Video on LIC

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

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

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.

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!

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.)

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.

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.

Failed by Dolce Vita

This post was originally published a year ago, under the title "Dolce Vita Has Begun To Fight, Let Us Not Fail Them!"

Dolce Vita has undergone a radical transformation, and are no longer endorsed by this blog.

Men, and women I suppose, it is time to stand for what is right in Queens. It is time to stand and fight. Fight like dogs. Fight like cats. To fight like folks in search of a nice place to have a good cup of coffee and a crisp Italian cookie.

Allow me to tell you of Dolce Vita, a place where the battle is being fought. They are winning the war against corporate invasions. They are fighting the battles of grimy bathrooms and stale pastries. And, they are winning.

There's room to sit while you strategize your next move against the enemy - in these lovely, plush red settees.

Plot all you will, while nourished by some of the finest looking pastries and custom made cakes this side of Madison Ave. (Nita's is a close second on those cakes, she wins hands down on her donuts and coffee rings. But, we won't bring the Romanians into this - except to say that, have you noticed how much that one girl looks like Kirsten Dunst? I mean, in an Eastern European, I've been working since 4AM kind of way. But, still...)

Starbucks might burn one day. Soon. If all goes well.

These Fresh Pastries alone might kill other less satisfying pastries in the nabe, leaving us with little to do but pick up the bloody crumbs off of the floor of Aubergine and The Grind.

Oh, and the prices! Fantastic! $3 for a cappucino and free biscotti - Claire and I were given Pistachio with chocolate.

And the pastry chef sat with us while she made a birthday cake that was really quite amazing.

Mission Accomplished!

How To Run a Business Into The Grind

Remember when we wanted Starbuck's on Queens Boulevard to burn? I sure do. Remember too, when our first Mom-and-Pop coffee shop opened? It was called The Grind. Those were good times. We had a place to go to and a place to point a finger at.

Not so much anymore. We can still point at Starbuck's all we want and say that, even if hipster gentrification seems a ways off - corporate gentrification is at our door. But, Mom and Pop are letting us down as well.

The Grind is coming to a screeching, filthy, understocked halt. And, slowly, to boot.

Several recent visits have shown the place to be heading down the tubes - with slow service, dirty tables, no napkins, no coffee stirrers, no smiles, loud music, no change and no fresh pastry. Don't get me wrong - I like a place with some personality, and I'll still stop off at The Grind and suffer through to get the occasional coffee, but dang, man, if you're going to run a business that sells coffee, do it well and do it quick.

I give the place three months tops.

Before The Flood

Holy Crap are prices going up in Sunnyside. And this before the Historic District designation.

Just informal searching on my part, but it seems that 2 BR condos have gone from 265k to 340K in the last six months.

Check it out for yourself.

Thank the Lord for Rent Control.

Sheesh.

Quaint Ain't The Shaint

Ain't Donovan's got better burgers?
Hell yeah.
Quaint overcooks and oversalts.

Ain't Tournesol got better steak frites?
Hell yeah. Any damn day of the French Fuggin' Week. And without the mushroom sauce drowning the cow, needer.

Ain't the fish just as fresh at Ariyoshi?
I mean to tell ya what.

Fried fish ain't ever better than it is at Kettle.

And, I ain't got the time or the inclination for a waitress can't even tell me what fuggin' hummus is. That's not very special.

What is special? The waiter cleaning the table next to us with Windex while we ate.
Ain't that special?

Ain't it clean though.

At least it ain't Bliss, but ain't we got to have a better place to take our honeys on our one night off together? Ain't we?
I mean, really.
Shoot.

ps - I think we might have found a nice Subaru. Wish us luck.

One Day a Week is All Nita Asks

I posted previously on my failed attempt to get a donut from Nita's Bakery on Greenpoint Ave. They only sell them on Sunday.
Do you want to know why the only sell them on Sunday?
Because they kick motherfucking ass, that's why.

Hi, I'm Satan and This is My Home Depot

Hello, Queens. Satan here. Just wanted to let you know that I've opened up shop in Long Island City. It's a little place I like to call 'Home Depot.' Now, recently I've heard some grumblings about my humble shoppe, and I'd like to address these concerns now before things get out of hand and result in say, an angry torch-bearing mob ready to destroy every thing in it's path. We wouldn't want that, now would we? So, to wit, I offer my apologies and resolve to fix the following as soon as I am able to get away from this puppy mill.

The parking lot. My minions somehow managed to make entering hell, er Home Depot, a bit tricky. I assure you that they DID NOT intentionally design the lanes to go from one to two lanes, make one of those lanes a turn-only lane and the other too short to make a safe turn from. Why one lane stops in the middle of oncoming flow of traffic? I couldn't tell you. It makes no sense to me either. But, rest assured, we're working on it.

We are also making every effort to rid the lot of all the large, graffiti-covered moving trucks. We would also like to apologize that these trucks make it impossible to turn into the parking aisles without being able to see oncoming traffic. We did NOT intentionally make every turn blind. It simply isn't true. We're not EVIL, here. For cryin' out loud, people. I was an Angel at One Time!

As for the shopping carts. Or,as Tiffany From The Gardens likes to say, fingers up and arching ironically, "Shopping Carts". Do you think we don't KNOW that there's not any shopping carts? We know this. Any idiot can see that there's no "Shopping Carts", Tiffany. Then, why, do you ask, do my minions send you out into the parking lot to look for a "Shopping Cart" when they know you will find none? THEY'RE MINIONS! THIS IS WHAT THEY DO! Hello! Futile Efforts While We Laugh Quietly????? We wrote that book, Tiffany.

Wait. I'm sorry. I mean, we're getting more shopping carts. We want you to shop. We want you to buy many large-ticket items. Yes. We are getting more shopping carts. Real shopping carts. Without the locked wheels. And, we're going to have people - very concerned people - to help you with these large things. And, we'll have them push the carts out to your car and we'll put them in the car and these 'people' will wave while you drive away...

Where was I?
Oh, my Minions. I mean Associates.
Did you ever think that maybe they only look and act like they're not concerned? C'mon, people. Sometimes there's such a thing as irony. All you assholes, gentrifying the neighborhood and you think you're the only ones with a sense of irony. For cryin' out loud. My associates have worked very hard on their sense of irony and if it manifests itself in seemingly passive-aggressive behavior peppered with the occasional outburst of profanity directed at NO ONE IN PARTICULAR, then I think you should work with them on that.

Oh, and we're firing all of them anyway and replacing them with gentle souls who know where everything is and will help you find it.

But, we will continue to test for drugs.

And, as for the item(s) that you cannot find on every trip? It's out of stock, dude. Get used to it.

Fuck all of you.

I mean, have a nice day. Please come back soon.

Sunnyside Gardens Gets Gentrified The Old Fashioned Way

By getting 'Landmark' status...
Oh, brother

Donuts or Bust - Nita's European Bakery.

Sunday mornings can be awesome. I don't think I really new how to appreciate a Sunday morning until I moved to New York. My old home town didn't have a brunch culture (also known as 'The Fisting'), didn't know how to spell New York Times, and revolved almost entirely around football and therefore booze.

But when J. from down the block told me about creme-filled donuts at The European Bakery on Greenpoint Ave., I knew Sunday's in Queens were about to get a lot better.

But, I'm having one of those weeks. Okay, ten day stretches. Hmm. Anyway, after dealing with some bidness over by the river this morning at 630 or so, I found myself outside this joint by 8. Earlier in the week I had gone in to scope out the place and bought what turned out to be damn fine - if small - muffins and a groovy little thing called a coffee ring. But, I was ready to dig on a donut. I NEEDED a donut.

Do you know who the Soup Nazi is? I used to work around the corner from Soup Kitchen International. It was good soup, made famous (better??) by being immortalized on an episode of Seinfeld. It wasn't too far from true. And, talk about a real - at least before the immortalization - New York Experience. There really is nothing like the desire for good food coupled with the trials to get it that will make New York eating, New York Eating.

Anyway, I ordered the donuts. I got, 'No donuts, today.' 'But, it's Sunday,' I countered. 'No donuts,' was all the response I could get.

So, if I'm up for it, and if God's willing, some time soon I'll be telling you about a creme-filled donut and a real New York experience. But for now, I'm just going to wolf down this crispy-on-the-outside-chewy-on-the-inside cinnamon roll and listen to Kristen Shaughnessy talk about the morning papers while I read the NYTimes online.
I love her. I love the Times. And, though I long for a donut, I love these cinnamon rolls.

NOTE: Nita's received a respectable 13 on it's last inspection.