St Pats Parade Mixes Pageantry & Politics

March 5, 2012 / Sunnyside & Woodside / Ethnic & Religious Culture / Queens Buzz. It was a beautiful March day, with temperatures in the 40's, as I made my way down to hear the speeches and watch the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Sunnyside and Woodside.

Last year they moved the parade gathering area up a few blocks from 43rd Street to 47th Street. The new location seems to provide a more communal gathering spot than in the middle of one of Sunnyside's busy intersections.

I was amazed at the turn out of potential NYC mayoral candidates. NYC Public Advocate Bill Di Blasio, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, NYC Comptroller John Liu were all in attendance. Notably absent was St Pat's For All Parade regular, City Council Speaker, Christine Quinn. After the parade we contacted her office to inquire why she was absent and were informed that she wasn't feeling well.

Click here to read more about our report on the St Pat's For All Parade in Sunnyside & Woodside Queens. The report includes a slide show with photos of the speakers, warm up performances and parade.

New Cultural Center in Sunnyside

Bliss on Bliss Studio Begins to Take Root

February 20, 2012 / Sunnyside / Art in Queens / Queens Buzz. I attended the February exhibit opening reception and musical performances of Bliss on Bliss Studio in Sunnyside. It was my first visit to the studio which opened in October of 2011.

Ged Merino and Carolina Morales are the husband and wife team that run the studio. They met while working at the Metropolitan Museum, married, and are now sharing their bliss with the rest of us who live near Blissville.

The moniker of Blissville predates Sunnyside, and comes from the name of an early 19th century farm owned by Neziah Bliss. The farm was located along the southern edge of the neighborhood. But I digress.

At the February opening reception for its new exihibit, Bliss on Bliss was featuring ten photographers and two groups of musicians. Click here to read more about Bliss on Bliss Studio in Sunnyside.

Greening Western Queens

Summers in Sunnyside / Sunnyside / Eco-friendly In Queens / Queens Buzz. I went to check out the Greening Western Queens event which was held in Sunnyside on Saturday morning. I went, not knowing what to expect, and found the event provided a tree-mendous opportunity to learn more about what trees do for us, how to get involved in identifying places to have trees planted, as well as how to care for them.

The Con Ed blackout in 2006 hit areas like Astoria and Sunnyside rather hard. Following the blackout there were financial settlements made with Con Ed, one of which was a $7.8 million fund that went to NorthStar for the purposes of building more sustainable – and thus energy efficient – infrastructure in these neighborhoods.

I wasn’t aware that these two neighborhoods have far less tree coverage than the city average [which is 14% tree coverage] and hence require far more air conditioning to keep cool in the summer.

Click here to learn more about Greening Western Queens - including info about tree types, tree insects, tree mapping and tree care certification in Queens. You will also learn how you can become involved in selecting public and private tree planting locations in Queens.

Art Imitates Reality in the 'Museum'

Play Portrays People in Art Museum & Parallels Visits to PaintCan Studios during LIC Art Open

May 15, 2012 / Sunnyside / Performing Arts in Queens / Queens Buzz.  The Museum was the first play written by Tina Howe back in 1976.  It’s a mix of comedy and satire depicting the scene in an art gallery on the last day of a controversial artist’s show.  The play includes about forty characters who come through the gallery to see the show before it ends.

The ‘set’ is a large artist studio in the PaintCan, which is the affectionate name given the third floor of 10-10 44th Road.  The PaintCan is the home to about a dozen or more artists’ studios containing a range of artwork and artists that were easily worth the visit themselves.  We’ll post a separate report on the PaintCan in the coming day.

Click to read our review and see photos of the Museum, a play about art and life, part of the LIC Arts Open at PaintCan Studios

Figgy Pudding Short Play Fest

Xmas Comedy at Café Marlene in Sunnyside

December 1, 2011 / Sunnyside / Theater in Sunnyside / Queens Buzz. Sofia Geier, founder of the Unity Stage Company, has put together a comedic treat of nine quick one act plays that draw upon holiday traditions, providing cheer by cynically poking fun at people, places and patches out of the spirit of Christmas past ... and present.

I attended one of their dress rehearsals several days prior to opening night. The plays included some sharp turns in the road and a small sag in the middle. But the general production quality, playwrights' humor and professional acting kept me amused for most of the hour and a half the plays ran.

Click here to read more about the Unity Stage Company’s nine one act plays in the Figgy Pudding Play Fest at Café Marlene running Thursday through Sunday, December 1 – 4, beginning at 8 pm.

Sunnyside Christmas Tree Lighting 2011

T'is The Season To Be Jolly

November 28, 2011 / Sunnyside Neighborhood / Queens Buzz. It's hard to believe another year has gone by. On Tuesday, the Queens Chamber of Commerce held its annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Sabba Park on Queens Blvd and 50th Street, marking such an occasion.

It was a warm, wet night, with temperatures in the 60's. The rain came down lightly and intermittently, but just enough to ward off any sort of large gathering, like the one that had assembled last year.

Click here to view our report and photo slide show of the Sunnyside Christmas Tree Lighting of 2011.

Taste of Sunnyside

Restaurants in Sunnyside @ 2nd Annual Food Event

October 18, 2011 / Sunnyside Neighborhood / Food & Wine / Queens Buzz. It was a fine night for a food fest in Sunnyside, New York. So I sauntered on down to the Sunnyside Community Service Center to see what delectables awaited me at the 2nd annual Taste of Sunnyside.

There were 20 Sunnyside restaurants and four beverage vendors this year. All of which are located in the Sunnyside vicinity. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to sample all of them before the end of the first seating.

There were two seatings this year, and both were pretty well sold out … click here to read the rest of our report on the Taste of Sunnyside, including a slide show with photos of the food, many of the restaurateurs, and the folks who’d come to sample the fare of the restaurants in Sunnyside.

Queen Of Angels Art Fair

Sunnyside Fair Becoming Established Art Sales Venue

June 18, 2011 / Sunnyside / Art Exhibits / Queens Buzz. It was a warm sunny afternoon in Sunnyside as I made my way down to the Queen Of Angels Church to view the work of about 30 artists. I went late in the afternoon, as last year there was a large crowd at the opening [after Sunday mass], and the numbers didn’t taper off until the end of the afternoon.

This art fair, like a fine wine, continues to evolve. The fair includes exhibitors from the Sunnyside, Woodside and other Queens neighborhoods, as well as from Brooklyn. The artwork on display is for sale, making it interactive so-to-speak, and it seemed like there was a fair amount of sales this year, although I can’t tell whether it’s because I know the artists better [and they feel more comfortable telling me such things] or because they sold more. In any case it’s for a good cause, as some of the proceeds also go toward the Queen of Angels Church. The eye shown in the photo to your left is the work of Casey Concelmo.

Later today click here to read more about and view photos of the Queen Of Angels Art Fair in Sunnyside.

Inside The Creative Process

John Jasperse Open Rehearsal At Topaz Arts In Woodside

May 2, 2011 / Sunnyside & Woodside / Dance & Theater / Queens Buzz. I visited Topaz Arts in Woodside Monday night, to observe an open rehearsal presented by John Jasperse & Company. Jasperse is a highly regarded contemporary choreographer and dancer. He is the creator of a number of award winning works, the most recent of which is Truth, Revised Histories, Wishful Thinking and Flat Out Lies. He is currently working on a new dance to be presented at BAM [Brooklyn Academy of Music] this fall as part of their Next Wave program. Next Wave showcases innovative dance, theater and music.

The open rehearsal began with Jasperse showing what are essentially draft dance pieces of his new work. There were a number of dancers involved in the project who performed while we watched and listened to the accompanying music on a portable player. As the event was an Open Rehearsal, the dancers weren’t wearing any costumes or outfits, but rather loose athletic clothing, the kind you’d expect to see them wearing while practicing.

Click here to read more about John Jasperse & Company open rehearsal at Topaz Arts in Woodside.