Traveling is fun, but with Bolo and Claus it’s also funny. On May 26, these bilingual clowns will take two Queens Theatre audiences around the universe in search of the Green Dragon. Extremely shy and rumored to hang out inside an egg, the Green Dragon allegedly has a treasure trove of candy, chocolate, ice cream, lollipops and cookies that he’d like to share. To find him, Bolo and Claus perform hilarious hijinks as they traverse the planet, sail the oceans and cross the continents before landing on a mysterious island inhabited by elves, monsters, fairies and a witch. They finally find the egg, but they have to tell the tale of the Moon and the Stars, pass some tests, and follow some trails before everybody gets a treat. Bolo and Claus, who are made possible by Pedro Serka and Christian Hartwig, perform predominantly in Chile and Spain. This U.S. show was arranged due to popular demand in Queens. Details: Bolo and Claus, 1 pm for English, 3 pm for Spanish, Queens Theatre, $14.
The Yankees and Manchester City, co-owners of the new New York soccer team, may already be backing away from their attempts to build a new stadium in Corona Park, according to the Times Ledger. The paper found documents that suggest that the teams are seeking to avoid turmoil and community opposition at the site, although a spokeswoman said Corona Park was still on the table. Other sites examined by Major League Soccer for a stadium include locations in the Aqueduct Racino in South Ozone Park, the Jamaica Long Island Rail Road station, Hallets Cove in Astoria, and Forest Hills, as well as three spots in Flushing Meadows.
The Department of City Planning approved on Wednesday the U.S. Tennis Association’s contentious plan to expand its stadium in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, DNAinfo reported. The approval comes in the wake of the Association’s concession to return 1.56 acres of parkland to the public in return for development rights for a 0.68 acre parcel, a move that didn’t satisfy some community activists. City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden said at the vote that there would be “no loss of public parkland in order to accomplish the proposed upgrade to the tennis center,” according to DNAinfo. Corona Park may soon be the site of another land battle if the new Major League Soccer team seeks to build a stadium there.
The Yankees and England’s Manchester City announced Tuesday that they will form the newest Major League Soccer team, the New York City Football Club (NYCFC). Manchester City will play an exhibition match in the Bronx against Chelsea FC (the team from London, not the West 20s) this very Saturday, May 25. But a far more explosive question is where the new New York team ultimately plays.
The release says that NYCFC will have an interim home in 2015 but that it is “committed to seeking a new permanent stadium in New York.” Candidate No. 1? Flushing Meadows Corona Park, already a battleground between local groups and the U.S. Tennis Association.
It’s far from a done deal. A spokesman at City Planning told Brownstoner that any proposal would require a seven-month Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), which would involved input from the local community board and borough president, followed by votes by City Planning and the City Council. He declined to comment further on the proposal because it hasn’t been officially submitted.
Stadiums are inherently tied to the public sector. Virtually all pro teams extract some sort of tax abatement as part of a new stadium deal, with the argument that the thousands of future spectators will lead directly to consumer spending and new jobs. But studies haven’t supported the claims that arenas lead to an overall net benefit. And this proposal comes at a time when Madison Square Garden, one of the most famous venues in the world, is trying to secure its own future.
Ferran Soriano, head of Manchester City, issued a cautious note regarding development:
“New York City FC will have a permanent home in the City in the great traditions of New York sports and world soccer – a home that must be a sports, commercial and civic success…But in considering any stadium site, we will listen first. This is what we have always done in Manchester and what we will do in New York. Only in this way, can the Club truly represent the City whose name it will carry.”
Mayor Bloomberg, a consistent fan of sports as an engine of economic development (see Atlantic Yards, Citi Field, the new Yankee Stadium and the defeated Jets proposal), was more bullish. But remember that this is his last year as mayor, and any decisions will likely be shaped by his successor.
“Soccer is one of the world’s most exciting and popular sports, and it should be played on the world’s biggest stage – in New York City…New Yorkers are the greatest sports fans in the world, and they will welcome a Major League Soccer franchise with the full-throated and loyal support they are famous for. Manchester City has a great reputation for both winning teams and serious community investment, and that will help them fit in well with the excellent leadership of New York City’s other professional sports teams. Increasingly, sports events and activities – from the NHL playoffs to the MLB All-Star game to the SuperBowl – are spurring economic growth, as our investments in new arenas and infrastructure are paying off.”
What do you think?
Photo: L-R, Randy Levine of the Yankees, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, Ferran Soriano of Manchester City, via NYCFC
The U.S. Tennis Association said Tuesday that it would give 1.56 acres to the city’s Parks Department as part of its $500 million expansion in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. But some local park advocates told the Daily News that the deal was a “sham.” “We have gained nothing,” Donovan Finn, a member of the Fairness Coalition for Queens, told the Daily News. “The USTA gets to pretend they are doing a great service to the community — when, in fact, it’s just a bunch of bureaucratic maneuvering.”
The local residents argue that the parkland is already publicly accessible and that the Tennis Association, which is seeking 0.68 acres for its stadium expansion, isn’t giving the community a net benefit. Geoffrey Croft, president of New York City Park Advocates, called the swap “a sham” and said that “nothing’s changed.” However, Queens borough president Helen Marshall has supported the plan. The issue will be decided at a City Planning hearing on May 22. It will then need City Council approval to happen.
It all adds up. Jazz is the USA’s greatest contribution to music. Louis Armstrong is the greatest contributor to the genre. And Queens is the best place in the world for a jazz celebration. On April 30, the Louis Armstrong House Museum and the Jazz Journalists Association will hold a free, fun, food-filled festivity feting International Jazz Day at the Langston Hughes Community Library & Cultural Center in Corona. The program — presented by official Armstrong archivist Ricky Riccardi and Dan Morgenstern, director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University — will include the public premier of a newly discovered recording by Armstrong at Freedomland, a fabled Bronx amusement park in 1961. Then, the Jazz Journalists Association will toast Satchmo at a soul food reception. Some might attend for the music. Others might attend for the food. But all will enjoy themselves.
Open House - Saturday 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM $560,000
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1 bedroom, 2 bathrooms
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Chopsticks + Marrow, written by Joe DiStefano, covers food both inside and outside of Queens. He joins us here on QueensNYC each Thursday.
Sweet and cold, El Bohio’s shaved ice is a harbinger of even warmer days
Forget that groundhog. The real indicator of the arrival of warm weather is the ice cream man. Or in Corona, the shaved ice man, specifically the dude who sets up in the window in front of El Bohio Grocery. The other day after eating enough Thai food for an army I took a long walk up Roosevelt Avenue and was delighted to see that El Bohio’s shaved ice—or frio frio as Dominicans like to call it—was in full effect. (more…)
Amreeka tells the story of a Palestinian mother who wins a Green Card in a lottery and relocates the family from the West Bank to a Chicago suburb. This funny-but-poignant independent movie debuted at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival before National Geographic Entertainment bought its rights. On April 18, Amreeka will kick off Cinema of Immigration at the Queens Museum of Art. This 10-week series explores the immigrant experience in the U.S. through films that reflect ethnic and cultural diversity. Mark Ethan, an Actors Studio member who has been presenting films at QMA since 1998, will introduce each screening and lead discussions afterward. After opening night, the following films will screen: American, American, April 25; In America, May 2; Anna, May 9; A Better Life, May 16; I Remember Mama, May 23; and The Wedding Banquet, May 30.
Cinema of Immigration Film Series
Queens Museum of Art
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Thursday, April 18, and every following Thursday until May 30
2pm – 5pm | Free
The cicadas are coming! The cicadas are coming! Sometimes mistakenly referred to as “locusts,” these three-eyed insects have spent the past 17 years undergr0und, and they are ready for some fresh air. When the temperature reaches a steady F 64 degrees, baby cicadas (or nymphs) will emerge, and soon the region will be filled with their distinctive singing. The New York Hall of Science is ready for the onslaught, offering patrons the chance to build “cicada detectors” that measure the temperature of the soil. Not only can participants monitor the ground temperature, they can share their findings on the WNYC Cicada Tracker.
Cicada Workshops
New York Hall of Science
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Sunday, April 14
12 pm, 1 pm 2 pm | Free with admission (preregistration is required)
