York College - Jamaica Queens

Emerging Powerhouse In Central Queens

March / Jamaica Neighborhood / Queens Buzz. I had occasion to visit York College to learn more about one of the four CUNY [City University Of New York] colleges in Queens.

The four CUNY colleges in Queens are geographically dispersed throughout the borough, including locations in Long Island City [LaGuardia Community College], Flushing [Queens College], Jamaica [York College] and Bayside [Queens Borough Community College].

York College and Queens College are four year Baccalaureate degree awarding colleges, which also offer several Masters degrees; while LaGuardia and Queens Borough Community Colleges are two year Associates degree awarding colleges. CUNY also has a Law School which will be re-located from Flushing to Long Island City [LIC] in the fall of 2011.

Click here to read our full report, including numerous photos, about York College and the York Performing Arts Center.

King Manor Brings Dead Back To Life

Spirits Of Dutch & Colonial Queens Reawakened

October / Jamaica Neighborhood / Queens History / Queens Buzz.  It’s easy to forget Queens colonial past some 200 - 400 years ago, as so much has happened since then.  But October is the time to reawaken long lost spirits and I’m happy to report I witnessed just such a reawakening at King Manor in King Park in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens this past weekend.

New York Open House and the Historic House Trust got together this year and held their annual weekend extravaganza this past weekend, with food as the historic theme.  So King Manor put together a program celebrating Dutch cuisine and its influence on American fare, and in the process gave us a tour and an education about one of the signers of the U.S. Constitution and a strong, outspoken advocate against slavery.

Click here to read our report about King Manor and Rufus King in Jamaica Queens.

Afrikan Poetry Theater

Cultural Center In Jamaica Queens

January / Jamaica Queens / Queens Buzz.  I had the opportunity to visit the Afrikan Poetry Theater in Jamaica. I had long been curious to visit the theater, having heard so much about its community cultural programs which include jazz, poetry readings, lectures, discussions and authentic African cuisine.

John Watusi [left] is the Executive Director of the theater and the following story is an introduction to the theater as told by John who is one of its founders.

The theater started in the seventies, in the aftermath of the social unrest, as African Americans sought to re-establish themselves as members of the American community of immigrants. Part of that movement included delving into their ethnic past in an effort to better understand cultural heritage. The mission of the theater is to educate and entertain the Jamaica and Queens community about African Americans' roots. Click here to read more about the Afrikan Poetry Society in Jamaica NY

Public Transit To & From JFK Airport

Air Train & Buses Connect To Subway

Jamaica / Queens Buzz. The Jamaica Train station is the LIRR hub and the busiest transportation complex in Queens.

The Jamaica Train station serves as the nexus for LIRR trains heading to / from New York City, to / from JFK airport via the new air train, and to / from all destinations on Long Island, save the Port Washington line.

Click here to read more about public transit from JFK to Manhattan via Queens.  This brief provides some info, photos and a map showing the location of the complex.

Dutch Cuisine Past & Present

King Manor Presents Delicious Dutch Foods & Recipes

October / Jamaica Neighborhood / Food & Wine / Queens Buzz. In tandem with the NY Open House and the Historic House Festival weekend, King Manor selected an historic food theme that would have pleased New Amsterdam Mayor Peter Stuyvesant.

There were two sections to this historic presentation. The first was a reenactment of colonial Dutch cooking by Diane G. Fish, who is a living historian with a specialty in Civil War reenactments. To the delight of all there, including myself, she’s also an avid foodie who’s well acquainted with Dutch cuisine. And the second section was a lecture and presentation by a renowned historian and food writer, Peter G. Rose. Peter took us back to the Dutch kitchens in the Netherlands of the 1700’s and traced the migration of Dutch foods into the colonial world.

Many of the things she would discuss, we had the opportunity to sample prior to the lecture … click here to read the rest of our report on Dutch cuisine & recipes in Queens New York.

Safe Space In Jamaica Queens

 Program Attracts Many Celebs

September 13, 2010 / Jamaica / Queens Buzz. Story done in collaboration with Rob MacKay of Safe Space and photos compliments of Clyde Hamilton.

Safe Space is an institution dedicated to the simple premise that all children should be able to grow up in a healthy and safe environment. Unfortunately many children do not start life with those basics.

This is a brief story about a musical / theatrical benefit event sponsored by Safe Space to celebrate the organization's move to Queens [from Manhattan] this year. Click here to view the Safe Space In Jamaica Queens benefit event in September 2010.

Belmont Race Track

Horse Races In Queens NY

This is a brief story reporting on an afternoon spent at the Belmont Race Track in Elmont Queens NY. Horse races are run about five days per week during the season which runs about half the year, but beware because there are down periods where no races are run.

Jamaica Center For Arts & Learning

Jamaica NY / Queens Buzz. The Jamaica Center For Arts & Learning, also known as JCAL, is a community cultural center that has been serving the Jamaica community for nearly forty years. The center offers classes and performances to help educate children and foster appreciation for the arts and learning.

King Manor Museum - Jamaica

Located In King Park

Jamaica / Queens Buzz. This is a brief article about King Manor Museum which is located in King Park in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens NY. King Manor is the former home of Rufus King who was, among other things, a signer of the U.S. Constitution.

Jamaica Savings Banks Landmarked

Jamaica / Queens Buzz. The Jamaica Savings Bank Joined Kings Manor as a landmark. The landmark commission has been busy in the borough of Queens NY.