Cool Breeze & Music Attracts Thousands

Bands Beat The Heat @ Astoria Music Now

July 24, 2010 / Astoria / Queens Buzz. Dire predictions of hot & humid were about the only ones who didn't show on Saturday at the Astoria Music Now rock festival in Astoria Park. A cool dry breeze wafted in off the river making it feel more like the low 80's and dry. You can see this for yourself in the photos we took that show few people, if anyone, actually sweating it out.

Twenty-nine bands, mostly local, came out to play and thousands came out to watch and listen. Click here to view a slide show and report with photos of Astoria Music Now 2010.

Photos - 5 Boro Bike Ride In Queens

May 2nd, 2010 / LIC & Astoria / Queens Buzz. It was a sunny, hot, humid morning as I biked my way over to the Queens Boro Bridge to watch 30,000 Five Boro Bike Riders descend into Queens.

None of them seemed to be having any difficulty, as they made their way up 21st Street to Astoria Park. I followed along and shot some photos and it's worth saying that 21st Street is in need of some repair. It's a rumbling road that one would expect to find in a third world nation, not along the East River waterfront of America's largest city.

Click here for a few particulars, a slide show and 5 boro bike ride photos 2010 in Astoria Park and Queens.

Greek Orthodox Church In Astoria

Holy Friday Procession In Astoria

Astoria / April 4, 2010. In the Greek Orthodox tradition, last week was the holiest week of the year. Last Friday, I had the opportunity to photograph the parishoners of St Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church as they made a procession through the streets of Astoria to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ. The procession included a man carrying the cross, followed by altar boys, musicians, clergymen and by men carrying the the epitafios, which resembles a casket decorated with flowers.

We'll post a full report later today or later this week, but in the meantime there's a slide show of the procession last Friday which numbered in the thousands.

Click here to view our report and  photos of the St Demetrios Holy Friday procession in Astoria.

"Lights, Action, Camera"

Queens Fashion Week Underway

Models, Designers and Paparazzi

Astoria & LIC / February 18, 2010. Some of the top designers with Queens connections collaborated with many up-and-coming Queens models to strut their stuff at the Queens Fashion Week opening night. The event took place tonight, after a week delay due to snowstorms, at the Standard Lofts, a recently renovated factory building turned residence along Northern Blvd at the foot of Steinway Street.

About twenty eight models participated in the event, walking down the runway with beautiful new clothing, designed to complement their figures and forms. The models consisted of both females and males, nearly all of whom I believe were in their twenties. This is a report of the first day of the event, which took place on a Thursday evening. Friday is the young designers night, which will be followed on Saturday with a day of exhibits with the closing runway show on Saturday evening. Click here to view the rest of our report on the opening night of the Queens Fashion Week.

Queens Fashion Week 2010

Casting Call Gets Good Response

January 18, 2010 / Astoria & LIC. The Queens Fashion Week casting call gathered a lot of attention this past weekend, as we estimate somewhere in the neighborhood of one hundred people responded to the possibility that they could become Queens next super model.

We paid a visit to the event to watch the next Giselle or Marcus strut their stuff. And enjoyed seeing the excitement in the contestants' eyes at their prospects for fame. The show is intended to not only provide Queens residents with an opportunity for publicity, but Queens designers as well. About ten local designers have signed up to publicize their work in the February event.

Click here to view our full report on the casting call for Queens Fashion Week.

Queens Film Festival 2009 Begins

Astoria / November 10, 2009. The Queens International Film Festival begins this Thursday. This year the festival will show about 300 different films including shorts, documentaries, animation, music videos as well as a complete offering of feature films. The event is scheduled to take place largely in two locations, one of which is the main center of activity – the Frank Sinatra School and the second of which is a nearby screening location, the Holiday Inn on 29th Street. Click here to view our report about the Queens Film Festival 2009.

Recycle Fest In Astoria

Environmental Activism In Astoria Queens

This is a rolling summary of brief reports about green activities in Astoria and along the East River waterfront of Queens NY. To date we have a story about Queens Green Drinks and one about the Recyclefest held in Astoria in Spring 2009. Transportation Alternatives and government agencies will also be covered in this section as well as in separate reports.

We Will Not Forget

911 Memorial Services In Queens

East Elmhurst / September 12, 2009. I attended a memorial service at St Michael's Cemetery in East Elmhurst on Saturday commemorating the deceased of 911. The service was largely attended by the families of the deceased firemen, police officers and EMT's. I was struck by the poignancy of the day, during which family members expressed their ongoing grief and sense of loss, which they have carried with them every day for the past eight years.

This memorial service was very much a personal grieving and expression of loss. The photo to your right was taken of a firetruck standing outside the chapel at St Michael's where the memorial service was held. Click here for a full report about the 911 Memorial Service at St Michaels Cemetery in East Elmhurst.

Shopping Astoria - Astoria Shops

Shops & Shopping In Astoria

This is the Astoria Shopping Center on Queens Buzz.  This section includes a directory of stores in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens NY with links to onsite slide shows of each Astoria merchant's inventory, as well as onsite maps showing their location, store hours and other pertinent information about shopping in Astoria Queens.

Astoria Maps - Overview

Click to view three maps of Astoria: 1) Map of Shopping Districts In Astoria with links to shop home pages on this site, 2) Map of Astoria Restaurants that have been reviewed on this site, and 3) Map of cultural attractions in Astoria most for which there are reports about them to be found on this site.

Click here to view Astoria Maps - Maps of Shops, Restaurants and Cultural Attractions in Astoria Queens.