Abandoned Jackson Heights cemetery may become park [Queens Courier]
Shoppers flock to new artisan flea market in Ridgewood [Queens Courier]
Astoria landlord charged with illegal conversion of two-family house into nine apartments [Queens Gazette]
Cousins cook up savory cupcakes in former Astoria salon [DNAInfo]
NYCHA allows residents of 43 developments to pay new parking fees in installments [NYDN]
On Tuesday night, the New York Knicks clinched their first N.B.A. division title in 19 years. That night each of the players signed a basketball that will be among items auctioned at the Taste of Ridgewood fundraising event at the Ridgewood YMCA tonight, Thursday, April 11th from 6-8PM.
Signed by Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Jason Kidd, Raymond Felton, Iman Shumpert, Steve Novak, Kenyon Martin, Chris Copeland, Pablo Prigioni and James White, this ball is quite significant in the history of the Knicks. All proceeds from the Taste of Ridgwood event and auction go to the Strong Kids Campaign of the YMCA. Taste food from restaurants throughout the area.
The event will be located in the Y Gym At 69-02 64 Street. (Catalpa Avenue & 64 St.) Ridgewood (GMAP).
Street Festivals make Queens a great place to live. This coming Sunday April 14th, from noon until 6 pm, the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District and the Ridgewood Local Development Corp. put on one of the borough’s best street festivals.
A Jackie Gleason Bus, food and plenty of merchants will be on Myrtle Avenue between Forest and Wyckoff Avenues.
Note: As the season progresses, we’ll update this guide. Please leave comments with new or updated information!
Forest Hills Greenmarket, South side of Queens Blvd at 70th Avenue (GMAP) (Website)
Sundays from April 7, 2013 to December 29, 2013
8:00am – 3:00pm
Sunnyside Greenmarket, Skillman Ave btwn 42 & 43 Streets (GMAP) (Website)
Saturdays from June 1, 2013 to December 21, 2013
8:00am – 3:00pm
Image source: Wyckoff Heights – note the cornice removed from the middle building (cornices remain on either side)
Ridgewood is a gem of a neighborhood in Queens, and slowly it has been “discovered” and it’s getting more attention these days. And with attention comes changes – in Ridgewood’s case, a Polish community has developed (after many were pushed out of Greenpoint by increasing rents and property prices), younger folks are arriving, and developers are beginning to realize there are, in their eyes, opportunities to make some lucrative changes. The View From Wyckoff Heights blog has looked at a handful of properties on the Bushwick/Ridgewood border, with the question, “With growing demand for real estate in north Bushwick and south Ridgewood along the L train line, how will historic buildings fare at the hands of developers?”
We just learned about Taste of Ridgewood, a brand spanking new food festival in Queens. It’s also serving as a fundraiser for the Ridgewood YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign. More details:
With over 20 restaurants in attendance representing the beauty of Queens – the borough that is ethnically the most diverse in the city and country. We’re expecting 100 of the neighborhood’s most philanthropic donors to attend this night of food, live music, fun and fundraising providing the best food that Queens has to offer.
Image source: DNAinfo
DNAinfo reports on a new art center called Knockdown Center, located in Maspeth (52-19 Flushing Ave – GMAP), just over the border from Ridgewood and not far from Bushwick. The venue, which was originally a glass factory, is three acres and size and can hold 5,000 people. The organizers have been holding arts events and huge parties, including Rubulad, an underground party that usually happens in BK.
Warmer days are coming – check out some of these photos from our QueensNYC Flickr pool, that hearken back to summertime.
Photographer: Joe Desiderio in Ridgewood – neon Fudgie the Whale sighting at two o’clock
We’ve found another map we like, this one from the NYC EDC on coffee and tea in NYC (click to enlarge).
Image source: NYC EDC
As you can see, in Queens, the dark patches are in Ridgewood, Glendale, and JFK (there are plenty of spots to get coffee at the airport). Frankly, the Glendale part threw us a bit, since we don’t think of Glendale as having one of “the highest density of cafés per ZIP code.” That said, it shares a zip with Ridgewood, which has a more pronounced cafe culture (here are some of the cafes in Ridgewood/Glendale)
Image source: Ridgefood Cha Ca, made with salmon, peanuts, vermicelli, and dill
The folks at Ridgefood recently had a meal at Bunker, a new Vietnamese restaurant in Ridgewood – actually it’s in Maspeth, but the restaurant considers if Ridgewood – it’s only a block over the border. The general consensus is that the food is GOOD, the space is pretty relaxed, and is run by Jimmy and Jacky Tu, two Queens brothers.
