World Maker Faire at the NY Hall of Science

Ye Old World Maker Faire was Everything but … old

September 24, 2018 / Corona & Flushing Neighborhoods in Queens / Queens Things To Do / Queens Buzz NYC.

The 7th annual World Maker Faire was held last weekend at the NY Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. I had been meaning to attend the festival since it had first opened years ago, but never quite squared away the time. Thankfully, that was not the case this year.

The World Maker Faire is billed as a fair of, “invention, creativity, and curiosity [that] showcases … more than 600 projects … focused on making for social good, health, technology, electronics, 3D printing & fabrication, food, robotics, art …”.

The faire really surprised me on the upside. While I had heard of it for years now, I had the impression that it was a bit of a nerd fest. And while there’s certainly some of that embedded in the program, it goes way beyond that. It was like attending an old time county fair, but instead of seeing rides, rodeo contests and animal exhibits, we saw robotics contests, robotics exhibits and feats of mechanical / AI prowess. A bit nerdy, perhaps, but as you will see from the video below – far, far more than that.

One of the first exhibits to catch my attention was a good old-fashioned cock fight – where the roosters were replaced with robots. It seemed kind of an adolescent use of all those majestic brainwaves, but I have to admit that I, along with the rest of a large crowd, found it pretty entertaining.

• CLICK here later this afternoon to see rest of our report about NY Hall of Science hosts the World Maker Faire in Flushing Queens NYC, including video of many of the exhibits / events.

People-Powered Green Symposium

Fourth Annual Going Green In Queens

April 12, 2011 / Flushing / Green & Natural / Queens Buzz. The fourth annual 'Going Green In Queens' environmental symposium was held on Saturday, March 26th, at the Al Oerter Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

Hundreds of people, possibly more than a thousand, visited the green booths set up by a number of community organizations that are working to build a more sustainable / regenerative environment in Queens.

Booths included urban composters, community parks organizations, a solar panel provider, energy saving devices / alternative energy providers, an organic food group, sailing and bicycling groups .. and more.

Click here to view our report on Going Green In Queens 2011.

Queens College In Flushing

NYC Educators Making Things Happen

January 26, 2011 / Flushing / Queens Buzz. The following report is about a recent visit to Queens College in Flushing. The school is public, but only receives one third of its funding from the state. And so the school has sought help from alumni of the college who have supported many of the college’s efforts to enhance its facilities and programs through private donations.

The result is that Queens College provides NYC & Queens residents with a very good college education at affordable prices.

Click here to read our full report about Queens College in Flushing including a look at the Colden Auditorium, LeFrak Concert Hall and the Godwin-Ternbach Museum.

QMA Hosts Boo Spooktacular

Kids & Adult Programs at the Queens Museum of Art

October 24, 2011 / Flushing Neighborhood / Queens Buzz. It was a frightening Saturday afternoon, trolls, ghouls and goblins were lurking about at the Queens Museum of Art. The ghouls and goblins had plans to make war, even while the head troll was issuing marching orders to a bevy of funked QMA scaretakers, who seemed to know what ghastly events lie ahead. Nonetheless, they listened with interest as the troll began to make her plans.

Click here by to read the rest of our report on the Boo Spooktacular and other kids & adult programs at the Queens Museum of Art.

Crystal Window & Door Systems

An American Asian Tiger In Flushing

March 21, 2011 / Flushing Neighborhood / Queens Buzz. I had occasion to tour the plant of Crystal Windows, one of Queens most successful manufacturing operations. Crystal Windows is a manufacturer of windows and door systems used in homes, apartment buildings and business buildings.

Their plant is located in Flushing just off the Whitestone Expressway and it encompasses 225,000 square feet, covering the better part of a very large city block. The plant production facility begins with receiving at the south end of the plant and ends in shipping at the north end of the plant.

Click here to view our report on a successful manufacturer of windows and doors in Queens NY, including a photo slide show of the plant in operation.

Flushing International High School

America's Melting Pot - Alive & Well In Flushing

January 3, 2011 / Flushing / QueensBuzz. I had occasion to witness the success that one of the public high schools in Queens is having in helping the children of new immigrants adapt to their new homeland. Flushing International High School only accepts children of immigrants who have generally been living in the country less than two years and who do not speak the English language very well, if at all.

Within four years, about 65% of these students graduate, speaking fluent English. The graduation rate throughout the rest of the city for comparable schools is 35%. We visited Joseph Luft [Principal] and Lara Evange [Assistant Principal] to take a closer look at what has contributed to their success.

Click here for the rest of the story, including photos, of a report on one of the public high schools in Queens.

Queens Natatorium & World Ice Rink

Olympic Sized Indoor Swimming Pool & Ice Skating Rink

This is a brief report on Queens Park Natatorium and World Ice Rink facilities in the Flushing / Corona neighborhood of Queens NY. The report includes the Queens Olympic sized swimming pool, the World Ice Rink and the Al Oerter Recreation Center in the Flushing section of Queens NY.

Shea Stadium Demolition

Shea Going, Going

Flushing Meadows Corona Park / February 14, 2009 / Queens Buzz. "All that's left of Shea Stadium is its pitching", remarked one fan who'd come out to shoot farewell photos of the legendary stadium. "Seems pitching is the first to come and the last to go", he continued. "I hope Citifield does better than the bank."

Ah yes, who would have thought? I spoke to a foreman who said the demolition effort began after the first of the year and the structure was scheduled to be completely down, although not removed, by the middle of the month. Based on the looks of things, it seems they are pretty well on schedule. Click this link for the rest of the story about Shea Stadium / Citi Field in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

Queens Theatre In The Park

Bacon Brothers & Band / Renovations

Kevin Bacon and his brother Michael performed at Queens Theatre In The Park in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens NY. The Bacon Brothers just released a new CD called 'White Knuckles'.

Click here to read our report about the Bacon Brothers Band at Queens Theatre in the Park & renovations.

Queens Botanical Garden

This story describes the Queens Botanical Garden in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens NY. The Queens Botanical Garden is run by the municipality and is located along Main Street in the Flushing Queens.