06/10/13 3:00pm

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Queens is one of the most ethnically diverse boroughs in the world, and that trend isn’t changing. The Times has an overview of the newest immigrant neighborhoods, which include Corona Park, home to many of the 137,000 total Ecuadoreans in the city — the sixth-largest immigrant population overall. Some local restaurants include Sabor Latino at 95-35 40th Road and Barzola at 9212 37th Avenue. The Guyanese make their mark in Richmond Hill and Ozone Park, which has shops like Sybil’s Bakery & Restaurant at 132-17 Liberty Avenue and Dave West Indian Imports at 98-07 97th Avenue. Koreans may be known for their outpost near Penn Station, but Murray Hill has its own restaurant street with shops like Han Hoo Korean Restaurant at 41-06 149th Place and Mapo BBQ at 14924 41st Avenue. And the Polish, who have roots in Greenpoint and Maspeth, are moving to Ridgewood, which is filled with delis and restaurants like Krolewsie Jadlo at 66-21 Fresh Pond Road.

Photo: Google

04/01/13 11:00am

Hindus celebrated their new year Saturday at the annual Phagwah Parade (also known as Holi) in Richmond Hill. The Holi tradition is to color people with dye and powder, bringing winter to a colorful end. Photographer Jorge Quinteros captured the celebration in a splendid series of portraits.

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To see the rest of the portraits, visit the photographer’s website.

 

 

03/29/13 9:00am

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Image Source: Ann Dandridge

Get ready for a great time on Good Friday! Due to the extremely positive feedback after January’s Disco Inferno concert, Resorts World Casino is ready to host Disco Inferno II on March 29. The Tavares Brothers (above), who made the world dance in 1976 with “Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel,” will headline this boogie down memory lane. Other performers inspired by the era of big afros, polyester bell-bottoms and platform shoes include Bonnie Pointer, who used to sing with The Pointer Sisters; Cory Daye of “Pow Wow” and “Cherchez La Femme” fame; and the always fun Disco Unlimited.

Resorts World Casino New York City
110-00 Rockaway Boulevard, South Jamaica
Friday, March 29
8pm – 11:45pm | $30
02/28/13 9:30am

We came across this post by the Gothamist folks from last spring (before the birth of this website) and were delighted by these old photos of Queens, that ranges from as early as 1890. This photo of the Elmhurst Gas Tanks astounds us – they’re like the tallest things around.

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Image source: Gothamist

UPDATE 3/1/13: A commenter (H/T/ bookmobile on Gothamist) shares with us that these are NOT the Elmhurst Gas Tanks, but a location in Astoria:

The gas tanks were in Astoria – at the northern end of 21st Street (20th Avenue). Google Maps shows their footprints are still there. The water in the background is the East River, the big building on the right is PS 122, and the picture was, no doubt, taken on the viaduct by the Hell Gate Bridge.

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02/22/13 9:00am

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Image Source: Wofabe Dance and Drum Festival/NJ.COM

You’re going to have so much fun that you might not even notice the slot machines! On February 23, Resorts World Casino New York City will host a jam-packed afternoon of music, dancing, the spoken word and giveaways in celebration of Black History Month. WBLS radio personality DJ Mitch aka The People Plezzer will kick off the event, which will feature spoken word artists D Black and Essence, a dance and drumming performance by the Asase Yaa Theatre Company and live music by the Ancestral Ankhestra, which specializes in jazz, blues, R&B and African- and Caribbean-influenced percussion and storytelling. There will also be ticket and prize giveaways and an after party.

Resorts World Casino New York City
110-00 Rockaway Boulevard, South Jamaica
Saturday, February 23
2pm – 6pm | Free
02/13/13 9:00am

VDImage Source: Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel

Tony Bennett might have left his heart in San Francisco and Virginia might be for lovers, but Queens is romantic royalty. On Valentine’s Day, the borough will overflow with enchanting places to stay, eat, giggle, listen or dance the night away. In fact, there are so many options that QNYC can only report a few of them and parts of their offers.

 

01/04/13 9:00am
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Image Source: The Rajkumari Cultural Center

Caribbean East Indians trace their heritage to the Southeast Asian Subcontinent, which includes India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Their forefathers — mostly Hindus, Muslims and Christians — started arriving in the Caribbean and South America in the mid-1840s, often as indentured laborers. Currently, Caribbean East Indians are major ethnic groups in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname. In recent generations, some have settled in New York City, especially the Richmond Hill area. Until March 13, the Rajkumari Cultural Center will host a photo exhibit depicting the arts, culture, history, scholarship, commerce, politics and nation building of the this community.

Indians in the Caribbean: A Photographic Exhibition
The Rajkumari Cultural Center
125-01 101st Avenue, Richmond Hill
Tuesdays to Sundays, Until March 13
5 pm – 8 pm | Free

12/17/12 9:00am

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Image Source: Onda Carolina

Growing up in Miami as the child of Cuban immigrants, Jose Conde related to a large mix of music: salsa, cumbia, samba, mambo, rumba, Haitian compas and funk. He keeps the tropical stew brewing with his group Ola Fresca, incorporating pan-Latin rhythms with an undeniably Cuban sense of humor and Spanish lyrics influenced by Cuban poet Nicolas Guillen and Cuban troubadour Pedre Luis Ferrer. On December 18, Conde brings his ecclectic, exuberant, unpredictable groove to Resorts World Casino New York City as part of the South Jamaica facility’s ongoing free Tuesday concert series.

Jose Conde Concert
Resorts World Casino New York City
110-00 Rockaway Blvd., South Jamaica/Ozone Park,
Tuesday, December 18th, 2012
8pm – 10:30pm | FREE!

12/04/12 9:00am

Image Source: Copy Cat Band

They can play all kinds of music — from Bob Marley to Limp Bizkit to Frank Sinatra. But these white guys from Long Island — Bobby, Brendan, Freddie and Peter — really specialize in the African-influenced sounds of the Caribbean islands…Soca, Calypso, Reggae, anything that will get you off your chair and onto the dance floor. Copy Cat will perform as part of a free Tuesday night music series at Resorts World Casino New York City.

Copy Cat Band
110-00 Rockaway Blvd., South Jamaica
Tuesday, December 4
8pm – 11:30pm | Free

11/29/12 9:00am

Image Source: Amseshem Foluke-Henderson

Move over Rockefeller Center! Resorts World Casino New York City will unveil the largest holiday tree in Queens on Thursday afternoon. A special choir and Santa Claus will be on hand to help guests trim and light this internationally famous Christmas symbol, which stands more than 40 feet tall.

Resorts World Casino
110-00 Rockaway Blvd., South Jamaica
Thursday, Nov. 29
5:00pm – 6:00pm | FREE!