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.

SGCA Mother's Day Plant Sale Today

Saturday, May 12th

Please stop by the entrance to Sunnyside Park (39th Avenue at the base of 49th Street) and pick up a plant for Mother's Day! Starting at 11am, the SGCA will host its annual Mother's Day Plant Sale offering a variety of reasonably priced plants suitable for gardens and window sills. A plant is a gift that keeps on giving! Plus there will be
coffee and baked goods to satisfy more immediate desires. All proceeds support the Park and its programs.

Sunnyside CSA--Application Deadline May 16

The Sunnyside CSA brings local agriculture to neighborhood residents. For more information and to sign up, visit their website.

New Cardio and Strength Training Equipment Coming to YMCA

Equipment Arrival!

We are excited to notify you that our new Life Fitness Cardio and Strength training equipment will be arriving on Tuesday, May 15th. Installation will take place between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. during which time parts of our fitness facilities will be temporarily closed. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your cooperation as we work to improve our fitness facilities and your member experience. Following the installation please feel free to inquire about a complimentary orientation.

The Long Island City YMCA is located on Queens Boulevard at 32nd Street. If you see a scowling woman on the indoor track--say hi. It's probably me.

Congestion Pricing and its Impact on Queens--5 Pros, 5 Cons

A Guest Post by Mr. Ambivalent

There's a popular Israeli idiom that says "for every two Jews there's three opinions." The history is there; the Talmud is basically one large argument. It must be in my genes, because I was raised basically without any religion, coming from an Armenian father and a Jewish mother, whose own Jewish mother's secret to great soup was to throw a ham hock in it. So, for my fellow Queens residents, I present to you five reasons you should be in favor of PlaNYC's Congestion Pricing Plan for Manhattan. And five reasons you should oppose it.

One the one hand...

1) Queens retail businesses will see an uptick in sales. For every person who thought "hey, let's have a nice lunch in Manhattan," only to see that lunch's check rise by eight dollars for the privlege of eating in the snob-beset inner borough, they'll start taking their lunches locally. For everyone who wants to just go shopping for a few hours, but daren't brave this week's 7-train debacle? Another local tchotchke shop goes ka-ching.

on the other hand...

A) Other Queens businesses will be hurt. Those lighting trucks that come from Silvercup studios? The guy who delivers fish, eggs, butter, milk, ANYTHING from Queens? Their price to just do business in Manhattan, their bread and butter, just went up 21 dollars per vehicle per day. That means you'll pay more from your lunch in Manhattan, and whatever else you might buy on your lunch hour. And smaller businesses who only do a little business in Manhattan? The location scouts, the attorneys visiting their clients, the accountants, the computer guy who's helping out his friend's father? Ow.

B) It may not help congestion that much. NINETEEN THOUSAND GOVERNMENT VEHICLES have free parking in Manhattan. Are their fees going to be waived? Seeing as it's legal to smoke in Congressional office buildings, but nowhere else in DC, do we really expect the Watchmen to be Watched?

but on the other hand...

2) A lot of money has disappeared from transportation coffers since the Commuter Tax was struck down. Wouldn't it be nice to see that all that beautiful money that's lying around in SUVs end up in a cleaner, safer, more effective public transportation system?

3) And speaking of cleaner, there's the big reason to support congestion pricing - less smog, less damage to city streets, more space for bicycling.

and then, there's that fourth hand...

C) In Western Queens, we have some very fine subway service. But Queens is a huge borough. What about the cop who lives in Little Neck? The cleaning lady who car-pools with her fellow cleaning folk and her equipment from College Point? Can she really afford the extra tolls? It's great for the publishing people in Long Island City, the attorney who could afford that nice house in Woodside, the investment banker who works in midtown, but as with any tax or charge, it's the little guy who will get hurt.

and like a many-armed Shiva,

4) those same little guys will benefit from faster bus service, not to mention actually have their lives saved when their ambulance isn't stuck in gridlock and they die on their way to the emergency room.

And yet...

D) Don't we already pay a kind of congestion pricing through all the tolls we pay in the Tunnel? Why not just add EZ-Pass kiosks on Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queensboro Bridges? I mean, Manhattan's an Island, right?

E) And I don't want to have little cameras always pointed at my license plate. My wife doesn't need to know I'm at the hotel with my mistress! Congestion pricing in London means those little cameras. What about our privacy? Don't we have privacy rights?

But still there's --

5) the fact that Congestion pricing in London actually *works.* The streets are safer, the economy in London is booming from found efficiencies in increased traffic movement, and the extra public services paid for by Congestion Pricing income also help most local businesses, even as it hurts the few who depend on travel to central London. Even the Economist, which while calling itself a liberal newspaper happens to be a conservative magazine, EVEN the Economist admits, and even now enthusiastically endorses congestion pricing for the London area. And getting the Economist to admit that Red Ken Livingstone, London's Mayor, has done anything right is a feat of Sysiphisian proportions. Congestion pricing, despite being put into place by a socialist mayor, is a very capitalist idea: you want it? You pay for it. Lots of people want it? You pay more for it. Simple supply and demand, and that's why in the end, I think it will work for New York. It abides by natural economic law, and uses our habits to raise money, while changing our habits with usage fees.

Congestion pricing, at its worst, will be an ineffective, needless, pricey tax on the poor. At its best, it'll make life better for New York City residents in all sorts of ways, improving their bottom line. God, and the devil, are in the details. If they actually improve infrastructure, like more park-and-ride for outer-outer-borough residents, give us a 7 train that's not always under construction, actually enforce congestion pricing for ALL New Yorkers, then we'll get a cleaner, more prosperous city. If they give us just another tax that ruins the lives of the lower-middle-class, Manhattan's going to speed up its transition to the Giant Mall Across the East River.

-Jeremy Kareken is a playwright, actor, the researcher for Inside the Actors Studio, and the administrator and moderator for the SunnysideNY yahoo group.

The Last Days Pre-Landmark

If you live or have been through Sunnyside Gardens lately the panic is palpable. On our street alone three houses are in the process of putting in new front windows, doors, siding, and front steps. Stroll around the other blocks of the Gardens and you will find much of the same. Was there a discount on construction and landscaping? Did people feel a spring urge to clean house? Instead of public trash cans has the city decided to just put dumpsters on each block?

I think the real reason for the boom in construction is that people feel a "now or never" push to finally fix up steps and vestibules they thought they would one day get around to, realizing that if they wait much longer their little construction projects may need to meet board approvals or go through other red tape.

So if you want to see what the Sunnyside Gardens of yore looked like, come quick because in the days up until the landmark ruling the face of the Gardens seems to be rapidly a-changing!