Rioult Dazzles Audience
World Class Dance At LPAC
Long Island City / February 7, 2009. The Rioult Dance Company gave an outstanding performance at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center [LPAC] in Long Island City last Saturday night. The production provided a collage of theater, dance and music which brought to mind the latest vogue in the art world ... I felt like I was witnessing performance art. There will be more on this story including photos later in the week when we post our new design pages [you'll see 'New Test' pages in drop downs under the site's major sections denoted by the top tool bar buttons]. To the right are two dancers performing one of Rioult's choreographed works.
Queens International Art Exhibit Hits Home Run
Flushing Meadows Corona Park / Queens on January 24th, 2009. The fourth biennial Queens International Art Exhibit at the Queens Museum of Art hit a home run with its new exhibit featuring forty two local artists. The exhibit mixes 'construction art' ala Whitney, interactive exhibits and performance art ala PS1 and all around modern art ala MOMA. The show struck a nice balance providing the guests with a highly vibrant, exciting first day. The opening was well received by the thousand plus visitors attracted to it as we spoke to many of them who provided overwhelmingly positive responses. Full report coming soon.
Lovely Lily Premiere Warmly Received
Jackson Heights February 8, 2009. Lovely Lily premiered last night in Jackson Heights and it was warmly received by a full house. The film was a poignant, nostalgic look at a single day in the life of a Jackson Heights singer. The day was February 8, 1964 when the Beatles played on 'The Ed Sullivan Show'. The premiere screenings were at the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights.
The movie touched upon a lot of themes playing out at the time, including racial segregation, the impact of technology on people's jobs, sex and religion and the disintegration of the American family. It provided an interesting perspective of the times by showing national events running on the television and radio alongside the real lives playing out on Main Street, which in this case turned out to be 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights. Click here for a full review of indie film Lovely Lily which was written, produced and acted in by Queens native Celeste Balducci [above], later in the week.
Say Goodbye To Shea
Flushing Meadows Corona Park / February 14, 2009. Shea Stadium (map) is well on its way to being torn down as you can see from the photo above which was taken just two weeks ago. Construction crews continued the demolition effort in the bitter cold during the last week of January.
The deconstruction of the stadium started in January 2009 and is expected to be completed by the end of this month. Click here for more about the demolition of Shea Stadium in Flushing Queens NY, including a slide show of the men and machines tearing the stadium down.
This February Weekend
Event Highlights
World Desk / Queens NY / February 12 - 15, 2009. Top higlights for the coming weekend include:
Queens Then & Now Book Signing At Greater Astoria Historical Society at 1 pm Saturday - click Historical link on the calendar
Jazz at Afrikan Poetry Theater in Jamaica - click Live Music link on the calendar
International Film at LPAC in Long Island City - click Film link on the calendar
Click this link for the Queens Buzz February 2009 Events Calendar with full listings by category.
Restaurants & Dining
Astoria Queens / January 23, 2009. I visited the Aegean Cove at the north end of Astoria on Friday evening, to sample their authentic Greek cuisine. Chef Christos Christou, who grew up in the Greek section of Cyprus, runs an authentic Greek kitchen, working with a staff that has been with him for about a decade. Christos doesn't just replicate the old world flavors, he builds upon them, by bringing his own sensibilities and modern worldly taste buds to create a nice blend of old and new. We'll post more about the Aegean Cove soon. In the photo is Gus, one of the owners, and his daughter Despina.
Jakk Restaurant
Near Jamaica / Belmont
Queens Village near Jamaica Queens / January 20, 2009. Jakk Restaurant is located in Queens Village not far from the Belmont Race Track. The restaurant has been open over a year and provides the neighborhood with a mix of Caribbean and African cuisine. I had the opportunity to visit on the Obama Inauguration Day as they were preparing for a large crowd for a special celebration they were hosting that evening.
The owners are from the Ivory Coast and the Chef is from the Caribbean, so Jakk Restaurant provides a eclectic mix of cuisines including authentic African [from the Ivory Coast], Caribbean which includes an African influence, and all have been tailored to suit the American palette.
The restaurant's offerings range from monkfish to oxtail to breaded shrimp. The presentation of the food is done in an Ivoirian manner, which it's worth noting that at one point the Ivory Coast was a french colony.
One of the owners was once a teacher and it is for the African food, to which many people flock to Jakk, that a sort of education is required as the dark continent cuisine differs enough from our own American palette, to require some guidance, particularly at the outset.
It was to this end that the owners continue to make adjustments to suit the tempo and tastes of their clientele.
The Turkish Grill
Ottoman Cuisine - Sunnyside
Sunnyside Queens / Fall 2008. I ventured over to the Turkish Grill on Queens Blvd and 42nd in Sunnyside along with two contributing food-loving friends. Upon arrival we met Yasemin and her brother Ferhat, who are two of the four partners who manage this family-owned restaurant.
The bottom line on this gem of a restaurant is that the small crowds mulling outside the restaurant know that a great Ottoman style meal is waiting for them inside. Ottoman style harks back to the Ottoman Empire which originally began as part of the Roman Empire two thousand years ago. While the Ottomans no longer rule the civilized western world, they still know how to prepare and host a great meal. Click here for a full review of the Turkish Grill restaurant in the Sunnyside section of Queens NY.
Events And Info About
Queens Neighborhoods
Click these links for stories from around the borough.
Chinese New Year Parade In Flushing
Steinway Piano Factory Tour In Astoria
Afrikan Poetry Theater In Jamaica
Shopping & Local Economy
Astoria Queens / January 27, 2009. Esquire Men's Clothing Store continues to serve the greater Astoria and Queens area, as it has for nearly thirty years.
The shop is owned and managed by Frank and Kevin Adhami, and their father, who is in his eighties, still visits the store on an almost weekly basis.
Esquire is located along Steinway Street between 30th and 31st streets. The store contains a wide selection of men's coats, suits, casual wear, shoes and men's accessories like belts and ties.
This story will provide some information about the store itself as well as fashion recommendations for the Spring and for job hunters. The rest of this story will be posted soon and take you into the shopping / local economy section of the site.
To view the prior story written on mens clothing for the summer / fall Men's Fall Fashions In Astoria / LIC Queens NY.
April Glass Gift Shop
In Sunnyside
Sunnyside / February 12, 2009. April Glass Gift Shop is located along Queens Blvd in Sunnyside. The cozy gift shop is run by two sisters, each of whom does her part in making sure the shop meets the needs of its customers and the community.
The Ultimate Look
In Jackson Heights
February 17, 2009. The Ultimate Look women's clothing store is loated along 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights. The store is run by a woman who has been in the business for about three decades. The secret to her longevity is that she stays flexible and adjusts to the changing composition of the Jackson Heights market as well as changing styles and tastes. Click here to read the rest of the story on The Ultimate Look women's clothing store in Jackson Heights NY.
The Map Rooms
Click on these links to view
1) Maps Of Queens Attractions & Organizations
You will find neighborhood group maps of restaurants, shops or organizations located in each neighborhood section.
Two Site Search Engines On Queens Buzz
Queens Buzz has two site search engines. The broadest one is below, as well as at the top left corner of each page.
If you're looking for a BUSINESS or RESTAURANT or SHOP listing we recommend using the search engine in the BUSINESS DIRECTORY as it will provide better matches.
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Two Events Calendars On Queens Buzz
Click on the calendar above to view the Queens Buzz Events Calendar for this month.
When you arrive on the next page, notice that the top link Members Calendar is a separate calendar containing event postings by community members who created a free ID. The members calendar is for free postings for non-profit events, as well as cultural and community organizations. If you have a commercial notice you would like to post, please email mwood at this site address.
Queens Buzz Neighborhoods Events Restaurants & Shopping
The following links will take you to the story archives on this site.
Astoria
Flushing / Corona
Forest Hills
Jackson Heights / Elmhurst
Jackson Heights / Elmhurst Neighborhood
