 126 mins. Directed by Paulo Thiago. This enthralling chronicle of the Brazilian sound that became an international sensation traces the music's roots from 1950s samba. The mix of rare archival footage, interviews, and contemporary performances focuses largely on the living musical legends Roberto Menescal and Carlos Lyra.

JULY 25 JAPAN
LINDA LINDA LINDA
2005, 114 mins. Directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita. A girl band rehearses for a rock festival in this dryly-funny charming film that is named for its irresistible theme song. "An extremely well-written, emotionally complex coming-of-age tale that has a John Hughesian respect for teenage angst."
(G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle)

AUGUST 1 USA
THE 5,000 FINGERS OF DR. T
1953, 88 mins. Directed by Roy Rowland. With Tommy Rettig. Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel) wrote the screenplay and lyrics for this wildly inventive musical fantasy about a young boy whose dreams and nightmares are sparked by the fear of his overbearing piano teacher.

AUGUST 8 INDIA
KAL HO NAA HO
2003, 186 mins. Directed by Nikhil Advani. This Bollywood extravaganza is a Romeo-and-Juliet tale set, and partly filmed, in New York City. This film "has little notion of restraint. Its luxuriant running time allows lots of room for spectacular musical numbers and dramatic climaxes." (Dave Kehr, The New York Times)

AUGUST 15 CUBA
CALLE 54
2000, 105 mins. Directed by Fernando Trueba. With Tito Puente. A stylish and loving tribute to the Latin American jazz scene. "The film is such a pure expression of the director's love for the music, a love so infectious it should leave you elated." (Elvis Mitchell, The New York Times)

AUGUST 22 SOUTH AFRICA
U-CARMEN E-KHYELISTSHA
2005, 120 mins. Directed by Mark Dornford-May. Georges Bizet's Carmen is magically transported to modern-day South Africa. "The setting brims over with the same wicked froth of danger, exoticism, and passion that 19th-century Seville must have had before it got stylized into oblivion." (Julia Wallace, Village Voice)

Socrates Sculpture Park was an abandoned riverside landfill and illegal dumpsite until 1986 when a coalition of artists and com-munity members, under the leadership of sculptor Mark di Suvero, transformed it into an open studio and exhibition space for artists and a neighborhood park for local residents. Today, it is an internationally renowned outdoor museum and artist residency program that also serves as a vital New York City park offering a wide variety of free public programs. The Park's existence is based on the belief that reclamation, revitalization and
creative expression are essential to the survival, humanity and improvement of our urban environment. Socrates Sculpture Park is open 365 days a year from 10am to sunset and is located at the intersection of Broadway and Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City.

***

The 2007 Outdoor Cinema program is supported by funding from the New York City Council and The New York Times Company Foundation.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

The film series is made possible by the generosity of Scharff Weisberg, and by contributions from Costco Wholesale, and Spacetime C.C.

Special thanks to the City of New York, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Queens Borough President Helen M. Marshall, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, Councilmember Eric Gioia, and the Department of Parks & Recreation, Commissioner Adrian Benepe.

New Greenmarket on Skillman

Reader Susan tips us off to a Times piece with a buried mention of the greenmarket on Skillman between 42nd & 43rd. In fact, you can find the greenmarket at a couple of different places in NW Queens:

Astoria
Wed 8-5
Location TBD

Jackson Heights
Sun 8-3
34th Ave bt 77&78

Long Island City
Sat 8-3
48 Ave & Vernon Boulevard

Sunnyside
Sat 8-3
Skillman bt 42 & 43

Atlas Park
Sat 8-4
Cooper Ave & 80th

All these greenmarkets are running now through November.

Thanks, Susan!

Welcome to Historic Dumpsterville

I can see it now. Tour busses filled with foreigners anxious to see the historic neighborhoods of New York City will soon be bussed into the Sunnyside Gardens area fresh from Landmarked status. A particularly knowledgeable tour guide will get over the PA system describing the history of this brilliant planned community with communal gardens.

"Now if you will look to your left, past the second dumpster, you can see the classic gardens." Tourists will crane their necks snapping photos. "And to your right, passed the dumpster with the large couch sticking out of it, is one of the original fire pull boxes."

Has anyone else noticed the large number of dumpsters strewn about the Gardens? Is this the city's way of dealing with the lack of trash cans in the neighborhood? Answering our prayers with the mother of all trash cans?

Since becoming one who works from home I have witnessed the dumpster become a character much like the neighbors I live next to. There was "the day the dumpster caught fire" when I looked out my window to billowing black smoke. There was "the day that dumpsters were put over the con edison manholes that needed repair." Where the con edison man yelled to the dumpster orderer that he was "an-NOY-YING."

I am happy that places are being rennovated and debris carted off, but here is the problem. The debris isn't carted off! Within a day these dumpsters are filled past their brims and then just left for weeks on end until they catch fire (and are then refilled) or become filled with such foul material that they literally disintigrate into the earth.

So for all the freegans out there looking for the mecca of dumpster diving, Sunnyside Gardens has a plethora of dumpsters, but in terms of finding anything salvageable, dive at your own risk!

Seriously, I Don't Want to Die

Check out the comment in my post about bikes on the sidewalk.

It's really dangerous to leave the house. No wonder people develop agoraphobia--that comment is bringing it on in me!

Yesterday I was leaving the Y after my workout, and I had the sidewalk to myself.

Or so I thought.

I took a step to the right to put some distance between me and the guys eating lunch on the steps, and nearly stepped right into the path of a girl on a bike.

A girl on a bike was coming up BEHIND ME.

Now I need to look BEHIND ME for oncoming vehicles before I alter my course on the sidewalk?

I am a little oversensitive, perhaps, because I am 5 months pregnant.

But this is ridiculous. The bikes have taken over because the streets (as pointed out in that comment) are not safe.

Shall we swing from tree to tree like monkeys?

At least we still have trees over here.

Keeping the Sidewalk Safe for Pedestrians

I'm telling you, the sidewalk bikers are infuriating me.

Today I had a delivery guy WHIZZ past me, pedaling as hard as he could, on the sidewalk. So not cool! And not legal, right? He was only 1 of seven sidewalk bicyclers I encountered on 47th Avenue between 43rd Street and 38th Street.

The cops don't care--they have too much else going on. It really sucks. I shouldn't have to watch out for dangerous vehicles while I'm on the motherfucking sidewalk.

Honestly.

Concert: Ballet Fiesta Mexicana

Friday June 29, 2007
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Windmuller Park
52-53 39th Drive
Woodside, NY

Presented by Woodside on the Move and the Thalia Spanish Theatre.

Learn How to Park

Seriously. Do you have to take up 2 spots EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU PARK?

You in the van, you parked 4 feet from the edge of the driveway.

You with the blue car--when there's a gap between two cars, you don't park smack in the middle of it. Pull the f* up so somebody else can park behind you.

And that's just who I can see out my window.

We sometimes leave notes, but our cries go unheeded.

What will it take to get some Brooklyn-style parking up in here?

Friday Night Fiesta at Sunnyside Gardens Park

"Celebrating 80 Years as a Community of Families & Neighbors" Friday Night FIESTA! 1926 Sunnyside Gardens Park 2007 Come join us south of the border for "Mexican Night" at Sunnyside Gardens Park . The Fiesta will be held on Friday June 29th at 5pm. Bring your family and friends for a fun night of food and festivities. We will be selling tacos, burritos, chips n' salsa and rice and beans. Assorted beverages will also be available for purchase. *Food provided by the Blue Moon Mexican Café in New York City .]

The End (of School) is Near--Party!

OUT OF SCHOOL BBQ & LUAU

The end of the school year will be boisterously celebrated by the kids of Sunnyside Gardens Park this Friday June 22 at 5pm.

This year's BBQ has a Luau theme and there will be various fun activities including a DJ, cake walk, field games and arts and crafts.

Splatter Gore This Weekend at MMI

IT'S ONLY A MOVIE: HORROR FILMS FROM THE 1970S AND TODAY

Saturday, June 23

2:00 p.m
THE HILLS HAVE EYES (1977)
IT'S ONLY A MOVIE: HORROR FILMS FROM THE 1970S AND TODAY
1977, 89 mins., 35mm. When a vacationing family is stranded in the desert near a nuclear test site, they are confronted by mutant doppelgangers and gradually descend into barbarity. Wes Craven’s cogent, innovative horror film is an attack on pollution and on middle-class American life.

4:00 p.m.
THE HILLS HAVE EYES (2006)
IT'S ONLY A MOVIE: HORROR FILMS FROM THE 1970S AND TODAY
2006, 107 mins., 35mm. On the strength of his film High Tension, Alexandre Aja was selected by Wes Craven to direct this timely and powerful remake. Aja’s visually and thematically startling film expands the original film’s critique of “nuclear” family.

6:30 p.m.
HIGH TENSION
France, 2003, 91 mins., 35mm subtitled print. A woman tries to rescue her girlfriend from a brutal killer in Alexandre Aja's terrifying and gender-bending film. Manohla Dargis (The New York Times) said the 25-year-old Aja “has clearly made a dissertation-level study of classic American horror, specifically 1970's-era slasher flicks.” Preceded by THE SCARY MOVIE (1993, 7 mins. 16mm.) Two young girls act out the tropes of horror movies in Peggy Ahwesh’s experimental short.

Sunday, June 24

2:00 p.m.
THE HOST
South Korea, 2006, 119 mins., 35mm. Bong Joon-ho's hilarious and pointedly topical movie about a rampaging mutant lizard has many satirical targets, including American foreign policy and environmental recklessness. Inspired by Larry Cohen’s films, The Host was Korea’s most successful box office hit ever.

4:30 p.m.
THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE
1970, 98 mins., 35mm. Dario Argento won international acclaim (Variety called him “a garlic flavored Hitchcock”) for this harrowing thriller about an American writer in Rome who tries to solve a string of murders.

Museum of the Moving Image is located at 35 Avenue and 36 Street in Astoria.
Trains: R, V (R, G on weekends) to Steinway Street. N, W to 36 Avenue.

Concert: Kit McClure & The Inner Circle

Concert: Kit McClure & The Inner Circle
Friday June 22, 2007
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: Windmuller Park
Street: 52-53 39th Drive
City State Zip: Woodside, NY
Phone: (718) 476-8449

I have no clue who these people are, or if they're any good, but it's in Woodside and it's free!

Get Your Flashlight On

Last July, I was sitting in my apartment at a romantic dinner with just a flicker of candlelight. I bet that was one of the most romantic nights for Queen's folks since we were all in the dark—-it was the unforgettable unforgivable Queens blackout.

In retrospect, the first night wasn’t so bad. It had that ol’ blackout ’03 nostalgia, the bonding, meeting new neighbors feel, but that wore off – frankly that crashed and burned. After the 4, 5th and 6th day and night of no hot water, no electricity, and throwing out tons of food, me and the rest of the neighborhood were to the point of cracking. There’s only so many hours of 1010 Wins you can listen to on a crank radio and only so many D batteries anyone in their right mind owns.

Let’s not have that infinite darkness again or at the very least, let’s be prepared. As I saw walking past the Sleepy’s on 43rd—the lovely people from the Power to the People Campaign are holding a:

“How to Prepare for a Power Outage Workshop”

Tuesday, June 19, 7:30 PM
All Saint’s Church hall - 43-12 46th Street – Sunnyside
1 block north of the #7 Local 46th St-Bliss St. stop
Refreshments – Air Conditioned - Time for Q&A and Discussion

Learn:

• What to do in a power outage.
• What you should have on hand at home/work.
• First aid for heat stress and related health issues, and more.

Also, even more exciting (and fascinating) at the workshop they will be discussing plans for a flashlight march on July 17th. As the flyer said, “Let Con Ed management know we haven’t forgotten!

Don’t let Con Ed keep us in the dark.

Pure Bliss

Not much really needs to be said about Pure. Pedicures, massages, spa treatments--I mean, this is a no-brainer, right? But guaranteed awesomeness is not always the case, even in places that look nice and smell nicer.

Fortunately, my experiences with Pure thus far have been relaxing and recommendation-worthy. I've gotten 2 pedicures from Marta that held up great, and my eyebrows got waxed to just the perfect shape. And the one time Wesley and I went in for much-needed stress-relieving massages, we came out like butter.

The vibe is definitely Bliss via Queens--but there's much less Queens than Bliss. The spa treatment prices are high enough to be indulgences, but are still lower than what you'd find in Manhattan. Manicure/pedicures are at the going rate for places that have the spa pedicure chairs, which really is the only reason to spend money on a pedicure.

Pure is located at 40-15 Queens Boulevard, next to the revolting-looking Cheesesteak Factory. Appointments are a must. Call 718-784-6400.

Upcoming Lollipop Garden Events

On Thursday, June 21st Lollipop Garden will celebrate the FIRST DAY OF SUMMER with a special event – our second PRINCESS TEA PARTY. All princess' ages 2-6 will enjoy a fun filled evening celebrated royal style. Party is from 6:00 to 8:00. Pre-registration is required.

On Friday, June 16th we will be open for open play all day. We will not have our regular HAPPY HOUR with entertainment but everyone stopping by to play will be able to pick up some FREE toys and books.

We are still running a 20% OFF special on all party packages for the month of June. Please call to check on available dates.

We hope everybody is enjoying the warm weather. Please keep us in mind for all those unpleasant, sticky and sweaty days. Our playroom is fully air-conditioned.

Go See Some Art, Why Doncha?

http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifNot that we like sending people to Brooklyn, but friend of Queens Rocks Wayne Adams is in a group show that opens tomorrow night. If the other stuff is as cool as his, this is a show not to miss.

The Submissions Show
June 8, 2007 — July 15, 2007
Reception: Friday, June 8, 2007
7 — 9 P.M.


Wayne Adams • Yvonne Albinowski • Winston Barnett • Joe Banish • Hilary Basing • Renee Bouchard • Michelle Cheikin • Felix Cid • Sam Faix • Jonathan Gitelson • Asia Ingalls • Kharis Kennedy • Peter Konsterlie • Steven Labadessa • Matt Larson • Vivian Liddell • Monika Malweska • Desi Minchillo • Robert Mirek • Eileen Murphy • Alan Neider • Trevor Reese • Bailey Russel • Annie Sailer • Rafael Salas • Jamie Samuels • Kiki Slaughter • Cindy Tower • Ben Watkins • Ellen Warfield • Eileen Weitzman • Jane Zweibel

Sarah Bowen Gallery presents "The Submissions Show"; an exhibition of 32 artists who submitted portfolios in the past year. The show gives a preview of the abundance of working artists striving to gain gallery representation. The idea of a gallery or exhibition space can be debated as a conundrum, however exhibiting in a gallery space is generally perceived as a point of access to the important tastemakers and consumers of our time; the critics, writers, philanthropists, other acclaimed artists, and more importantly the market.

"What's it all about, Alfie?" One might apply this flippant question to the art enthusiasts and professionals of current as the perception that the art world seems to be running around in circles trying to extrude some truth seems all too familiar. It is no secret that subjectivity runs rampant in the Arts. Theory upon theory, testimonials and blanket statements of half-truths or lies profess to know what we as a culture can't inevitably decide with any certainty until the future. Therefore even with the most seasoned and astute tastemakers it feels sometimes the determinant for choosing art is akin to gambling.

Though the recent flurry to find the next best thing that gets the greatest market value can be seen in a number of shows featuring works of rather young artists; this exhibition includes works by tenured professionals as well as recent graduates, adding to the variety of visual stimuli. The variety of submissions, though only a minute sector of today's artists, only affirms the fact that there are a significant amount of artists working fervently to get into the game.

Given a one page guideline of how to submit work, the contract was that the submission would not only be looked at but responded to with written feedback. The structure of the show is that all the artists who followed the submission guidelines were invited to participate "because of their initiative" to follow through with the part of the job now days for artists to be half creator and half their own public relations representative. I am impressed with the quality of the work on an individual basis, but taken in as a whole, the show, though perhaps over saturated
with visual dialogue is inspiring as it affirms the creative spirit is most definitely thriving. -sb


sarah bowen gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday, 12 – 6 pm and by appointment. The gallery is located at 210 North Sixth Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY, 11211. Directions: L Train to Bedford Avenue stop, take Driggs exit, walk one block south to Sixth Street, and then 1⁄2 block East. The gallery is located between Driggs and Roebling on the right hand side.

Going Postal

I went to the post office this afternoon, which I'm sure people do everyday. But, only the handful of people who have ever been to the Sunnyside Queens Post Office will have any empathy for what I am about to describe.

Go to the post office on a Saturday morning, and you will find a line out the door, disgruntled people fanning themselves, as New York 1 blares out of the TV in the corner, one half-dead looking woman behind the open service window. I assumed there was always a line because it was Saturday morning and the only time when most people could make it to the post office. This apparently is not true.

I went today, at 2pm. There was a line out the door. A line of people who looked so miserable that you would've thought they were on line for strip searches at the airport. So I do what I always do, go to the automated postal machine. Now in Manhattan, the automated postal machines usually have a longer line than the teller windows. However, in Sunnyside Queens, 90% of the people on line at the post office either are waiting to get money orders to send to relatives in South America, are 93 years old and want the teller to personally put a stamp on their Con Edison bill, or cannot read English (the only language the machine offers instructions in).

So I put my package on the scale and started transacting. I then hear, "Shut your f*cking mouth, just shut your f*cking mouth!" Assuming it was one of the disgruntled line waiters, I looked around to see who had attempted to cut whom in line. Then I looked back and saw it was the postal worker who was yelling at the customer.

The customer yells back, "I know you Danny, I know how you are. Try to get my package to the right place this time, last time it ended up in Uruguay." This Danny fellow he was yelling at, was a large postal worker with man boobs (all of our postal workers seem to have man-boobs) who just happened to be walking behind the window area.

Apparently Danny didn't like the fact that this customer apparently held him personally responsible for his mail ending up in Uruguay and announcing his incompetence to the entire building. Danny started yelling again and came out behind the magic postal office secret door into the area where everyone was waiting on line and had been for the past hour. He started screaming again, "Just shut your f*cking mouth, zip it, I don't want to hear it from you anymore."

The customer said, "This place is a joke it is always the same with you people."
Danny the postal worker, now more red in the face started yelling, "Just shut your f*cking mouth, it isn't our fault, they won't hire more people here, call someone who cares to complain." At this point, the one person who had actually been working at the desk came out to join Danny, as did two other postal workers in a postal worker gang formation.

I spun around and continued to type in the zip code of my package afraid that there was going to be a lock-in or something!

Disgruntled customer started yelling, "I call that goddamn number all the time, nothing happens." One of the other postal workers told the customer to watch his language, pointing to a child standing on line. Though when his coworker was dropping the F-bomb 10 seconds prior he couldn't care less about the kid on line.

Danny the red faced, man boobed, worker started screaming, "If you don't shut your f*cking mouth."

At this point my little automated postal friend-machine spit out my postage without cursing at me nor telling me I was a moron for not signing on the dotted line somewhere. I headed out while Danny and the worker were still arguing as I didn't want to have the people waiting on line tomorrow to witness my accidental slaying on New York 1.

So as you shell out your extra 2 cents for a stamp, rest assured it isn't going to customer service training for the folks in the Sunnyside Post Office, I can only hope it is going towards more automated postal machines!

Live Music Friday at Lollipop Garden

Come and enjoy Lollipop Garden for 2 hours of fun every Friday 4:00-6:00.

On Friday, June 1st we will enjoy the music of RICHARD YOUNGER.

Admission is $12.00 & $6.00 for siblings & additional adults.

Pizza will be served so come on down, play & party with us.

Lollipop Garden is on Greenpoint Avenue between 42nd & 41st, across from Foodtown.

LIC YMCA Gets Much-Needed Face Lift

I just returned from a wonderful workout on the Long Island City YMCA's brand-new weight machines. They've provided much more room for the equipment, making the entire experience extremely enjoyable. They've also got new treadmills and ellipticals.

Well played, YMCA!

Now keep the kids off the track.

Dear Mr. Softee

Dear Mr. Softee,

While I respect your right to drum up business, I mean really with gas prices these days you must have to sell an extra hundred rainbow pops a week just to pay to run your magical refridgeration vehicle. I beg of you, can you please use common sense when playing your song?

This is not Manhattan, I wouldn't propose a ban barring an entire generation from hearing a song that brings them back to their childhood. This is Queens, where Mr. Softee trucks run harder and faster than anyplace else. It is not uncommon to see them flying down Skillman Ave faster than a fire truck. (Does anyone else recall the infamous 45th street/Skillman accident a few years ago? When one hit a parked car, flipping both it and the truck, only leaving sad melting clown pops in the road?)

While I think common sense would suggest Mr. Softee might not get customers by mowing them down. I also think common sense dictates that 11 in the morning while school is in session is not the best time to be driving around a neighborhood with the song blaring parking on the side of the road until the street cleaner chases you away. Nor is 11 pm the best time to stalk the neighborhood children for a late night frozen treat.

Mr. Softee, you are a big white truck with an HVAC system that sounds like a jet engine. We see you. And after one song, we hear you. But after several hearings of your song, we don't like you! Please try to use common sense, and in turn we promise not to drive by YOUR home several times a day blasting an annoying song out of OUR windows!

Sincerely,
Ms. Italian Ice

Life on the 7 Train--Photo Exhibit

From the Queens Museum of Art site:

Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao’s subject is the cultural diversity that has been a binding factor in the borough of Queens. The #7 train, the Flushing IRT, has long been dubbed “The International Express” due to myriad nationalities that have formed hybrid communities along train’s route. Like the great civilizations that lined the major rivers of the world, the #7 is one of New York City’s important arteries and has been an inspiration for numerous creative ideas on the level of economic and cultural exchange. Habitat 7 invites a reconsideration of the ways in which modern societies evolve around the manmade river basins of today.

Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao: Habitat 7
March 17 - June 16, 2007
At Bulova Corporate Center, Jackson Heights

HT: Queens Crap

View Jean Prouvé's Maison Tropicale

From the New York Times:

Tomorrow, the Maison Tropicale, a small aluminum-paneled house built in 1951 by Jean Prouvé, a French designer and the current court favorite of well-heeled contemporary art and design collectors internationally, is being opened to the public for preview in Long Island City. Christie’s, the auction house, will offer it for sale on June 5.

You can check it out at 41-98 Vernon Blvd from 17 May - 5 June 2007.

Learn About Location Shooting at AMMI

This sounds really cool--make sure to ask them what a "honeywagon" is!

Sunday, May 20
11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
‘NEW YORK ON LOCATION’: FREE DAY AT THE MUSEUM + INSIDER'S LOOK AT LOCATION SHOOTING

Location: 36 Street between 34 and 35 Avenues in Astoria
The street between the Museum and Kaufman Astoria Studios will be the site of a day-long, free outdoor event offering a behind-the-scenes look at filmmaking in New York. Film trucks—wardrobe and makeup, star dressing room, lighting and electrical, special effects, and more—will line the street. Stunt, special effects, makeup, and wardrobe demonstrations will be presented. Food available from TomKats Movie Catering. The Museum will be free all day with interactive exhibitions and workshops. Click here to view a flyer. More details to follow in a separate e-mail.

*Sunnyside Gardens Park Annual Memorial Day Fair*

I like my hotdogs a little on the burned-y side.

Saturday, May 26, 2007
(Rain date Sunday, May 27, 2007)

Sunnyside Gardens Park
48-21 39th Avenue
Between 48th and 50th Streets
Sunnyside, Queens, New York
10:30 am - 4:30 pm

*Open to All

*Bouncy Ride
Children's Arts & Crafts
All Day BBQ
Field Games
Raffle
Rummage Sale
Bake Sale
Mr. Steve, the Kid's DJ, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Winter Clothing Drive--Yes, You Read That Right

Winter Clothing Drive
Organized by the Ladies Guild of St. Sarkis Church, Flushing, for the benefit of a school for handicapped children of Gavar, Armenia.

Please donate winter clothing, boots and shoes for ages 5-20 years, preferably smaller sizes, in acceptable condition.

You can drop off at St. Sarkis Church every Monday from 7-9pm and Wednesday from 11am to 3pm.

Or, you can drop off at Baruir's on 40-07 Queens Blvd.

The drive ends on May 30th.

Youth Baseball League--Sign Up Now

Queens Trusts This Painter/Contractor

After fiascos with both DIY efforts and the cheap-o pull-a-name-from-a-flyer-on-a-poll route, we spent a tiny bit of dough on a real painter. He usually does the uber-expensive faux-finishing that the 'others' dig so much, but he does just plain painting and carpentry as well.
Articulate, understanding, trustworthy and fast-
Brent Dickinson is all that and more.
When I'm rich, he'll be putting up "marble" everywhere in my digs.

He Rocks!

here's his email address:
brentdickinson-at-sprynet-dot-com

Tell him Queensrocks sent you. (We're trying to get in good for another room in the fall.)

THE LADIES ROOM/ BAÑO DE DAMAS at Thalia

THALIA SPANISH THEATRE presents the
AMERICAN PREMIERE BILINGUAL PRODUCTION OF


THE LADIES ROOM/ BAÑO DE DAMAS
By one of Venezuela’s most prestigious playwrights RODOLFO SANTANA
English translation by CHARLES PHILIP THOMAS
Directed by PEDRO DE LLANO


starring
ANGELICA AYALA, ALMA D’CRUZ, LAURA PATALANO, LAURA GOMEZ, JENNIFFER DIAZ, ANGELICA GUVERNEZ,ELKA RODRIGUEZ, ANGELA PEREZ, MARTHA OSORIO, LORENA JORGE, and FRANCISCO FUERTES as “The Seagull”


Ever wonder, “What do they DO in there that takes so long?” Here’s your chance to find out!

Carmen is the attendant of a ladies room at an upscale dance club, where the elite of the social, artistic, and political scenes meet to get seen, hustled, seduced, and smashed. She confronts a crisis in her marriage as a parade of lovely ladies streams in and out, sharing makeup, advice, secrets and more. Meanwhile, the club’s waiter, a drag queen named “The Seagull”, plans to make the most of a once-in-a-lifetime chance to perform for his idol, the inspiration for his act, when she pops in to freshen up.


SIX WEEKS ONLY!

FROM MAY 18 TO JUNE 24, 2007

alternating performances in English and Spanish

Performances IN ENGLISH: Fridays at 8 PM and Saturdays at 3 PM

Performances IN SPANISH: Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 4 PM

TICKETS: $25 STUDENTS & SENIORS: $22 Special group rates


INFORMATION & TICKETS (718) 729-3880
At THALIA SPANISH THEATRE, 41-17 Greenpoint Avenue (Queens)

Subway # 7 Local to 40th St. Station. Buses Q60, Q32 to Queens Blvd & 41st St.

Lollipop Garden--Upcoming Events

Adults YOGA CLASS
Tuesday May 15, 2007
6:30 pm - 7:45 pm
(This event repeats every week.)
Location: Lollipop Garden
Street: 41-16 Greenpoint Ave. (bet. 41st & 42nd Sts.)
City State Zip: Sunnyside, NY 11104
Phone: (718)784-8519

Notes:
Relax, look great and feel great. New YOGA CLASS is now available in Sunnyside. JUST IN TIME FOR SPRING !!! Please call for more information.

After the success of our PRINCESS TEA PARTY, it is now time to do something for the boys� On Monday, June 4th, Lollipop Garden is throwing a SUPERHERO PARTY for SUPERHEROES ages 2-6. Party time is 4:00-6:00. PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED and space is
limited.

On Friday, May 18th 4:00-6:00pm for our Happy Hour we will have a special MAGIC SHOW. Admission is $13.00 & $6.00 for siblings & additional adults. Pizza will be served so come on down and party with us.

Please join us EVERY MONDAY and EVERY WEDNESDAY 2:00-4:00pm for BABY PLAYGROUP for moms, dads and grandparents with babies under 18 months. Admission is $5.00.

Please come join us on SUNDAY, May 20th 12:00-5:00 for our OPEN HOUSE and SPRING REGISTRATION EVENT. All new classes are starting in the next few weeks with something for everyone so please stop by to learn more and receive 10% OFF your registration. Admission is FREE.

We will be closed on Saturday 5/19 for a private party.

Get In Line at El Triangulo

What could be better than having a few women call you 'guapo' or 'lindo' when you walk in to a restaurant?
Having them serve you strong coffee, bring you plates of food from a cheap buffet, and seating you next to a big, glorious window on Greenpoint Ave. to watch the Sunnysiders stroll by, that's what.

Super-friendly people. Super-sugary tea with lemon, and loads of just-oily-enough-but-still-fresh tasting traditional dishes that will leave you ready for a long walk through your great nabe.