Queens Chronicle 33rd Anniversary Edition

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Queens’ Largest Weekly Newspaper Group

QUEENS CHRONICLE

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RIDGEWOOD SAVINGS BANKCELEBRATES 90TH ANNIVERSARY!

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HIDDEN GEMS OF QUEENSWe all know Queens is a special place to live in, with

its extensive parks, iconic Unisphere and an inter-national community that rivals the United Nations.

There are also lesser known treasures that even the most diehard Queens native may not know about.

For our 33rd anniversary edition, we decided to focus on 24 of these Hidden Gems in Queens. You may have heard of some and yet don’t know much about them or what makes them special, but we guarantee there are some terrific places and things to do you’ve never even heard of. That is about to change.

Two locations in Flushing Meadows Park are easily accessible and very special. Did you know the New York City Panorama, a scale model of the city, was built for the 1964 World’s Fair? The Rocket Park mini golf at the New York Hall of Science is another standout that opened two years ago. All ages enjoy the course while learning some out-of-this-world space science.

The Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden harks back to a different era when people cooled off without air conditioning. Today beer

is still served up with hearty food and entertainment at this 101-year-old survivor.

If you’re looking to take a factory tour, the only one offered in Queens is at the Steinway Piano facility. It’s fun and informative.

Museums off the beaten track include the Louis Armstrong House, the Museum of Comedy and the Richmond Hill Archival.

Wanting to learn more about Queens or your family tree? First, go to The Archives at the central branch of the Queens Library for terrific reference material about the borough. Then make an appointment at the Family Research Center, where researchers will help you discover your roots.

Queens is brimming over with art museums. Take a look at two of the more specialized: the Noguchi Museum, which is a restful spot to see the works of the great Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi, and the Fisher Landau Center for Art, which features contemporary art lovingly collected by Emily Fisher Landau.

If you like walking tours, try a self-guided trek to see the stun-ning Victorian homes in Richmond Hill, go on professionally led

tours of Queens sites led by borough Historian Jack Eichenbaum or join in the food-themed walks sponsored by NoshWalks.

Speaking of food, Queens is chock-full of interesting ethnic restaurants where you can dine on yak, try vegetarian special-ties prepared at a Hindu temple or go to a Korean eatery with a “dancing” octopus dish. Probably the borough’s oldest restaurant, Junior’s Cafe, offers wholesome Italian fare and more.

Have we whet your appetite? After dinner, don’t overlook Max & Mina’s ice cream and Nier’s bar, where Mae West got her start.

Interested in shopping? Read about VP Records, a unique store in Jamaica, and a used book shop in Bayside staffed by the mentally disabled.

For the more adventurous, Queens offers whale watching trips from Rockaway and the many activities at nearby Fort Tilden.

These stories are just some of what you can peruse in this edi-tion. We are proud of our borough and proud of being here for 33 years. We thank our readers and advertisers and look forward to our next 33 years. Q

Published every week byMARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC.

TOTAL CIRCULATION:• SOUTH QUEENS EDITION• CENTRAL QUEENS EDITION• WESTERN QUEENS EDITION• MID QUEENS EDITION• NORTHERN QUEENS EDITION• NORTHEAST QUEENS EDITION• SOUTHEAST QUEENS EDITION• EASTERN QUEENS EDITION• QUEENS EDITION

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SUSAN & STANLEY MERZONFounders

Raymond G. Sito General Manager Peter C. Mastrosimone Editor-in-Chief Liz Rhoades Managing Editor Anna Gustafson Senior Editor Michael Gannon Associate Editor Paula Neudorf Associate Editor AnnMarie Costella Reporter Terry Nusspickel Editorial Production Manager Rya Botlander Editorial Production Assistant Jan Schulman Art Director Moeen Din Associate Art Director Ella Jipescu Associate Art Director Ehsan Rahman Art Department Associate David Abramowitz Corporate Sales Lisa LiCausi Office Manager Rosemary Ray Accounting

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Office: 62-33 Woodhaven Blvd. Rego Park, NY 11374-7769 Phone: (718) 205-8000 Mail: P.O. Box 74-7769 Rego Park, NY 11374-7769 Fax: (718) 205-0150 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.queenschronicle.com

© Copyright 2011 by MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. All rights reserved. Neither this newspaper nor any part thereof may be reproduced, copied, or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, recording or by any information retrieval system without the express written permission of the publishers. This copyright is extended to the design and text created for advertisements. Reproduction of said advertisement or any part thereof without the express written permission of MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. is strictly prohibited. This pub-lication will not be responsible for errors in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Bylined articles represent the sole opinion of the writer and are not necessarily in accordance with the views of the QUEENS CHRONICLE. This Publication reserves the right to limit or refuse advertising it deems objectionable.The Queens Chronicle is published weekly by Mark I Publications, Inc. at a subscription rate of $19 per year and out of state, $25 per year. Periodicals Postage Paid (USPS0013-572) at Flushing, N.Y. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mark I Publications, Inc.,62-33 Woodhaven Boulevard, Rego Park, N.Y. 11374-7769.

• New York City Panorama ...................................5

• Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden ...........................6

• Noguchi Museum ..............................................7

• Rocket Park mini golf ........................................8

• Ethnic restaurants in Queens ............................9

• Steinway piano factory tour .............................10

• The Archives at Queens Library ......................10

• Fisher Landau Center for Art ...........................12

• Professionally led walking tours ......................14

• Max & Mina’s ice cream ..................................15

• Monthly poetry readings ..................................18

• Family Research Center ..................................18

• Self-guided tours of Victorian homes ..............19

• Neir’s Tavern ....................................................20

• Whale watching ...............................................22

• Junior’s Cafe ....................................................22

• VP Records ......................................................23

• Museum of Comedy ........................................24

• Turn the Page... Again .....................................26

• Richmond Hill Archival Museum ......................26

• Fort Tilden ........................................................27

• Houdini’s grave ................................................28

• Brookville Park .................................................28

• Armstrong House ............................................29

CONTENT

QUEENS CHRONICLE 33RD ANNIVERSARY

PHOTOS ON THE FRONT PAGE CLOCKWISE: ROCKET PARK MINI GOLF, STEINWAY PIANO, WHALE WATCHING, FORT TILDEN, BROOKVILLE PARK, NYC PANORAMA, NEIR’S TAVERN, BOHEMIAN HALL & BEER GARDEN AND NOGUCHI MUSEUM.

PHOTO CREDIT: COURTESY PHOTOS, MICHAEL GANNON AND PAULA NEUDORF; SUPPLEMENT EDITOR: LIZ RHOADES; DESIGN: ELLA JIPESCU; EDITORIAL LAYOUT: TERRY NUSSPICKEL

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CRYW-055787

by Liz RhoadesManaging Editor

T he Queens Museum of Art is filled withpaintings and other works of art, butthere’s nothing more compelling for

both out-of-towners and New Yorkers alikethan the Panorama.

The brainchild of Robert Moses that wasbuilt for the 1964-65 World’s Fair at FlushingMeadows Park, the New York City Panoramawas a very popular attraction, drawing 1,400people a day to its home in the New York CityPavilion. Visitors boarded simulated heli-copters for a nine-minute ride around themodel that included a piped-in narrative bybroadcaster/traveler Lowell Thomas about thewonders of the city.

Passengers entered the helicopter cars at theVerrazano Narrows. The cars rose two feet, justhigh enough to clear the model. As they flewover the city, the lighting changed to evening asplanes from the two airports flew overhead.

The model, which measures 180 by 100feet, was built to a scale of one inch to 100feet and included all 835,000 buildings,

streets, docks, bridges and airports in the city.Believed to be the world’s largest scale modelat the time, the Panorama took three years tocomplete, about as long as it takes to build amajor skyscraper.

The exhibit cost $672,662 to construct;today it would be more than $3 million. Theminiature buildings are made of wood or plas-tic and the 35 bridges are brass.

Moses envisioned the Panorama as a toolfor urban planners following the fair’s closing,but that never happened to any great extent. Itremained open to the public after the fairclosed and became a permanent installationwhen the art museum opened in 1974.

Today, the helicopters are long gone, but aramp system allows visitors to follow thesame route as they walk up and down anincline. Lights simulate daylight and darknessand the planes continue to fly.

The model was last updated in 1992 with65,000 additional buildings at a cost of $1million. Museum officials have decided tokeep the city as it was in 1992, including thenow-gone Elmhurst twin gas tanks off the

Long Island Expressway.But QMA Executive Director Tom Finkel-

pearl said that when the Freedom Tower inlower Manhattan is completed, the WorldTrade Center towers will be removed to reflecta new beginning.

As a way to raise money for the museumand update the Panorama, two years ago theQMA started an adopt-a-building program.Businesses and homeowners can now adopttheir buildings or houses. The cost rangesfrom $50 for an apartment or $250 for single-family houses to $10,000 for naming rights tolandmark buildings or new developments.

Participants get a deed from the museum

showing their ownership. Among the firstones to take part were the Mets, who paid fora model of Citi Field, and Borough PresidentHelen Marshall, who signed up for her EastElmhurst house.

The Panorama is a popular trip for schoolchildren and is used as a tool to learn geogra-phy, map reading and urban planning. Young-sters especially love to try to find their homesin the scale model.

The Queens Museum of Art is located offthe Grand Central Parkway. It is open Wednes-day through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.Admission is $5 for adults and $2.50 for chil-dren and seniors. There is free parking. Q

Part of the New York City Panorama, a scale model of all five boroughs at the Queens Museum ofArt. It was built for the 1964-65 World’s Fair. PHOTO COURTESY QMA

HIDDEN GEMS OF UEENSQ

A little piece ofheaven at QMANew York City Panorama gives abird’s eye view of five boroughs

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by Jason PafundiChronicle Contributor

The city’s oldest beer garden is not in Manhattan orBrooklyn, but right here in Queens.

For over 100 years, the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden at29-19 24 Ave. in Astoria has been serving up traditionalCzech and Slovak food and entertaining visitors from nearand far.

Opened in 1910, the venue is run by the Bohemian Citi-zens’ Benevolent Society of Astoria. It’s a fraternal organiza-tion dedicated to education and preserving Czech and Slovakcommunities in the area.

Think back 100 years when there was no air conditioningor television to entertain the masses. To beat the heat andrelax, residents throughout the city depended on beer gar-dens, where they could have a mug of suds, maybe listen tomusic and cool off under the trees in a park-like setting.

Today, the hall offers Sunday brunch, live music, ethnic fes-tivals and Saturday night poker, and hosts the Astoria Market,which is filled with handmade, vintage and baked goods Thenext market will be held on Sunday, Nov. 20 from 1 to 7 p.m.

“One of the best parts about living in Astoria is this place,”said Dan Adsit, who lives within walking distance. “Wesometimes come for brunch, we come to the market, and it’sa great place to have a beer with friends after work.”

Indeed the beer is a big reason so many people frequentthe Bohemian Hall. The menu features seven Czech and Slo-vak beers, along with ales from Belgium, Germany and theUnited States.

“Not a lot of places in the city, especially in Astoria, servethese beers,” said Izzy Frank, a Bayside resident, who meetsco-workers for drinks every Friday. “I happen to be a big fanof Brouczech beer, and this places serves it nice and cold.”

The food offerings are just as diverse as the beer. Tradi-tional Czech and Slovak dishes like roasted duck with redcabbage and dumplings and roasted ham with sauerkraut anddumplings are served alongside cheeseburgers, hot dogs andFrench fries.

“The menu is different than most bars and pubs we’vecome across,” said Kelly Martin, a teacher from Astoria.“My husband and I recently moved here from Virginia, so weare trying to eat at different places and eat different foods.This is definitely different and that’s a good thing.”

In addition to the hall and beer garden, the society runs aCzech and Slovak school intended for children ages 5-13.The program’s curriculum incorporates the Czech and Slovaknational standards for elementary schools to teach all aspectsof the two languages, including grammar, reading, writingand communication. There are culturally rich activities thatprovide students with opportunities to understand the funda-mentals of each country’s history, geography and ethniclifestyle. The program uses genuine Czech and Slovak text-books and materials to promote learning.

In the late 1800s, many Czech and Slovaks emigrated fromwhat was then Austria-Hungary and made their way to Ameri-ca. Some found a home in Astoria, and in 1892, the societywas formed, named after the medieval kingdom of Bohemia,which forms the western part of the modern-day CzechRepublic. In 1910, the society raised funds for a home for theCzech people in the community. Thus was born the BohemianHall. It’s such an important institution that Vaclav Havel, theformer Czech president, held a conference there in 2000.

The Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden is open Monday toThursday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m.,Saturday from noon to 3 a.m. and Sunday from noon to 1a.m. For more information, call (718) 274-4925. Q

Suds and more at Bohemian GardenIt maintains a unique status in the history of NYC beer establishments


Enjoying the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden last summer.PHOTO COURTESY BOHEMIAN BENEVOLENT SOCIETY

ANNIV page 7

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by Paula NeudorfAssociate Editor

I n a city teeming with millions,sometimes visiting a museumcan feel less like a way to soak

in some culture while ponderinglife’s mysteries, and more like asolo war waged against crowdsthat could have moonlighted withAttila the Hun’s hordes.

But not so at the NoguchiMuseum, nestled along LongIsland City’s waterfront on 33rdRoad, at Vernon Boulevard. One

of the only museums in New Yorkdedicated to the works of a singleartist — Isamu Noguchi — it’salso notable for its emphasis onsculpture. The building andgrounds of the museum itselfwere designed by Noguchi, andare a large part of its appeal.

“People have this sense of oasiswhen they get here,” said JennyDixon, the museum’s director.Describing the small garden onthe premises, Dixon said, “It’s avery peaceful, tranquil place tohang out.” Visitors are welcome tobring a book or just relax amidplants from New York and Japan,all chosen with care by Noguchi.

The famed sculptor was born inLos Angeles in 1904 to a Japan-ese father and American mother.His eclectic background — theartist lived in Japan until heturned 13, studied sculpture inParis as a Guggenheim Fellow inthe 1920s and eventually movedto New York during the Depres-sion — is reflected in his wide-ranging art. His sculpture includessmall pieces as well as large-scalepublic works. He designed sets forfamed dancer Martha Graham, aswell as gardens, playgrounds,

furniture and lighting, all in a dis-tinctive, minimalist style thatmade use of a broad range ofmaterials.

In 1960, Noguchi established astudio in Long Island City, at atime when very few people livedin the neighborhood and mostartists were flocking to SoHo.

“He came here because of theaccess to materials and workersand tools,” Dixon said. An artistwho was more than comfortablegoing against the grain, he envi-sioned Long Island City as an artscenter long before anyone else did.

Across the street from his stu-dio, “Noguchi looked at what was ajunkyard and a gas station,” Dixonexplained, “and conceived and con-sidered a museum.” It was estab-lished in 1986, two years before theartist died at the age of 84.

Today, the Noguchi is one ofseveral museums in a neighbor-hood with a thriving communityof artists. It devotes itself primari-ly to exhibiting works by itsnamesake from a considerablepermanent collection, and alsolooks to contextualize Noguchi’slegacy by promoting contempo-rary sculpture and design.

To that end, the museum, inpartnership with the SocratesSculpture Park, recently enlistedfour artist-led teams to craft urbandesigns that would allow LongIsland City to grow withoutdestroying its essential qualities, aproject called “Civic Action: AVision for Long Island City.”These proposals are now on viewat the Noguchi through April 22,and large-scale prototypes of thedesigns will be displayed at thenearby Sculpture Park next spring.

“There’s a wonderful texturehere that doesn’t exist in otherparts of the city,” Dixon said ofthe impetus for the show. Themuseum wants “to make sure thatit does remain a good place to be”for artists and residents.

The Noguchi Museum is locat-ed at 9-01 33rd Road. Hours:Wednesday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.,Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m.-6p.m. Tickets: general admission$10, students and seniors $5. Call(718) 204-7088.

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The museum features works by Isamu Noguchi. PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH FELICELLA

Artist, LIC’s legacy alive in museumThe Noguchi offers an oasis and more just steps off the beaten path

The Noguchi Museum, located in aquiet spot near the waterfront inLong Island City, offers a respite fromNew York’s crowds.

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Y ou don’t have to be a rocket scientistto enjoy the New York Hall of Sci-ence’s Rocket Park Mini Golf in

Flushing Meadows Park.The nine-hole course opened in 2009

and, although it costs extra to participate,the lessons learned are well worth it. Withtwo authentic NASA rockets looming inthe background, the mini golf courseshows that the same laws of motion andgravity that guide the path of a spaceshipalso control the motion of golf balls onEarth.

So, everyone learns a little science whilehaving fun whacking the ball at eachthemed hole.

Hole 1, an updated version of the tradi-tional windmill, delves into a spaceship’slaunch window of opportunity while Hole2 looks at escape velocity during blastoff.

Hole 3 examines zero gravity, whileHole 4 explores the Earth’s orbit. Othertopics include space docking, space junk,gravity whip, re-entry angle and splashdown. You’ll have to go there to find outthe details.

When the course opened two years ago,one of the first visitors was Bayside astro-

naut Ellen Baker, a physician who flew inspace three times. She called it a veryclever way to teach kids.

The outdoor area uses bright colors,popular in the 1960s when the World’s Fairran at Flushing Meadows Park in 1964 and1965. The Hall of Science building wasbuilt for that fair and then expanded later.

Kids and space buffs also love toexplore Rocket Park, which includes twogenuine NASA rockets that were installedas part of the World’s Fair.

One is a Titan II that stands 110 feet highand is topped with a fiberglass Gemini spacecapsule similar to those used at the beginningof the U.S. space program.

The 102-foot Atlas rocket features aMercury capsule model similar to the onethat carried astronaut John Glenn intospace in 1963. Both rockets were restoredin 2003 in a two-year project that cost $2million.

Admission to Rocket Park Mini Golf is$6 for adults and $5 for children andseniors. General admission to the HOS is$11 for adults and $8 for children andseniors.

The mini golf area is open April toDecember, weather permitting. Call forseasonal hours at (718) 699-0005. Q

Rocket Park Mini Golf at the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Park is a creative wayto teach science and entertain at the same time. PHOTO COURTESY NYHS

Using rocket science to make it through a nine-hole course


Out of this worldfun at mini golf

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by AnnMarie CostellaAssistant Editor

F or those who are tired of the standardburgers and fries, spaghetti dinnersor sandwiches, there are plenty of

eateries in Queens with unique fare to getyour taste buds tingling.

At the Himalayan Yak Restaurant inJackson Heights, one can find a wide vari-ety of Nepali, Tibetan, Indian andBhutanese dishes. As the eatery’s nameindicates, those include yak, a hard to findmeat, that is popular among diners andoften sells out, according to owner TsepakDorjee.

“It is close to beef, but it has 40 to 50percent less cholesterol,” Dorjee said.“The taste is different. I can’t reallydescribe it.”

Also on the menu is goat bhuttan,which is the liver, heart and stomach ofthe animal, stir fried with butter, greenchilies, onions, tomatoes and Nepaliherbs; and sandeko bandel, sliced roastedwild boar served with lemon sauce andSichuan pepper.

“If you want to try something new, thisis the best place you could go,” Dorjeesaid. “Most of our customers love to haveexotic food.”

The restaurant offers an all-you-can-eatbuffet for $9.99 on weekends from noon to4 p.m., and the dishes vary from week toweek. There is live music, both traditionaland western, Thursday through Mondayfrom 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., which Dorjee saidhis customers really enjoy.

“They have a good time,” he said. “Theyspend sometimes three or four hours here.They eat. They drink. They dance.”

The Himalyan Yak Restaurant is locatedat 72-20 Roosevelt Ave. and is open Mon-day through Thursday from noon to 11p.m. and Friday through Sunday from noonto midnight. It can be reached at (718)779-1119.

The Oneness-Fountain-Heart vegetarianrestaurant in Flushing provides “a peacefuloasis where you can enjoy food that nour-ishes body, heart and soul.” Relaxingmusic plays in the background at theeatery, which is painted light blue and fea-tures simple, white tables and chairs. Thetrickle of a decorative fountain adds to thetranquility in the relatively small space.

The menu features a wide range of“veggie-meats and fish” that substitute forduck, lamb, chicken, ham, shrimp and codalong with other vegan choices, fresh sal-ads and an assortment of desserts.

The restaurant, established in 1998, isdedicated to meditation teacher Sri Chin-moy, who died in 2007. His pictures andteachings are displayed throughout theeatery which is owned and operated by hisstudents.

The Oneness-Fountain-Heart is locatedat 157-19 72 Ave. and is open every dayexcept Wednesday. On Monday, Tuesdayand Thursday its hours are 11:30 a.m. to 9p.m.; on Friday and Saturday from 11:30a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; and on Sunday from10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. It can be reached at(718) 591-3663.

At Sik Gaek Chun Ha, a Korean restau-rant with locations in Flushing and Wood-side, you can order an octopus dish calledsan-nakji, but be forewarned its feistierthan your average serving of cephalopod.Killed just before it is served, its tentaclesare chopped into pieces and put on a plate

while still moving. “With a little bit of oil

and plenty of vegetables,let a[n] octopus dance onthe hot plate,” the eaterysays on its website.

The restaurant alsoserves beef intestinessoup; pork belly cartilagestir fry; marinated seasnails with noodles; andspicy chicken feet, amongother fare.

Sik Gaek Chun Ha islocated at 161-29Crocheron Ave. in Flush-ing, which can be reachedat (718) 321-7770; and at49-11 Roosevelt Ave, inWoodside, which can bereached at (718) 205-4555. They are open

every day from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.Established in 1993, the Temple Can-

teen in Flushing feeds thousands of cus-tomers every week, offering vegetarian

Indian cuisine at reasonable prices. It ispart of the Hindu Temple Society of NorthAmerica and is located in the basement ofits community center.

“We have a huge, extensive menu,” saidYuma Mysorekar, president of the temple.“If they don’t know what they want, weexplain to them what the food is and theingredients.”

Customers place their orders and aregiven numbers, which are called when thefood is ready. All the meals are made freshto order and the spiciness level can beadjusted to suit a customer’s taste.

“It’s very inexpensive,” Mysorekarsaid. “An average meal is about $5 or$6 and you get a good, heavy, sumptu-ous meal.”

The item that is most surprising topatrons, according to Mysorekar, is thepaper dosa, a kind of thin pancake madefrom rice batter and black lentils, whichcan be stuffed with a number of fillingsincluding potatoes, onions and othervegetables.

“It is at least a foot or a foot and a halflong,” Mysorekar said. “It’s beautiful andvery tasty.”

The Temple Canteen is open daily from8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is located at 143-09Holly Ave. It can be reached at (718) 460-8493. “It’s like an all-day picnic,”Mysorekar said. “The more, the merrier.” Q

ANNIV page 9

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The tranquil ambience of the Oneness-Fountain-Heart restaurantperfectly compliments it’s light vegetarian dishes.

One can find both traditional and exotic cuisine at the Himalyan Yak Restaurant in Jackson Heights.PHOTOS BY ANNMARIE COSTELLA

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by Kasey Schefflin-EmrichChronicle Contributor

E ach one takes nine months to cre-ate, much like a baby, and alsomuch like a person, looks differ-

ent from the next one but has much thesame interior mechanisms.

These are the finely crafted Stein-way pianos, made in Astoria, at theonly factory in Queens that offers toursto the public.

The 19th-century factory is occupiedby skilled artisans who handcraft eachinstrument. Since 1853, Steinway &Sons has been known for setting anunsurpassed standard for sound andbeauty. Founded by German immigrantHenry Steinway, the facility adheres tomany of the same methods passed downfrom previous generations.

“It’s a hand-built recipe that hasstayed the course,” said Michael Anesta,who leads many of the fascinating pub-lic tours. Each excursion leads visitorsthrough four floors, giving a look ateach step of the piano-making process,from creating the frame to tuning thekeys. An estimated 1,100 instrumentswill be produced by the shop this year.

Work on a piano begins with the con-struction of a curved outer shape,called the rim, made by gluing approxi-mately 16 layers of maple together and

bending the bundle in a metal press toform the piano-shaped structure. Thistechnique was developed by the companyand according to Anesta, any pianoother than a Steinway made over thelast 150 years is basically a copy, withregards to its shape.

Not that there are many; 98 percentof pianos used in concerts in NorthAmerica are made in the Astoria facto-ry, he said.

After staying in the press for one day,the rim spends 56 days drying before thenext step in production. Meanwhile,workers construct the structural elementsof the piano, including the soundboardand the keys. After the rim is set to go, itgoes to the “belly department,” whereworkers custom-fit the musical compo-nents into the structure.

The strings, for example, are wrappedaround pin blocks and on a cast ironplate, which support the tension. Eachday about four pianos are strung.

The last step is installing the keysand the mechanisms that make themproduce sound into place, and thenensuring the piano’s sound is flawless.Tuners tweak the keys to see that theyare the same height and go up anddown at the same speed.

Other details that go into the pianoinclude applying coats of lacquer and

satin finishes. Despite the outer appear-ance of the instruments, Anesta saidthey are identical within.

“They are exactly the same insidewith regards to the size, color, and fin-ish,” he said.

After roughly nine months, each pianois ready, made up of 12,000 individualcomponents.

“It’s twice as many as an automobile,”Anesta said. Anesta encourages people totake the tour because it is a rare opportunity.“You can’t see this anywhere else,” he said,noting that the factory is already booked upuntil next year. “People think it’s DisneyWorld,” the guide added.

The tours are offered on Tuesdaysfrom 9:30 a.m. to noon. Reservationsare required and should be made well inadvance. To make a reservation call(718) 721-2600.

“Our factory tour follows the processof making a piano literally from stacks oflumber in the yard to a complete piano inour shipping department,” said AnthonyGilroy, director of Marketing and Com-munications at Steinway & Sons.

“Even for someone who doesn’t playthe piano, anyone who takes a factorytour to see how our majestic instru-ments are built will leave with a newappreciation of what goes into making aSteinway.” Q

After nine months it’s a SteinwayPiano maker is the only factory in Queens that offers public tours


Workers at the Steinway Factory place layers of compressedwood into a rim press, giving a piano its familiar shape.

PHOTO COURTESY STEINWAY & SONS

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Ever wonder what your neighborhood looked like100 years ago? You can easily find out by heading overto the Archives at the Queens Central Library inJamaica.

The Archives, formerly known as the Long IslandDivision, include a plethora of documents and records,related to the history and development of Queens aswell as the other three counties that comprise LongIsland geographically — Brooklyn, Nassau, and Suf-folk. These materials include books, periodicals, manu-scripts, newspaper clippings, photographs and maps.

The division, created in 1912 to house special collec-tions, is well-known by scholars and genealogists, butnot necessarily by the average Queens resident.

“It’s a hidden treasure,” declared Queens Libraryspokeswoman Joanne King, who has worked for thelibrary system for 15 years. “It’s amazing to see howmuch Queens developed,” King said, adding that she issurprised at how much the ethnic demographics of cer-tain areas have changed over time.

While the department has been given some exposurein the past, King believes it is sure to receive much morein the coming year. In January the division will be cele-brating its centennial.

The facility also allows people to trace their ancestry,f ind a former classmate in a high school yearbook,learn about prominent individuals in Queen, and gatherinformation about a specific community or buildingthrough the use of Sanborn maps. The latter are themost common sources visitors use, according to Librar-ian Ian Lewis.

Sanborn maps, first created in 1867, are large-scale

visual representations of cities and towns made for theinitial purpose of assessing fire insurance liabilities.These maps show detailed information about buildingsand structures, including even the locations of win-dows and doors.

“People use them for legal reasons,” said Lewis, whohas been with the Archives since July 2009. “Either theywant to show proof that something existed or want tomake changes to property.”

Photographs are another popular feature of the divi-sion, with people wanting to find images of the old daysfor birthday parties and high school reunions.

Sometimes, researchers just come to get a glimpseinto what life was like during a certain period of time.King said they often get visits from novelists who arewriting a story set during a specific era and need toknow how people lived then.

Whatever the reason someone comes in, the main goalof the room is constant.

“Our primary mission is to preserve public memory,and [the] Archives will continue to make resources avail-able to future generations,” King said.

The staff is now working on digitizing all the informa-tion, which King said will take years. Grace DeSagun, animage technician, said they are using an overhead digitalcamera and a book scanner, both funded through a grant.

But, that is not to say the material in the room will beeliminated in the future.

“It will be more widely available, for people who can’tbe physically here,” King said.

Lewis thinks making the information accessible on the webwill actually encourage people to visit the room in person.

“It’s a promotional tool to get people to come here,”he said.

The Queens Central Library is located at 89-11 MerrickBlvd. in Jamaica. Library hours are Monday, Wednesday,Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday from 1 to 9p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.

It is open to all individuals, even non Queens residents. Q

History comes alive inside The ArchivesResearch division at Central Library makes it easy to look back in time

Copies of the Sanborn maps at The Archives in the CentralLibrary allow visitors to explore their neighborhood andbuildings from the past. PHOTO BY KASEY SCHEFFLIN-EMRICH


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I f you’re looking for a greatest hits collection of modernart, you could do no better than to visit the Museum ofModern Art in Manhattan. But if you want a lovingly and

expertly assembled mix tape of the same, think about head-ing instead to the Fisher Landau Center for Art.

On display at the Long Island City museum, open since1989, are revolving exhibits of highlights from Emily FisherLandau’s 1,500-piece collection. Landau, who is still collect-ing at age 91, has been going strong for the last severaldecades. In the 1980s, she became something of a championof contemporary art, a role she plays to this day.

The center, which charges no admission, “islike a gift,” said Nicholas Arbatsky, the muse-um’s director. “Ms. Landau’s trying to do some-thing for the art community, for the local com-munity.”

Among the many works in her collection areover 40 pieces by Jasper Johns and 18 by RobertRauschenberg. The number of famous artistsrepresented is astonishing: Kiki Smith, MatthewBarney, Sherrie Levine, Robert Mapplethorpe,Keith Haring, Barbara Kruger, the list goes onand on.

“She’s concentrated on many things,”Arbatsky said. “It’s been a pretty wild journeyfor her.”

Now on view at the museum are selectedpieces out of a total 367 that Landau is giving tothe Whitney Museum of American Art. Thesecan be seen by appointment only until Dec. 4,because the center is busy installing its nextexhibition, a solo show of painting and sculptureby Donald Baechler.

The opening reception for the Baechler exhibit, which willrun through April 1, 2012, is on Dec. 10, from 2 to 5 p.m.

And always on the horizon is the Columbia UniversityMaster of Fine Arts show, during which graduate art studentsdisplay their work, later in the spring.

“It’s a good contrast to our openings,” Arbatsky said of theColumbia shows. “There are literally thousands of peoplehere ... [and] the demographic gets about 20 years younger.”

Regardless of your age, visiting the Fisher Landau is alovely experience. From outside, the unassuming building, on30th Street between 38th and 39th avenues, gives no hint as

to what’s inside. But enter, and you’re greated with airy, light-filled rooms and a friendly staff. A complete lack of text nextto any of the works — handouts with descriptions are avail-able instead — encourages a more relaxed approach to takingit all in. This is a great stop on any tour of the area, and a des-tination in its own right.

The Fisher Landau Center for Art, located at 38-27 30 St.in Long Island City, is open Thursday to Monday, noon to 5p.m., from Dec. 11 on. Through Dec. 4, visitors can view byappointment only. Call (718) 937-0727 for more information.Admission is free.

Q

Works from “Legacy,” a gift Landau is giving to the Whitney. From left, “City ofMan” (1981) and “Diderot’s Last Resort” (1994) by Richard Artschwager;“Two Languages (Begin)” (1989) by John Baldessari; and “Untitled [Pledge]”(1988) by Barbara Kruger, on display at the Fisher Landau Center for Art.

PHOTO COURTESY FISHER LANDAU CENTER FOR THE ARTS

A visitor and one of Francois-Xavier Lalanne’s bronze “Troupeaude Moutons” (“Flock of Sheep,” 1977) take in the sculpture“City” (1989), by Jon Kessler, which has been promised to theWhitney Museum of American Art. PHOTO BY PAULA NEUDORF

Museum offers singular visionAt Fisher Landau, Emily Landau’s modern art collection is free to all

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St. Michael’s Cemetery72-02 Astoria Boulevard • East Elmhurst, NY

Tel: 718.278.3240 • Fax: 718.278.2168

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U.S. MARINE CORPS RESERVEU.S. MARINE CORPS RESERVE

St. Michael’s Cemetery72-02 Astoria Boulevard • East Elmhurst, NY 11370

Tel: 718.278.3240 • Fax: 718.278.2168

Sponsored by Th e Queens Gazette, St. Francis Of Assissi Elementary School, Farenga & Sons Funeral Home,

Th omas Quinn & Sons Funeral Home, Variety Boys & Girls Club and Central Astoria LDC.

St.Michael’s renews last year’s eff orts to make the upcomingHoliday Season joyful for needy children.

On Saturday, December 10th at 2 P.M.within All Souls Chapel,

the United States Marines will collect presentsto be distributed to children across the metro area.

YOUR AID IS NEEDED!At this time of economic pain it is up to us

to make the Holidays a time of Joy for children.Christmas songs by Hank Johnson of Jazz Bone Records,

Michael Serao, VP. of Quontic Bank, Costa Constantinides, Democratic District Leader and Councilmember Peter Vallone, Jr.

For further information contact Ed Horn.Phone: 718.278.3240 • Fax: 718.278.2168

by Anna GustafsonSenior Editor

L ong after the sun has set and darknessfalls on Roosevelt Avenue, residents fromall pockets of the city have begun to

explore the streets of western Queens that teemwith vendors serving up dishes of pork andpineapple or cubed beef in a wine sauce, usual-ly to lines of hungry residents just returninghome from long hours at their service jobs.

“Every place we go to on the midnight touris a hidden gem,” said Jeff Orlick, a 29-year-old Woodside resident who leads this group ofurban explorers on his newly created “mid-night street crawls.”

These crawls are expeditions for the adven-turous, people who want to venture into aplace — around Roosevelt Avenue from about90th to 111th streets — that Orlick calls “thewild west for foodies.”

The number of tours in Queens is a long list— and for good reason. From the food cartsmanned, or, perhaps more accurately, wom-anned, by immigrants from places like Puebla,Mexico and Quito, Ecuador, to Orthodoxneighborhoods in Kew Gardens Hills andchurches that helped Flushing become abooming black community long beforeHarlem, there are a nearly endless number ofplaces that residents can explore on toursgiven by people who have had long loveaffairs with this borough.

Orlick originally started giving informalfood tours when he moved to Woodside andwanted to meet others who enjoyed explor-ing the cultures of Queens through food —especially since many of his friends wouldn’tmake the subway trek from Manhattan orBrooklyn. In September, he started leadingthem professionally.

Individuals can book the midnight streetcrawls for $48 on Saturday or Sunday nightsbeginning at 9 or 10 p.m. He’s also offering“tastes of the world” tour, on which residentswill eat their way through Little Manila inWoodside, make stops at Tibetan joints inJackson Heights and dive into Ecuadorianand Colombian places along the way.

“Food is an expression of culture, and onthese tours, there’s an amazing display of cul-ture,” Orlick said.

Jack Eichenbaum, the borough’s officialhistorian who has a PhD in urban geographyand has led tours of the borough fordecades, offers tours that explore everythingfrom the Victorian mansions in RichmondHill to Flushing’s history as a haven for reli-gious expression.

“Many of the people who come are

unfamiliar with those areas,” Eichenbaumsaid. “Just as there’s a Manhattan overflowinto Queens, to places like Sunnyside andLong Island City, finally people in Manhattanare becoming interested in other boroughs.”

Eichenbaum, a Flushing native who tem-porarily left Queens in the 1970s for a teach-ing gig at the University of Washington inSeattle, began to offer tours for visiting acad-emics not long after he returned to Queens

From food carts to old rail lines, tours for allExpeditions allow residents to explore boro’s nooks and crannies


continued on page 30

Jack Eichenbaum leads a tour that includedstops at Victorian homes in Richmond Hill.

COURTESY PHOTO

Residents gather outside a food truck on a midnight food tour led by Jeff Orlick. COURTESY PHOTO

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I n a world of big-box corporate stores andnational franchises, a tiny ice cream shopon Main Street in Kew Gardens Hills still

stands tall.Max & Mina’s, located at 71-26 Main St.,

is a family-owned store and wholesale busi-ness known for its adventurous and oftenwild flavors.

“Our main goal is for people to expandtheir taste boundaries and not limit them-selves on the basic ice creams,” said BruceBecker, who owns the store with his brother,Mark.

The business, according to Becker, isbased on family recipes. Their grandfather,Max, was an organic chemist and oftendeveloped different flavors of ice cream forthe two brothers to try as children.

“He was able to break down properties,and he made some funky stuff for us askids,” Becker said. “He basically just threw abunch of stuff in there. He had no bound-aries.”

Their grandfather’s recipe book, whichBecker kept in a safety deposit box for over adecade before looking at it, served as thebasis of the business the brothers would startand name after their grandparents years lateras adults.

Becker said the number of similar icecream businesses across the country andbeing called “the future of ice cream” by theTravel Channel are testaments to the hardwork he and his brother have put into theoperation.

“Now you can go to almost every city,every state and you’ll f ind a quaint icecream manufacturer making somethingthat’s different and brings a different tasteto the table,” he said. “When we starteddoing it, we had no idea that it wouldmorph into this.”

Becker said that they are always lookingto bring new tastes to the market, andmentioned apple cobbler, pumpkin rumcake, caramel apple and candy apple assome of their latest offerings.

The ice cream is kosher and some of themore unusual flavors they’ve featured includelox, sweet and spicy Cajun, wasabi, beer andcarmel nuts, corn on the cob and pizza.

As much success as they have had sell-ing ice cream from the store, Becker saidthe majority of their business comes fromwholesaling. The f irm has provided icecream for companies and events all overthe city, including movie premieres andcorporate parties.

“We sell to Bloomingdales, Dylan’sCandy Bar, burger places and steakhouses,”he said. “Our taste isn’t just confined to[Queens]. Wholesaling provides a lot moreice cream to people than the store.”

According to Becker, despite the dismaleconomic climate, the store hasn’t seen toomuch of a downturn in business.

“We’re sort of bucking the trend,” hesaid. “We have a customer base fromeverywhere.”

Becker said that because his business isselling ice cream from a store and alsowholesaling, it changes the equation.

“A lot of people arestruggling out there andsmall businesses are reallyhaving a hard time, butwe’re sort of the excep-tion,” he said. “If we werejust selling to the public,we would be struggling.”

Becker said that in thiseconomy, a lot of familybusinesses have beeneliminated, so “when yousee a first-generation fam-ily enterprise stay togetherand then become a sec-ond-generation business,it’s a testament [to all thework].”

His children and hisnephews, he said, enjoyworking at the store. “AndI feel the same love to bearound it as they do.”

He noted that the busi-ness is outgrowing itsspace in Flushing and that“when the time comes, wewill look and evaluate whatthe next step will be.”

Store hours continuingthrough the winter, nowin effect, are noon to 8p.m. Sunday throughThursday. Q

Bruce Becker, who co-founded Max & Mina’s ice cream with hisbrother, Mark, in their Kew Gardens Hills shop. The brothersspecialize in unusual flavors. COURTESY PHOTO

A little shop withbig flavor in QueensEverybody screams for Max andMinna’s ice cream on Main Street


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Queens Library has

Use Queens Library computers for the

Internet, or bring your own laptop for free wireless access.

Replacement of a lost library card is subject to a fee.

Sign up for your

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Computer access is free for Queens Library card holders.

Queens Library is an independent, not-for-profit corporation and is not affiliated with any other library system.QUEL-056002


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LIBRARY ADDRESS PHONE (718) *PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION = subway = bus

Central Library 89-11 Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica 11432 990-0700 F Across from the Jamaica bus terminalChildren’s Library Discovery Center 89-11 Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica 11432 990-0767 F Across from the Jamaica bus terminalArverne 312 Beach 54 Street, Arverne 11692 634-4784 A Q22Astoria 14-01 Astoria Boulevard, Astoria 11102 278-2220 N, Q Q18, Q19, Q69, Q102, Q103Auburndale 25-55 Francis Lewis Boulevard, Flushing 11358 352-2027 Q16, Q76, Q31Baisley Park 117-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica 11436 529-1590 Q6 Alternates: Q7, Q111, Q113Bay Terrace 18-36 Bell Boulevard, Bayside 11360 423-7004 Q13, Q28Bayside 214-20 Northern Boulevard, Bayside 11361 229-1834 LIRR Q12, Q13, Q31, Bellerose 250-06 Hillside Avenue, Bellerose 11426 831-8644 Q43, Q79Briarwood 85-12 Main Street, Briarwood 11435 658-1680 F Q20A, Q20B, Q44, Q60 Broad Channel 16-26 Cross Bay Boulevard, Broad Channel 11693 318-4943 A, S Q21, Q53 Broadway 40-20 Broadway, Long Island City 11103 721-2462 M, R Q101, Q104Cambria Heights 218-13 Linden Boulevard, Cambria Heights 11411 528-3535 Q4, Q27, Q77Corona 38-23 104 Street, Corona 11368 426-2844 7 Q23, Q48Court Square 25-01 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City 11101 937-2790 E, G, M, 7 B61, Q19A, Q39Douglaston/Little Neck 249-01 Northern Boulevard, Little Neck 11363 225-8414 LIRR Q12, N20/21East Elmhurst 95-06 Astoria Boulevard, East Elmhurst 11369 424-2619 Q19, Q49, Q72East Flushing 196-36 Northern Boulevard, Flushing 11358 357-6643 Q12, Q13, Q76Elmhurst* 86-01 Broadway, Elmhurst 11373 271-1020 M, R Q29, Q53, Q58, Q59, Q60Far Rockaway 1637 Central Avenue, Far Rockaway 11691 327-2549 A, LIRR N31, N32, N33, Q22, Q113Flushing 41-17 Main Street, Flushing 11355 661-1200 7, LIRR Q12, Q17, Q19, Q25, Q27, Q34, Q44, Q66, QBx1Forest Hills 108-19 71 Avenue, Forest Hills 11375 268-7934 E, F, M, R Q23, Q60, Q64Fresh Meadows 193-20 Horace Harding Expressway, Fresh Meadows 11365 454-7272 Q17, Q30, Q88Glen Oaks 256-04 Union Turnpike, Glen Oaks 11004 831-8636 Q46Glendale 78-60 73 Place, Glendale 11385 821-4980 Q55 Hillcrest 187-05 Union Turnpike, Flushing 11366 454-2786 Q17, Q46 Hollis 202-05 Hillside Avenue, Hollis 11423 465-7355 Q1, Q36, Q43, Q76, Q77Howard Beach 92-06 156 Avenue, Howard Beach 11414 641-7086 Q11, Q21, Q41Jackson Heights 35-51 81 Street, Jackson Heights 11372 899-2500 7 Q19B, Q32, Q33, Q66Kew Gardens Hills 72-33 Vleigh Place, Flushing 11367 261-6654 Q20A, Q20B, Q44, Q64Langston Hughes 100-01 Northern Boulevard, Corona 11368 651-1100 7 Q23, Q66, Q72Laurelton 134-26 225 Street, Laurelton 11413 528-2822 Q5 Lefferts 103-34 Lefferts Boulevard, Richmond Hill 11419 843-5950 A Q8, Q10, Q112Lefrak City 98-30 57th Avenue, Corona 11368 592-7677 M, R Q38, Q72, Q88, QM10, QM11Long Island City 37-44 21 Street, Long Island City 11101 752-3700 F Q66, Q69, Q101, Q102, Q103Maspeth 69-70 Grand Avenue, Maspeth 11378 639-5228 Q18, Q58, Q59, Q67McGoldrick 155-06 Roosevelt Avenue, Flushing 11354 - off Northern Blvd. 461-1616 Q13, Q28Middle Village 72-31 Metropolitan Avenue, Middle Village 11379 326-1390 M Q29, Q38, Q54Mitchell-Linden 29-42 Union Street, Flushing 11354 539-2330 Q16, Q20A/Q20B, Q44North Forest Park 98-27 Metropolitan Avenue, Forest Hills 11375 261-5512 Q23, Q54North Hills 57-04 Marathon Parkway, Little Neck 11362 225-3550 Q30 Ozone Park 92-24 Rockaway Boulevard, Ozone Park 11417 845-3127 A Q7, Q8, Q11, Q21, Q41, Q53, Q112Peninsula 92-25 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Rockaway Beach 11693 634-1110 A Shuttle Q21, Q22, Q53Pomonok 158-21 Jewel Avenue, Flushing 11365 591-4343 Q25, Q34, Q64, Q65, Q74Poppenhusen 121-23 14 Avenue, College Point 11356 359-1102 Q20A, Q20B, Q25, Q65Queens Village 94-11 217 Street, Queens Village 11428 776-6800 LIRR Q1, Q27, Q36, Q88Queensboro Hill 60-05 Main Street, Flushing 11355 359-8332 Q20A, Q20B, Q44, Q74, Q88Rego Park 91-41 63 Drive, Rego Park 11374 459-5140 M, R Q11, Q38, Q53, Q60, Q72Richmond Hill 118-14 Hillside Avenue, Richmond Hill 11418 849-7150 J, Z Q10, Q55, Q56Ridgewood 20-12 Madison Street, Ridgewood 11385 821-4770 M B13, B20, Q39, Q58Rochdale Village 169-09 137 Avenue, Jamaica 11434 723-4440 Q3, Q85, Q111, Q113Rosedale 144-20 243 Street, Rosedale 11422 528-8490 LIRR Q85, Q111 St. Albans 191-05 Linden Boulevard, St. Albans 11412 528-8196 Q3, Q4 Seaside 116-15 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Rockaway Park 11694 634-1876 A, S Q21, Q22, Q35, Q53South Hollis 204-01 Hollis Avenue, South Hollis 11412 465-6779 Q2, Q77 South Jamaica 108-41 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, Jamaica 11433 739-4088 Q111, Q113South Ozone Park 128-16 Rockaway Boulevard, South Ozone Park 11420 529-1660 Q7, Q9, Q10Steinway 21-45 31 Street, Astoria 11105 728-1965 N, Q M60, Q69, Q100Sunnyside 43-06 Greenpoint Avenue, Long Island City 11104 784-3033 7 B24, Q32, Q39, Q60Whitestone 151-10 14 Road, Whitestone 11357 767-8010 Q15, Q15A, Q76 Windsor Park 79-50 Bell Boulevard, Bayside 11364 468-8300 Q46 Woodhaven 85-41 Forest Parkway, Woodhaven 11421 849-1010 J Q56Woodside 54-22 Skillman Avenue, Woodside 11377 429-4700 7 Q18, Q32, Q60

* Queens Library at Elmhurst will be closed effective November 7, 2011 to build a new library. The closest libraries are: Jackson Heights, Lefrak City and Rego Park.

* Transportation routes subject to change without notice. Mobility Accessible Partially Mobility Accessible Free Wireless Internet Access

THERE’S A QUEENS LIBRARY LOCATED NEAR YOU

4437-10/11


by Michael GannonAssociate Editor

Iris Zamora was interested in genealogy long beforeshe even knew what it was. “I began interviewing mygrandparents when I was 8 years old,” Zamora said. Nowshe heads up a group of volunteers at the FamilyResearch Center at 40-24 62nd St. in Rego Park.

It is run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter DaySaints, or the Mormon Church, and is dedicated to help-ing others to write books or trace their family trees.

“I was interested long before I joined the church,” shesaid. “It was a natural fit, because the church believesthat the family is eternal. Preservation of family is veryimportant to us. We’re happy to help people, to give

anybody the opportunity to look through records to findtheir families.”

She said they cater to people working on family booksor family trees, historians and other researchers. “Somepeople may be looking for family medical histories orlooking into legal matters,” Zamora said.

Their building on 62nd Street has a history of its own.The Bulova Watch Co. had it built, along with surround-ing buildings and recreational facilities, in the 1940s.

It housed a program to train men returning fromWorld War II who looking for work in the art of watch-making. A bronze plaque in the main research room is anaward for architecture presented to Bulova in 1945.

The center houses rolls of microfilm and microfiche,and the machines to look through them. Researchers areable to obtain records for local residents for a cost of$5.50. They also have computers on site, and offer freeassistance to those who would like to do their ownresearch at home on their own computers.

Zamora’s family actually found some interesting rootson its own tree.

“When I married my husband, we had heard stories ofa man named Juan de Zamora who was a conquistador,”she said. They found out her husband is descended fromSpanish royalty.

“It isn’t really a lot, but it is good for conversations,”she explained.

The center is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday andThursday; 1 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays; and 11:30 a.m. to 3p.m. on Saturdays. It can be reached by telephone at(718) 478-5337. Q

A (family) tree grows in QueensMormon-operated center provides keys to personal, family histories

Iris Zamora of the Family Research Center in Rego Park, at one of the nearly 20 stations where people can look up and trace theirfamily histories. The center and ones like it around the world are a major part of the mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints, also known as the Mormon Church. PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON

by Jason PafundiManaging Editor

W hen Susan Yang came to the Unit-ed States from China in 1989, oneof the things she was most look-

ing forward to was the opportunity toexpress herself freely, a freedom notallowed under Communist Chinese rule.

The way Yang, 49, chose to take advan-tage of that freedom was through poetryand more than 20 years later, she is stillwriting and reading poems. That passion ison display 11 times a year at the FreshMeadows Barnes & Noble at 176-60Union Turnpike, where Yang hosts amonthly poetry open-mic night.

The readings are held on the secondMonday of each month from 7:30 to 9p.m., except December, and are open toanyone who wants to read.

“Every time is a different crowd, some-times as big as 50 people,” she said.“Sometimes we have groups of students,sometimes groups of Spanish poets. Wehave a variety of different people, differentstyles and different participation from alldifferent cultures.”

As host, Yang reads her own poetry as away to encourage first-time readers, whoshe said are shy and unsure of the qualityof their writing.

“Some people have never read in publicbefore,” she said. “They call themselves‘closet poets’ and they need a lot ofencouragement.”

Yang is especially thankful to the book-store for providing space and the opportunity

to host this event, and though it is open toanyone who wants to read or listen, there isone rule — no profanity.

“There are poets who want to freelyexpress themselves with profanity, but theycan’t do it here,” she said. “This is a rule wehave to obey, especially because there areoften children who come to the readings.”

Despite the jitters of first-time readersand the randomness of the audience, Yangsaid there is always a poem that stands outduring each program.

“Every time I host this event there isalways someone who reads an amazingpoem,” she said. “I ask them to send me acopy of the poem so I can read it again andagain and again.”

The poet said there are so many peoplewho don’t know that they have amazingtalent and that it is a “great bond to sharethis kind of passion with a total stranger.”

Yang said that though it’s easy to tellthat most of the poets are beginners, they“write from the heart and it’s very touchingto hear people’s raw material. Nobody isan expert in poetry because it is a freestyle.”

Her birth name is Xia and she came tothe United States after the TiananmenSquare uprising. She said she gave up animportant government job in China tocome here.

Now, Yang works as a real estate brokerand massage therapist.

“I’d probably have a lot of power now inChina,” Yang said. “I’d probably be as cor-rupt as other government officials, but I

don’t regret anything. I don’t have thepower I’d have [in China], but I have free-dom and choice.”

She hopes to eventually build up enoughinterest from the local community toincrease the frequency of the event.

“A lot of people don’t realize that they

can benefit from just listening to poetry,”Yang said. “It’s a great way to just feelinspired.”

For more information about the read-ings, those interested should contact Yangat susanthewinner @gmail.com or call(718) 454-6868. Q

Chinese poet Yang offers poetry nightsMonthly sessions reflect freedom she sought in the United States


Susan Yang, left, hosts monthy poetry readings in Fresh Meadows. With her is poet Huang Ziang,who spoke at a recent session. COURTESY PHOTO

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W alking down the streets of northernRichmond Hill, it’s easy to believeyou’ve gone back to a time when car-

riages jostled around the neighborhood and men intop hats and women in long skirts spent their Sun-day afternoons in Forest Park.

Massive Victorian homes, almost doll houselikewith their wraparound porches and turrets, line thestreets marked by giant oak and chestnut trees,their leaves now exploding into colors almost asvibrant as the houses around them.

For residents used to the borough’s many gar-den apartment complexes or the unremarkablemid-century two-story dwellings that dominatemany neighborhoods, a stroll around RichmondHill will help to awaken the inner architect.

There are a number of tours easy for residentsto take on their own — all you’ll need is a pair ofwalking shoes and some time to gaze at the neigh-borhood’s homes, many of which are in the QueenAnne mode. The houses are large, spacious struc-tures that were built in an elaborate style unveiledat the Great Centennial World’s Fair in Philadel-phia in 1876.

Richmond Hill, once a rural haven dominatedby farms, began to develop after the railroad sta-tion opened at the intersection of Hillside Avenueand Babbage Street. Its population continued togrow when the elevated train line came toJamaica Avenue.

The houses that began to pop up in the neigh-borhood around the turn of the century were, andremain, characterized by expansive verandas,balconies on the upper floors and towers toppedby finials.

The homes are so unique that many north Rich-mond Hill residents have long lobbied for the areato be landmarked, though the city’s Landmarks

In Richmond Hill, a glance back in timeOn neighborhood tours, residents can explore area’s Victorian homes


continued on page 30This home at 108th Street and 86th Avenue is representative of many of the old,beautiful homes that line the streets in north Richmond Hill. PHOTOS BY ANNA GUSTAFSON

Many of the houses from the turn of the 20th centuryinclude large porches and towers.

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Congratulationsto the Queens Chronicle on the auspicious

occasion of your 33rd Anniversary.I wish you many more years of success inenlightening readers and performing theimportant responsibility of informing the

public about matters of community interest.

CouncilmanPeter A. Koo20th District

135-27 38th Ave., Suite 388Flushing, NY 11354718.888.8747Fax: 718.888.0331

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– Paid for by Friends for Peter Koo –

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F rom the outside, Neir’s Tavern couldbe just the saloon it was built to be182 years ago — a watering hole up

top and a stable below, tucked into the cor-ner of 78th Street and 88th Avenue.

But go inside, and it is a remarkablestudy in contrasts.

The long, classic mahogany bar, tin ceil-ings and fine, hand-crafted woodwork pro-vide a stalwart salute to the history of thebar and its Woodhaven neighborhood.

But the old gaslamps above the barwere long ago retrofit-ted for electric wiring.The back of the roomwhere a young MaeWest used to performnow hosts poetry read-ings, open mike nightsand a karaoke machine.

And while they stillsell the same whiskeyand pints of beer served to the likes of W.C.Fields and Fred Trump (The Donald’sfather), those glasses now are complement-ed by Buffalo wings and culinary concoc-tions from Chef Daniel LaRosa whichinclude ingredients like Chipotle honeymayonnaise.

“The one thing that will never change,”says co-owner Loycent Gordon, “is thatthis is a neighborhood bar.”

Gordon and four partners took over thebar in 2009. A member of the FDNY withEngine 314 in Rosedale, Gordon also is amusic producer and his four partners all areproducers, promoters or musicians.

“Someone told me this is the mostfamous bar that you’ve never heard of,”Gordon said. “Back in 2009, the building

owner, David Eng, whom I knew from themusic business, told me the bar was introuble, and we couldn’t let a historic placelike this go under.”

He and partners Alex Ewan, EppyEpstein and Andy Bigan “took a crashcourse in owning a bar” and went to workon saving one of the oldest watering holesin the United States.

The bar opened as The Blue PumpRoom in 1829, across from the UnionCourse Race Track. It was sold in 1835 andrenamed The Old Abbey.

Neir’s website saysthat Louis Neir pur-chased the establish-ment in 1898. Heexpanded it to includea bowling alley, a ball-room and hotel roomsupstairs, renaming itNeir’s Social Hall.

The Neir family soldit in 1967, at whichpoint it became The

Union Course Tavern.Upon purchasing it in 2009, Gordon and

his partners shut down for eight months ofpainstaking restoration, including the 150-year-old bar.

“It’s a single piece of wood,” said barmanager Nancy Kennedy. “That’s how youknow it’s original.”

Gordon said the stables are long gone, asare any peepholes, sliding panels or hiddenrooms that may have been created duringthe days of Prohibition.

Hollywood certainly has heard of Neir’s.The barroom is featured prominently in

the 1990 movie “Goodfellas.”It was there that director Martin

Scorcese f ilmed the famous “Get your

Famous bar you’venever heard ofNeir’s: Serving hooligans, Hollywoodand karaoke nights since 1829

continued on page 30

Ed Wendell, left, of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, Chef Daniel LaRosa,bartender/manager Nancy Kennedy, Aisha Gordon and Neir’s Tavern co-owner Loycent Gordon posebefore a portrait of Hollywood legend Mae West, who performed in the Woodhaven bar in the earlydays of her career. PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON

“You can’t pick up this place and move it to Manhattan.”— Loycent Gordon, co-owner of

Neir’s Tavern in Woodhaven



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I If you’re hankering for a whale of anadventure, try a sea cruise next summerfrom Rockaway to see the large mam-

mals and their dolphin cousins just milesoff the Queens coast.

Beginning June 15 and continuingthrough Sept. 15, five days a week, adultsand children can board the AmericanPrincess, a boat that departs from RiisLanding, and sail out into the AtlanticOcean in search of the distinctive sea life.The cruise leaves the dock at noon andlasts approximately four hours.

The 95-foot aluminum vessel holds 250passengers, but this past season, its first,the ship averaged 75 to 100 people percruise according to Tom Paladino, ownerand captain of the American Princess. Pal-adino expects those numbers will likelyincrease the next time around.

“We just started,” he said. “It’s going toexplode next year.”

Paladino reflected on the good receptionthe trips received in the first season, saying“it’s a nature tour and people love it.”

The cruise is for all ages, including chil-dren, who interact with a naturalist onboard and assist the crew in taking the offi-cial whale and dolphin count.

“I think children sometimes get more outof it than the adults,” Paladino said.

He said that 70 percent of the boat’s voy-ages yielded sightings of whales and dol-phins, and even sharks, turtles and sunfish.Over the span of the journeys the craft car-ried out this year, 1,000 dolphins wereseen. Other boats in the water act as spot-ters for the American Princess, leading Pal-adino to areas where animals are most like-ly to be found.

The captain enjoys the unpredictablenature of these expeditions. “It’s very excit-ing,” Paladino said. “Every time is differ-ent. You don’t know what to expect.”

He said the most impressive sight he hasobserved involved a group of whales stand-ing on their tails a mere 10 feet away fromthe boat.

“It was absolutely breathtaking,” he said.Paladino encourages people to take the

adventure because it is a rare opportunity.“It’s a great thing,” he said. “You don’t

have to go to Cape Cod and travel f ivehours by car anymore. You can go righthere in Queens.”

To make a reservation, which is highlyrecommended, call (718) 474-0593 or visitnewyorkbeachferry.com. Tickets can alsobe purchased on the day of the cruise, but

on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets cost $25 for children five to 12

years old, $40 for adults and $35 forseniors 62 and older.

The boat is handicapped-accessible, andchildren’s strollers are permitted on board.While beverages and coolers are not per-mitted, there is a snack bar stocked withbeverages.

Riis Landing is located at Beach 169thStreet and State Road in Breezy Point. Q

Whales, dolphins and fish, oh my!Rockaway-launched cruises seek out marine life in the Atlantic Ocean


Dolphins are a common sight during the cruises.PHOTO BY MITCH WAXMAN

One of the whales spotted by passengers aboard the American Princess last summer out ofRockaway. PHOTO COURTESY AMERICAN PRINCESS CRUISES

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Y ou may have passed by Junior’s Cafe hundreds of timeson the way to Costco in Long Island City and nevergiven it a second thought. From the outside it looks like

just another corner bar and grille. Well, think again.This drinking hole and restaurant is a neighborhood

landmark that has been around at least 83 years, serving updelicious Italian fare by a friendly staff that makes every-one feel at home.

Junior DiCaprio, 75, has owned the establishment for 12years and says it has changed hands numerous times over thedecades, but has always offered Italian food. Its history ismurky, but dates back at least 83 years to when the buildingwas constructed.

The owner thinks there’s been a restaurant at the site forat least 90 years and he is joined in that belief by DannyPadula, 92, who worked there for many years as a waiterbefore retiring.

Both men grew up in the neighborhood and Padulahas lived next door all his life. They know the placeused to be called Stephanie’s but don’t remember any ofthe earlier incarnations.

With the borough’s oldest restaurant, Niederstein’s ofMiddle Village, having closed in 2005 after a 150-yearrun, DiCaprio thinks Junior’s Cafe may now be theoldest still in business.

His restaurant is open seven days a week from10:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. It’s still a neighborhoodhangout with lots of interesting characters, andthe gentrification of the area hasn’t really affectedJunior’s yet. “We are starting to get young peo-ple,” DiCaprio said. “We don’t bother anyone.”

On the contrary, Junior’s staff is extremelyfriendly, from bartender Jimmy, waitressesJasmine, Ursula and Theresa (Junior’s grand-daughter) and kitchen staff Ruben, Antonioand Santiago. Some diners eat there four daysa week.

DiCaprio claims he has the best pizza intown and his other Italian specialties rangefrom calamari to shrimp scampi. He also serves steaks andchops.

The owner has been in the restaurant business all his lifeand prides himself in purchasing all the cafe’s produce,meat and seafood. “Nothing is frozen, I do all the shop-ping,” he added. “No one ever complains about the food.”

Padula agrees. “Everything is good here,” he said. “I eathere a lot.”

DiCaprio is the father of six daughters and has 20grandchildren. Aside from his granddaughter workingthere, his wife, Kathy, keeps the books. And he likes to

give back to the community.Every summer the antique car enthusiast holds a car show

as well as a block party on 46th Road, where he providesfree food and T-shirts. “I know a lot of people and we havereunions every summer,” DiCaprio said.

The unpretentious eatery also has a large back room forprivate parties, featuring wall-to-wall, hand-painted muralsof Italy by artist Frank Latorre.

Junior’s Cafe is located at 46-18 Vernon Blvd. No reser-vations are required. Stop in and see Junior. He likes meet-ing people and never takes a vacation. Q

LIC eatery dishes up atmosphereJunior’s Cafe may be oldest in borough, offering great food & staff

Junior’s Cafe on Vernon Boulevard at 46th Road in Long Island City.

Owner Junior DiCaprio, left, with retired waiter Danny Padula in Junior’s Cafe.It may be the oldest restaurant in Queens. PHOTOS BY LIZ RHOADES

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V P Records may not be one of theoldest businesses in Queens, but italready has an impressive history.

It started selling reggae and calypsomusic in Jamaica (the one in NewYork) in 1979 in the days of vinyl LPsand 45s.

More than 30 years later it hasexpanded to music producing,Caribbean fashion, CDs and DVDs.And yes, the vinyl records have comeback strong.

“Vinyl never really went away,” saidPaul Shields, the senior engineer for therecord company, with a broad smile.

Vincent and Patricia Chin broughtthe business to Queens fromKingston, Jamaica and instantlybecame a neighborhood f ixture at170-21 Jamaica Ave.

The VP record label — derivedfrom the first letters of the founders’first names — started up in 1993. Vin-cent Chin died in 2003.

And in a time when record storesand video stores have fallen to theInternet, VP thrives. “You can f indeverything here,” said customer Den-nis Porter. “You have reggae andcalypso and soca,” he said. “Theyhave DVDs and CDs. He also pointed

to a store display for singerAlborosie, from Italy, and performersfrom Germany.

“Reggae has gone around the world,and it is all here,” Porter said.

And he led the way to a separatepart of the store that has both new andclassic songs on the vinyl. “HughMundell was one of my favorites,” hesaid, picking up the 45. “He died in1982 at the age of 22.” And the eclec-tic collection of artists is not limited tomusic of Caribbean origins.

A display of Christmas CDs alsoincludes the likes of Mariah Carey,Jessica Simpson and Patti LaBelle.The eastern portion of the store dis-plays shirts and fashion accessories.The VP record label, which has beenhonored by Billboard magazine, nowis run by the Chins’ sons, Randy andChristopher.

And while the record store has with-stood the assault of technology, therecording business has thrived becauseof it.

“This is an old two-track machine,”Shields said, patting what looks like amuseum piece on the way into a studiowith all the modern technological wiz-ardry at his fingertips.

The store can be reached at (718)297-5802. Q

VP Records makes music and historyJamaica store boasts classic and contemporary Caribbean sounds


Dennis Porter seeks new music on CDs and classical raggae compositions from his youth in the racks ofVP Records in Jamaica. PHOTO BY MICHAEL GANNON

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I n the movie “Patch Adams,”Robin Williams’ character is amedical student and then doctor

who uses laughter to cheer up sickpatients and others who are less for-tunate. Sallie Elkordy does the samething, except people call her “sillie”instead of doctor.

When she is not performing forthe sick, Elkordy runs the Museumof Comedy in Ozone Park. Locatedat 80-60 Pitkin Ave., across thestreet from Mokom Sholom Ceme-tery, the museum is housed in theOttavinich which Elkordy’s fatherowned.

Inside the museum, there are awide variety of items — everythingfrom a picture signed by WilliamHanna and Joseph Barbera, creatorsof the “Flintstones,” to a vintageGeorge Burns doll complete withtuxedo and cigar and a HennyYoungman pocket jester, whichlooks like a tape measure but hasjokes where the numbers wouldappear. No matter what the item,Elkordy hopes they fall in line withthe museum’s motto, “Veni, Vidi,Risi” — I came, I saw, I laughed.

The collection’s proximity to a

cemetery is ironic considering thatElkordy, 51, is very much alive.

The laughmeister started out byperforming at hospitals and home-less shelters with some fellowcomics, but after doing hundreds ofunpaid shows, the others stoppedreturning her calls. Part of the rea-son she opened the comedy museumwas to help pay the comedians whoperformed with her.

“I went nonprofit as a museumbecause I had a huge collection offunny stuff, and this would provideme a way to raise money to pay thecomics,” she said. “I’m a very,very bad fundraiser but a verygood fun raiser.”

Elkordy said she had ended uppaying out of her own pocket forover 550 shows and was writing 15letters a day to get money for thecomedians.

At the museum, which is onlyopen on Mondays from 1 to 5 p.m.,Elkordy displays a part of her largecollection.

“We do not have the funding toencase the many artifacts, nor do Ihave the funding to frame themany pictures we have,” she said.“We do what we are able to dowithout funding.”

Sillie Sallie’s said her real pur-pose, though, is to “get out andcheer people up.”

“We are very good at what we do,and we transform people,” she said.“When I see 400 toothless menlaughing, it really makes my day.There are 400 men and two teethamong them, it’s just funny. Theseare my peeps.”

Elkordy’s son, Abbas OctaviousElkordy, aka Joyboy, started per-forming during his senior year ofhigh school when he was 17. Hisspecialties are impressions and bodylanguage humor, and, now 20, he isin college and still performs everychance he gets.

“Go on YouTube and watch hisgraduation speech — it’s off thefreakin’ chart,” Sillie Sallie said.“There is also a clip of him per-forming at the Comic Strip, and itwas good.”

The comedian said that thoughshe’d always wanted to be part of acomedy team, she never envisionedit being with her son.

“We were working on a routinetogether that we mess around withall the time,” she said. “We may beperforming together here soon.”

In addition to her comedy

performances, Elkordy just com-pleted an unsuccessful run for Con-gress. She ran as a write-in candi-date in the Ninth District in Brook-lyn and Queens on a platform called“Cease for Peace.” She said if elect-ed she would have addressed a hostof problems, including her beliefsthat vaccines are causing mental dis-abilities in children and that thewater supply is tainted.

Her father, A. George Ottavino,started the business that houses thecomedy museum. He was in theNavy and served during World WarII on the USS Hilarity, a f ittingname considering his daughter’spassion for comedy.

For more information about theMuseum of Comedy, becoming amember or booking a performance,call Elkordy at (718) 268-2914. Q


Comedians Brian Kiley and Sallie Elkordy with a patient at a recent perfor-mance. COURTESY PHOTO

Belly laughs abound at comedy museum‘Sillie Sallie’ Elkordy displays props at her monument biz and performs

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S ince its inception in February 2010, theBayside bookstore Turn the Page...Againhas given a new life to used books and

the employees who work there.The shop, which is believed to be one of

only two secondhand bookstores in Queensthat sell and accept used books, is situatedbetween a hair salon and a dentist office at 39-15A Bell Blvd. It is operated by the nonprofitorganization Transitional Services for NewYork, which provides housing and support ser-vices for the mentally disabled.

TSINY employs 14 individuals at the storewith mental disorders who have had difficultyfinding long-term employment as a result oftheir condition.

“It gives them the opportunity to grow,learn more skills and get back into the work-force,” said store manager Elle Fliegel.

The skills the employees gain emerge fromthe various tasks they are responsible for on atypical day, which include organizing and cat-egorizing books, cashiering, computer workand dealing with customers.

These duties are an attempt to give theworkers a sense of normalcy and a chance fora better life, according to TSINY Chief Execu-tive Officer Larry Grubler.

“The goal of the bookstore is to give indi-viduals who have a mental illness the opportu-nity to get real-life work experience and thengo out and gain employment,” Grubler said.

The employees work 10 hours a day for a

period of six to nine months, with the hopethat they will have moved on to another job bythen. The staff at the bookstore assist workersin finding employment, which Grubler sayshas been more successful than he imaginedalmost two years ago.

Since the store opened, eight employeeshave found jobs geared to their vocationalgoals. Employers hiring them include TGI Fri-

day’s, Sunrise Cinema, senior programs,Elmhurst Hospital and retail stores.

Working at Turn the Page has been a posi-tive experience for Kathy, a former reception-ist, who has been there since August.

She said she likes the “hands-on” environ-ment and the friendliness of fellow staffers.

“If you don’t know something they helpyou out,” said Kathy, who hopes to become a

salesclerk in the future. Maureen, from Springfield Gardens, who

has been at the bookstore for the last sevenmonths, said the job is very rewarding.

“It supplements my income, but it also hasexposed me to different kinds of books,” shesaid. “It has given me a wider appreciation forliterature.”

In addition to helping the workers, the book-store offers a home to countless used booksranging from classics to romance novels tocookbooks in relatively good condition at lowprices, with no book going for more than $5.

There are usually special sales going onsuch as $1 for cookbooks and buy three novelsfor a special price.

The shop also offers special amenities tocustomers, such as allowing them to create awish list if they don’t see a particular bookthey want in stock. When and if the book isdonated, staff members contact the readers andset a time for them to pick it up.

“One customer has a wish list a mile longwith pages and pages of classics in alphabeti-cal order,” Fliegel said.

Besides the list, the store offers coffee andsnacks such as donuts and cookies. It even hasa corner devoted to children’s books withtables and chairs.

“I see parents and kids in the store all thetime,” Grubler said.

Turn the Page Again is open Mondaythrough Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information, call (718)767-2341 Q

Turning the page on mental illnessBayside bookstore helps disabled workers integrate into society

The Turn the Page...Again bookstore has helped employees Kathy, left, and Maureen, right, gainvaluable working experience. PHOTOS BY KASEY SCHEFFLIN-EMRICH


Inconspicuously tucked away in a room of the KearnsFuneral Home, the Richmond Hill Archival Museum atfirst appears to be a modest affair — glass cases andbookshelves line the walls, from which yellowed faces inblack and white photos stare at visitors, their perfectlycoiffed Victorian up-dos and hard stares forever frozenin time.

But upon further inspection, it becomes clear that resi-dents could lose themselves in the museum for hourswhile perusing stacks of Richmond Hill High Schoolyearbooks dating back to the turn of the 20th century,

photos of World War I soldiers and famousresidents — journalist Jacob Riis, radiopioneer Alfred Grebe and “Skippy” car-toonist Percy Crosby, for example — and awide range of items representing a richneighborhood history.

“It’s a wonderful place,” Ivan Mrakovcic,president of the Richmond Hill HistoricalSociety, said of the museum, located on thefirst floor of the funeral home at 85-66 115St. “It’s very homey, and we’ve had so manyinteresting things donated by people fromaround here.”

Residents can see a carriage jack fromthe late 1800s, a vintage cheerleading out-fit from Richmond Hill High School and aradio from the mid-1920s that was donat-ed by the Grebe family.

The Grebe radio factory was once locatedon the Van Wyck Expressway in RichmondHill, and Alfred Grebe, who was born inRichmond Hill and died in Hollis, set up a network calledthe Atlantic Broadcasting Corporation, which he operateduntil he sold it to CBS in 1929.

Books written by former Richmond Hill residentsAnais Nin and Amelia Edith Barr line the shelves, and anumber of Percy Crosby’s “Skippy” comic books are pre-served in a glass case. Crosby and his family moved fromLong Island to Richmond Hill in 1900, and he document-ed many of his childhood escapades in Queens in his car-toon strip and 1929 novel.

Residents who wish to spend time in the museumshould contact the historical society at (718) 704-9317 orvisit the website at richmondhillhistory.org. Q

From a funeral home, a glimpse into the pastRichmond Hill Archival Museum has extensive collection of memorabilia

Jacob Riis and his family pose for a photo on 115th Street inRichmond Hill in 1909. The picture is one among many ondisplay at the museum.

Richmond Hill Historical Society President Ivan Mrakovcic stands in the group’sarchival museum, which holds a wide range of photos and items that piece togethera colorful narrative of the neighborhood’s rich past. PHOTOS BY ANNA GUSTAFSON

“Skippy” comics author Percy Crosby moved to Richmond Hill in 1900and later wrote about many of his childhood adventures in the strip.

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W hile some say it’s not the desolate, solitaryexpanse of yore, Fort Tilden, a beach and formermilitary base facing the Atlantic Ocean on the

Rockaway Peninsula, is still about as remote as it gets inNew York City.

You can do like the hipsters from Brooklyn do and rideyour bike there, though public transportation will get youwithin walking distance and parking is available off-season,between Sept. 16 and March 14 — during high season, dri-vers can park at nearby Jacob Riis Park.

“Once you’re there, it’s like you’ve left the city,” saidChristine Mullally, the education director of the RockawayArtists Alliance, which calls three old fort buildings home.

Fort Tilden is part of Gateway National Recreation Area,encompassing 26,000 acres that stretch across both New Yorkand New Jersey. “It’s one of the largest urban national parksin the system,” said Jennifer Bethea, a Gateway park ranger.

Built in 1917, the fort was strategically placed to defendNew York Harbor. First outfitted with cannons and guns, iteventually became home to several nuclear missiles before itwas decommissioned in 1974.

Now, the complex of barracks and shelters, just a few hun-dred yards from the beach, are mostly empty, though they arefascinating to explore.

Walk the “Back Fort,” the old paved roads that wind theirway through the base, and you’ll reach Fort Tilden’s undisput-ed highlight: Battery Harris East, the only bunker that is pos-sible to climb, via a winding wooden staircase.

From the top, you’ll get a panoramic view of Jamaica Bay,New York Harbor and Manhattan in the distance.

Besides the Rockaway Artists Alliance, Fort Tilden is

also home to the Rockaway Theatre Company, which isputting on the play “A Decade of Dynamite” between Nov.18 and Dec. 4.

The RAA is also unveiling a new show, a multimediaexhibit called “Gifted,” on Nov. 19. It will run throughDec. 18.

If you are planning a visit, note that the only concession isa food truck sometimes parked at the fort’s entrance. Thereare bathrooms on-site, open daily. Rangers and other organi-zations offer nature walks, history tours and talks throughout

the year, like a recent evening of stargazing with the AmateurAstronomers Association.

Check the New York Harbor Parks online schedule ofevents (nyharborparks.org/visit/calendar.html) or call thepark rangers at nearby Floyd Bennett Field, at (718) 338-3799, for more information.

For more on Fort Tilden, visit nyharborparks.org. For theRockaway Artists Alliance: (718) 474-0861, rockawayartistsalliance.org. For the Rockaway Theatre Company: (718)374-6400, rockawaytheatrecompany.org.

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The fort where the boardwalk endsLess than a mile from Jacob Riis is one of Queens’ most remote spots


The beach at Fort Tilden is more tranquil than at neighboring Jacob Riis Park beach. PHOTO BY MATTHEW HENDERSHOT

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B rookville Park is a quiet oasis in west-ern Rosedale. Its natural beauty isdefined by numerous trees, ponds,

walkways and wildlife. It also features a hostof amenities including basketball, bocce andtennis courts, a playground, bike paths and apicnic area.

“It gives you a sense of tranquility,” saidFred Kress, president of the Queens Coali-tion for Parks and Green Spaces, adding,“It’s a jewel because it’s peace and nature inthe middle of all this congestion and over-whelming building that’s going on.”

The 90-acre park, which extends fromBrookville Boulevard and 232nd Street to149th and South Conduit avenues, may besmall by borough standards, but that doesn’tmake it less special for the many residentswho stroll its grounds every day. The park isnamed after a brook, which winds around thebike paths and empties into Jamaica Bay.

Squirrels scamper in the grass, climb treesand gather nuts. There is also the occasionalpheasant or hawk and ducks can be seen float-ing on the lake, where people still go fishing asthey did in the 1930s and ’40s, according toKress. The wildlife hardly seems distracted bythe low-flying planes from nearby JFK Air-port, which comprises just about the only noiseone hears while walking through the park.

Brookville Park is located within theAtlantic Flyway, the aerial path stretchingfrom the eastern coast of Florida to NovaScotia along which millions of songbirds,seabirds, birds of prey, and waterfowl as wellas butterflies, some species of bats and drag-onflies travel every fall and spring.

“It is a place of serenity where you can go andwatch the pond and the ducks and the turtles,”said Kangela Moore, president of the Friends ofBrookville Park. “I have these gorgeous picturesof sea turtles sitting on the rocks, and you neverknow what kind of wildlife will pop up.”

Moore’s group meets once or twice a weekat the park for beautification projects includ-ing painting benches, the bocce ball courts,and the wooden bollards located along the147th Street side of the area. FOBP also holds

numerous community events at the locationincluding a Christmas tree lighting and Hal-loween and Earth Day celebrations.

The group, formed in 2008, held its firsttree workshop this year, in which residentslearned about the different varieties of trees inthe park and their care. The group holds itsannual mulchfest in January, when peoplebring in their old Christmas trees and the city’sParks Department grinds them up into wood-chips residents can use as mulch for theirplants. Some 65 trees were recycled this yearthanks to FOBP, Moore said.

She added that Brookville Park is her

favorite borough green space, not only for itsnatural beauty, but because of the heartwarm-ing way in which community members inter-act with each other while they are there, espe-cially parents spending time with their chil-dren at the playground.

“It’s a great park, a beautiful park,” saidBill Perkins, president of the Rosedale CivicAssociation, who visits regularly with hischildren. “It’s a safe place in the community.There are a lot of activities and a lot of peo-ple in the neighborhood who put a great dealof effort into taking care of the park andkeeping it nice.” QOne of the many bike paths in Brookville Park.

Peace and nature fill Brookville ParkSpace has many amenities, special events, trees, wildlife and sports

Gorgeous autumn foliage and a winding brook make the perfect setting for a walk, bike ride or picnic.PHOTOS BY ANNMARIE COSTELLA

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For those who crave a taste of the unique, the macabre orthe supernatural, there is a place in Queens for you: thegravesite of an iconic figure, a man many even believe mightbe able to contact the living after death — Harry Houdini.

The master magician famous for his daring escape routinesis buried in Ridgewood at Machpelah Cemetery. Over theyears, the large regal burial site has attracted curiosity seekers,vandals and a group of magicians who perform an annual cere-mony in his honor.

Houdini — born Ehrich Weiss on March 24, 1874, — start-ed his magic career as the “King of Cards,” but his major suc-cess didn’t begin until he started experimenting with escapeacts. The most famous was the Chinese Water Torture Cell, alocked glass and steel cabinet filled with water in which Hou-dini would hang upside down and have to hold his breath forthree minutes to escape.

The gravesite contains flat stone markers denoting Houdini’sgrave and those of family members. At the head of the plot is asemi-circular wall with steps on which sits a statue of a mourn-ing woman. Above that is another stone on which Houdini’sname is carved with a colorful stained glass emblem that rec-ognizes him as the president of the Society of American Magi-cians from 1917 to 1926. A bust of Houdini crowns thegravesite, making its reappearance for the first time in morethan 30 years.

In 1975, vandals destroyed the original statue and subse-quent replacements were either stolen or broken, but an exactreplica made of heavy concrete was installed in Septembercourtesy of the Houdini Museum of Scranton, PA. It wasapproved by the surviving members of the Houdini family andthe manager of the cemetery.

“It is a very important and revered site for any magician,” saidDick Brookz, co-executive director of the museum. “We asked

ourselves, ‘What would Houdini have wanted?’ and I’m sure hewould have wanted the bust and the gravesite taken care of.”

Brookz noted that during Houdini’s lifetime he donatedmoney to cemeteries around the world in order to restore andmaintain the final resting places of other magicians. In 1996,magician David Copperfield carried on Houdini’s tradition bydonating $10,000 to help repair the damage to his idol’s grave.

The museum and its team of “Houdini Commandos” nowvisit the cemetery periodically to ensure its cleanliness andsafety.

“We figured it was the least we could do,” Brookz said.Although numerous famous people are buried in Queens,

Brookz said Houdini’s site is special and different because themagician was well-known worldwide. “When we speak atschools and colleges and we mention the names of some ofHoudini’s contemporaries, no one knows who they are,”Brookz said. “Very few people have ever achieved the leg-endary status of Houdini.”

The SAM used to hold its annual Broken Wand memorialceremony on Oct. 31, the date of Houdini’s death, but becausethe event became such a public spectacle and seemed to beleading to more destruction of the site, the cemetery is closedon Halloween, and it was changed to the date he died based onthe Hebrew calendar, which varies from year to year.

Individuals standing in a semicircle around his grave readexcerpts from his 1926 burial service, after which a woodenwand is snapped in half over the gravesite, a symbol of thedeath of a magician and the loss of his power.

Each year since Houdini’s death, a seance has been conduct-ed as a tribute and test. During his lifetime, the magician madeit his mission to expose clairvoyants as charlatans and frauds,and those efforts continue to this day. Houdini claimed that ifhe, the world’s greatest escape artist, could not come back fromthe grave, then no one else could.

So far, no one has been able to contact Houdini during the

seances, Brookz said, but during the ceremony on the 50thanniversary of his death, a photo of the magician fell off a wall.

In 2006, Larry Sloman and William Kalush, wrote a bookcalled “The Secret Life of Houdini,” in which they theorizedthat the magician was fatally poisoned by a vengeful clairvoy-ant and did not die from a ruptured appendix as long believed.They wanted Houdini unearthed from his grave so tests couldbe performed. Many deemed the request a publicity stunt,including Brookz, and nothing ever came of it.

Houdini’s grave is near the front entrance of MachpelahCemetery, located at 82-30 Cypress Hills St. in Ridgewood.The cemetery is open every day from 8:30 a.m to 4 p.m.,except Saturdays and Jewish and legal holidays. Street parkingis also available. Q

Harry Houdini’s grave at Machpelah Cemetery in Ridgewood.PHOTO BY ANNMARIE COSTELLA

Houdini’s final resting place is in Ridgewood His grave attracts curiosity seekers, vandals, magicians and many others


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I t may not hop like a mid-centuryswing joint, but there’s a lotgoin’ on at the Louis Armstrong

House Museum, a must-see foreveryone from hep cats to historians.

The museum just got a massiveaddition to its collection of memora-bilia honoring the jazz legend, a setof audio and video recordings andother unique items bequeathed by afan from Sweden, Gosta Hagglof,who died two years ago. Hagglofwas such a follower of Satchmo thathe’s been called “the Swedish oracleof Louis Armstrong.”

On Dec. 6, the museum will holdits first gala, celebrating 25 years ofpreserving and promoting Arm-strong’s legacy. The event will honorjazzman and producer GeorgeAvakian, trumpeter Jon Faddis,who’ll perform, and JamesMuyskens, president of Queens Col-lege, which operates the museum.

And a new visitors’ center isbeing planned across the streetfrom the house, with constructionexpected to start next summer. Itwill feature a multimedia exhibitand jazz-themed cafe that alsowill be used for film screenings

and band rehearsals.That’s the latest news. But it’s the

trove of artifacts and the uniquelook at Armstrong’s life they offerthat make the museum a jewel inthe crown of Corona, and Queens.Though modest in size, the home isopulent, and its collection of Arm-strong’s belongings and other mem-orabilia fascinating.

The public gets to see the houseon guided tours that start every houron the hour, the last of the daybeginning at 4 p.m. The exhibit areaand garden may be explored beforeor after the tour. No appointment isnecessary, except for groups ofeight or more.

Visitors are first brought to theliving room, where the modernistfurniture appears a little smallbecause it was made to f it thestature of the jazz great, who was 5-foot-4, and his wife, Lucille, whowas 5 feet even. On the walls hangportraits of the couple, who movedthere in 1943. Fine art from Japan,Africa and other places they trav-eled to graces the walls and a dis-play case.

The kitchen is top-of-the-line forthe mid-20th century, with a six-burner double oven, a dishwasher

and cooking tools built into thecountertop. The cabinets shine in abright turqoise one would never seetoday.

Visitors even get to see the cou-ple’s most intimate rooms, the mas-ter bedroom with its reflective wall-paper and a first-floor bathroomcovered in mirrors and featuring atub made of European marble.

The last room on the tour is theden, where Armstrong’s reel-to-reeltape recorder and other audio equip-ment are located. The room holdshundreds of his recordings, alongwith five gold-plated trumpets andsome manuscripts — Armstrongbeing a prolific writer as well asmusician. Homemade recordings ofhim singing, playing the trumpetand having whimsical, laughter-filled conversations with Lucilledelight the visitor.

Aside from the tour, one can visitthe gift shop, in what had been thegarage, and, when the weather’sgood, the backyard garden.

World-famous and wealthy, Arm-strong “could have lived anywhere,”as the museum puts it at louisarm-stronghouse.org. But he choseCorona. “We don’t think we couldbe more relaxed and have better

neighbors anyplace else,” he oncesaid. “So we stay put.”

Don’t you stay put — get downto the museum! Located at 34-56107 St., it’s open from 10 a.m. to

5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday andnoon to 5 p.m. on Saturday andSunday, and can be reached at (718)478-8274 — the Armstrongs’ oldnumber. Q

It’s a wonderful world at Armstrong’s houseTake a tour of the jazz great’s home in Corona, a museum that’s growing


Louis and Lucille Armstrong, in the den that’s the last stop on tours of their oldhome. PHOTO COURTESY LAHM

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Assemblymember

Michael DenDekker– 34th Assembly District –

The District Offi ce is located at:

33-46 92nd Street, Suite 1WJackson Heights, NY 11372

718-457-0384

“Assemblymember Michael DenDekker Congratulates the

Queens Chronicle on its 33rd Anniversary. Thank you for

all you do for the people of the Borough of Queens.”

around 1980. In 1981 he did his for thepublic tour under the auspices of theQueens Historical Society. He offers toursthroughout the borough — and city,including along the phantom railway linesfrom central Flushing to Queens Village,and another that walks the East Rivershore between the Queensboro andRFK/Triboro, bridges. The expeditionalong the river includes views of the for-mer Steinway piano factory, the SocratesSculpture Park and ante-bellum mansionsin Astoria.

His next escapade in Queens will bringresidents into Flushing’s Chinatown. It will

be held Sunday, Dec. 18 from 11 a.m. to 1p.m. Those interested in attending shouldmeet on the second floor of the New WorldMall, outside of the restrooms. Individualscan enter the mall between the 7 subwaystop on Main Street and Macy’s on Roo-sevelt Avenue.

NoshWalks also offers a number of foodtours throughout Queens, and the rest of thecity. The last one in 2011 was Nov. 12,which took place along the 7 subway line inWoodside, when residents sampled Filipinobarbecue and wandered through the neigh-borhood’s Little Manila and Little Dublin.

More about NoshWalks can be found atnoshwalks.com. For information aboutEichenbaum’s tours, visit the historian’swebsite at geognyc.com. To learn moreabout Orlick, go to iwantmorefood.com. Q

Queens tourscontinued from page 14

Preservation Commission has not been onboard, its members saying the district istoo large and would contain too manymultifamily homes. Ivan Mrakovcic, pres-ident of the Richmond Hill HistoricalSociety, said residents are now planningto f ight for smaller areas to be land-marked, including on 105th Streetbetween 86th and Jamaica Avenues.

“Eighty-sixth avenue is one of thoseamazing places,” Mrakovcic said. “At110th Street and 86th Avenue, it’s one ofthose blocks where no one’s put up afence.”

The Richmond Hill Historical Societyrecommends three tours around the area.For one, begin at the Buddy Monument atMyrtle Avenue and Park Lane South andwalk west on Park Lane South to 105th

Street. Turn left onto 105th Streetand proceed to 86th Avenue. Turnleft on 86th Avenue, walk to 110thStreet and turn left to return toMyrtle Avenue.

For another tour, begin at ParkLane South and MetropolitanAvenue in Kew Gardens. Walksouth along Forest Park and, at112th Street, turn left and go to85th Avenue. Turn left and walk tothe Long Island Railroad trestle.There is a small park just beyondthe LIRR spot where one can rest.

For the f inal tour, begin atJamaica Avenue and LeffertsBoulevard and proceed north onLefferts Boulevard, passing theRichmond Hill library. Cross Hill-side Avenue and continue on Lef-ferts to 85th Avenue, passing theChurch of the Resurrection — thefirst church built in the area. Turnleft on 85th Avenue and walk toMyrtle Avenue. After hitting Myr-tle, walk along Myrtle to 84thAvenue and walk back to LeffertsBoulevard on 84th Avenue. Q

Victorian homes in Richmond Hillcontinued from page 19

The houses are almost dollhouselike, such as thisone at 107th Street and 86th Avenue.

shinebox” scene, where wise-crackingmobster Billy Batts meets an unfortu-nate end at the hands of Oscar winnerJoe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito.

More recently, they hosted a scenefrom the upcoming Ben Stiller-EddieMurphy movie “Tower Heist.”

“Ben Stiller and Tea Leone shot ascene sitting here,” Gordon said, indicat-ing a nearby table.

But within the walls adorned withframed, yellowing newspaper clips andpaintings of racehorses that used to plytheir trade across the street, Gordon andhis wife Aisha’s love of and passion for

music and the performing arts is ongrand display. Aisha Gordon emcees thepoetry readings, or Tongue Challenges,as well as musical jam sessions andopen mike nights. And at a recent showof hands, she determined that all but oneof the poets was from Queens.

“The open mike is for singers, musi-cians, comedy — whatever your talentis,” Loycent Gordon said. “I havefriends from the f irehouse who havecome by here, but most of them live onLong Island. The neighborhood isalways what supports a neighborhoodbar. That’s why we want to offer theneighborhood the things that we do.”

And is Neir’s a hidden gem?“You can’t pick up this place and

move it to Manhattan,” he said. Q

Neir’s Taverncontinued from page 20

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– Paid and authorized by friends for Gregory Meeks –

Jamaica District Offi ce153-01 Jamaica Ave., NY 11432

PH: (718) 725-6000FX: (718) 725-9868

Far Rockaway District Offi ce1931 Mott Ave., NY 11691

PH: (718) 327-9791FX: (718) 327-4722

CONGRESSMANGREGORY W. MEEKS

U.S. House of Representatives6th District – New York

Happy 33rd Anniversary

Queens Chronicle


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Queens Chronicle 33rd Anniversary Edition