its queens - summer 2013

SUMMER 2013 | Volume 5.2

Summer 2013 $2.95

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QUEENSTHE MAGAZINEIts

VIEW FROMTHE GALLERYTHE RIDGEWOOD ART SCENE

STANDUP GUYQueens Comedian Liam McEneaney

Miss NY on a Role

KAITLINMONTE

PLUS: TOP 5 DINERS, ALTERNATIVE GYMS, EXOTIC BARS

Its List

Made in Queens15Top

2 Summer 5.2 2013 www.itsqueens.com

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PublisherWalter H. Sanchez

Executive EditorShane Miller

Senior EditorsAndrew PaviaAndrew Shilling

ContributorsHoyt JacobsJosh BrewerAlexa Renfroe

Art Direction/Graphic DesignMatthew StefaniSusana Diaz

PhotographersMichael OKaneLiliana Guimaraes

AdvertisingTammy SanchezKathleen Connell

Volume 5 Number 2 Summer 2013

Its Queens is published quarterly. Postmaster, send all address changes to Its Queens PO BOX 780376 Maspeth, NY 11378. Its Queens is a consumer magazine covering the people who move and shake Queens, from real estate trends to transportation, politics to entertainment, Its Queens will bring our readers the ins and outs of the borough.Its Queens is wholly owned and published by the Queens Ledger/Greenpoint Star Weekly Newspaper Group. We know enough about the borough, covering it week in and week out since 1873. Bulk mail Flushing, NY Permit #652. Copyright 2008 Its Queens. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Any news or feature solicitation for publication in Its Queens should be done so without expectation of use and without expectation of return to solicitor. Send correspondence to [email protected] . Subscriptions are $7.95 per year. Inquiries for subscriptions - Mail to PO BOX 780376, Maspeth, NY 11378. (718) 639-7000. www.itsqueens.com

On the Cover: Kaitlyn Monte (Photo: Liliana Guimaraes)

THE MAGAZINEQUEENSIts


Contents

FEAT

UR

ES

DE

pAR

TmE

nTS

28 More Than a Pretty FaceFormer Miss NY Kaitlin Monte is on a mission to end bullying in schools across Queens .

These 15 Companies have got it made in the borough of Queens.

24 The Its List

Hoyt Jacobs knocks back a few in the interest of finding the boroughs most unique watering holes.

38 Strange Brew

Its Queens ranks the Top 5 Diners in Queens.

10 Greasy Spoons

A look at the growing Ridgewood art scene.

48 The Arts

New app puts Queens at your fingertips.

8 Technology

QEDC head looks back fondly on Rockaway.

22 Essay

Rego Park resident Liam McEneaney is one standup guy.

56 Interview

Whats hot and whats not in Queens.

7 Buzz

SUMMER CalEndaR p. 52


Crossfit training is quickly becoming a na-tional trend. Its fun, its social and if you were one of the 11,000 people who par-ticipated in the Spartan Race at Citi Field this past April, you are well aware that al-ternative exercise, as well as the obstacle running industry, is booming.

While the rest of the country moves at a glacial place to add new facilities, programs and experts, the entrepreneurial culture in Queens has produced more than a few intriguing alternative gyms. While not all Crossfit gyms or boxes as theyre called - they all bring something special and they each have their own cult membership. Dis-cover them in our Top 5 Alternative Gyms.

Kaitlin Monte alone is one of the top five reasons to be excited about beauty pageants. The former Miss New York has been a subject in our magazine before; she is now our cover story, and after read-ing the with her you will agree that she is the pride of Queens. The Astoria beauty queen is quickly carving out a niche in the media world, while at the same time trying to make a difference in the lives of chil-dren affected by bullying.

Diners are part of our culinary landscape and have remained strong for generations of New Yorkers. Just as Queens is a di-verse borough, what makes a diner special is different for every customer. We have our own criteria, and this issue we pick our Top 5 Diners.

While a soccer stadium for Queens might look like a dream of the past, there is a buzz around the borough. QEDC has been ramping up its tourism push and the Queens Chamber of Commerce came out with its own app This is Queens - for the 50 million tourists and the 8 million native New Yorkers to discover our great

borough. It had close to 2,000 downloads in just its first two days, and made its way to #73 in the travel category in the Apple app store.

Lastly, there is a something exciting hap-pening in Ridgewood. This issue features a piece by Hoyt Jacobs on the proliferation of art galleries and the Ridgewood Art Scene. This part of Ridgewood is the next stop on the hip L train.

Whats going on in our newsgroup? We now send our Queens Daily News-tickers Morning Buzz to about 10,000 people every day at 8 a.m. Twenty stories under 20 words or less. Give us two minutes and youll be a rockstar at the water cooler every day. Its your dose

of the most important news every morn-ing.

Walter H. SanchezPublisher

Pictured above is how our Queens Newstickers Morning Buzz looks on the iPad.

Queens is Buzzingat the Seams

Publishers Note WALTER SANCHEZ

A quick rundown of what Queens residents are talking about, as well what they no longer care about.

Queens Buzz

METS OFFENSERealistically, nobody expected much from the Mets this year as they try to wait out a couple of big contracts so they can maybe be at least in the conversation when it comes to free agents this off-season. A four-game sweep of the Yankees in the Subway Series notwithstanding, there have been times when the Mets bats and nobody exemplifies that more than Ike Davis (below) have been ice cold.

MATT HARVEYMatt Harvey has been about the only thing around Citi Field this year for Mets fans to cheer about. The new ace has car-ried a no-hitter into the 7th inning three times this season, and has walked away without a victory in two games where he only allowed one run.. The Mets would go from just plain cold to AAA without Harvey on the mound.

2103 ALL-STAR GAMEDoes anybody even care that the 2013 MLB All-Star Game is being played at Citi Field this year? Seriously, weve heard more people talking about the Super Bowl thats coming to the Meadowlands than the fact that one of the biggest events of the baseball season is tak-ing place in Flushing this year. Maybe all of the out-of-town baseball fans will be excited.

SOCCER IN QUEENSAfter Major League Soccer announced it had its eyes on Flushing Meadows-Corona Park for a new 25,000-seat stadium, it was all local elected officials and residents could talk about. MLS made it clear that Queens was where it wanted a new franchise. But recently, we havent heard much talk about that stadium since MLS said it was open to alternative sites. Maybe its just the calm before the storm?

ANTHONY WEINERWho could have imagined that the crowded race to re-place Bloomberg could have generated anymore buzz? But thats what happened in a big way when former Queens congressman and social media pariah Anthony Weiner jumped into the race, taking away much of the spotlight from Speaker Christine Quinn. Now that Weiners back on the political scene, we think its going to be an interesting campaign season.

WILLETS POINTAs the Willets Point development continues its way through the land use review, theres been a lot finger-pointing from housing ad-vocates that the plan to turn the gritty in-dustrial area into housing has instead been switched to a plan to build a huge mall in the Citi Field parking lot. If this plan does pass the City Council later this summer, we can only imagine that the controversy has just begun.


Walter H. SanchezPublisher

Queens is bursting at the seams


TECh

Normally we devote this space to a few new apps that have all the smartphones here at IQHQ, but this issue were introducing you one big app aimed at tourists, but will no doubt have Queens residents rediscovering their home bor-ough.

The Queens Chamber of Com-merce recently unveiled This is Queens, an app available on iPhones and Androids.

The smartphone app put the most diverse borough in New York City at your fingertips, with information on the best

restaurants, hotels, events, and attractions. The app will also provide deals and cou-pons.

It was developed by Digital Natives, a Queens-based digi-tal marketing agency.

The chamber hopes it will encourage more of the 50 mil-lion tourists that come to New York City each year to visit Queens.

As the most popular tourist destination in the country, we have focused on finding ways to continue growing

this sector of the New York City economy and attracting visitors to all we have to offer, said Matthew Goldstein, chair of the Regional Economic Development Corporation, which sponsored the app. The This is Queens app will not only draw more tourists to Queens, but open their eyes to the wonderful attractions that often get passed.

Over the next year, there will be events attended by hun-dreds of thousands of tourists, including the MLB All-Star Game at Citi Field and US Open Tennis, said chamber

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executive director Jack Friedman. We wanted to make sure each of these visitors knew what Queens had to offer.

The app has six functions: explore, eat, see, stay, do and Queens deals.

Every years millions of visitors pass through Queens without discovering the incredible sights, sounds, tastes, and business opportuni-ties in this extraordinary and diverse borough, said Friedman. The app lets you explore Queens like a native, whether you just landed at JFK, came to Citi Field for a game, or take in some of the most culturally diverse neighbor-hoods in the world.

So download the app today and get out and start exploring! (Alexa Renfroe)


by Hoyt Jacobs

ThE iTS liST

Top

5

Whoever said New York City is a town of prefab dive bars and fly-by-night dining obvi-ously hasnt been to Queens. While neighboring boroughs verge on becoming flaky parodies of their former selves, the royal borough remains a bastion of authentic cuisine and culture. Sure, you say, authenticity is the most nebulous buzzword since grunge came stumbling out of Seattle. But we still know it when we see it.

And we know an authentic deal diner when we smell it. A delicate balance of conservation and tasteful change; a sturdy cultural beast, gracefully

seasoned, resistant to schmaltz. These are the qualities of a true diner. And they were what we hoped to find when, one sunny morning, we hit the street to sniff out those little touches of time and taste that make a diner unique. Our parameters were subjective, sure. Intrinsi-cally vague even. But we knew in our guts wed find the truth we craved. That we would taste that truth.

We chose diners without websites, neighborhood spots that cater to cash-carrying foot traf-fic. We were on a quest to explore and explode the definition of what a greasy spoon can and should be: to test the bounds of authenticity, to feel its taut elastic breaking pointto see the food at the end of our forks quivering at the moment of truth.

And we wanted French toast and watery coffee. We wanted those more than anything.

Queens Diners


#5 Goodfellas Diner(nee Clinton)56-26 Maspeth Avenue, Maspeth

In the notoriously fickle restau-rant business, a diner sticking to its guns is a moral victory of grand proportions. For years, the Clinton Diner in Maspeth was the Juror 8 of diners, a mecca of greasy purity refusing to cash in on their numer-ous film credits or upgrade their menu with high-priced novelty dishes. Nor did they reupholster

their well-worn booths. Nor did they remedy the ever expanding nicks in their 60s era countertop. The Clinton was The Price is Right of local diners; one that customers could rest assured wouldnt mod-ernize their dcor or replace their seasoned staff with mustachioed hipsters.

Thats why a shiny new sign on what had for glorious years past been the Clintons wall welcom-ing the hungry to Goodfellas Diner put us on edge. It looked like the owners had finally gone Hollywood on us. Upping the ante, a fresh sticker on the door advertised Wi-Fi

But our anxiety proved to be short lived. We entered Good-fellas to the same time capsule which has proved irresistible to many the location scout. Same wait staff. Same seasoned cooks. After sitting down, we

craned our necks around, trying to catch something out of place: a cappuccino machine or Ray Liottas boxers framed as memorabilia. No dice. The place was just how we remembered it, right down to the duct tape holding those standard-issue red-and-white vinyl booths together. Likewise, the menu appeared unchanged, the only noticeable difference being the name and then we went to the bathroom and glimpsed, sigh, a couple of hipsters in a corner booth taking advantage of the Wi-Fi. Still, no Hollywood prices at Goodfellas. The coffee is still perfectly watery, the counter more banged up than ever.

We had coffee, bacon, and French toast. With a side of cau-tious relief. Then move on to the next joint.

Pops Diner44-29B Kissena Boulevard, Flushing

Nostalgia is the heart of authen-ticity.

Cozy Saturdays in front of an an-cient television; sugar cookies and whole milk on the verge of spoiling; sunlight shining through the dust settling on unfashionable dcor. If Pops Diner in Flushing doesnt quite fulfill all the criteria for a photo realistic nostalgia trip to grandmas house, its close enough to turn our thoughts a hazy shade of golden. The fact that Pops origi-nal color palate of shabby gold and burgundy is still intact doesnt hurt either. Nor do the hanging plants and hexagonal Lucite pendant lighting, which we know wouldve made Nana feel right at home.

Aesthetics aside, Pops swings to the far left field of the accept-able diner spectrum and then back again: definitive standards such as omelets and sausage share menu space with envelope pushers like filet of sole and roast chicken. All this is served with a smile and/or grunt from a mish-mashed staff of friendly youths and gruff veterans, lending our visit a changing-of-the-guards slice-of-life narrative.

Torn by these disparaging ele-ments, we fretted over our bacon and coffee. Finally, we let nostalgia have its way: As long as Pops keeps their breakfast specials affordable, their potted plants just a little dry, and the TV a comforting murmur,

well let the menu slide. Its what grandma would have wanted.

#4


#3Alpha Donuts45-16 Queens Boulevard, Sunnyside

Spending the day scarfing the best pancakes, burgers, and bacon in Queens left us in dire need of caffeine. And desert. So we drifted over to Sunnyside for the tradi-tional diner pick-me-up of sinkers and suds. In the process of satisfying our natural cravings, we were introduced to a little slice of semi-authentic diner heaven.

Nestled between a cell phone store and a beauty salon in the shadow of Sun-nysides imposing elevated tracks, Alpha Donuts is as streamlined and anachronistic as the 1980s video arcade font of its exterior sign. Inside we found a luncheonette style setup (counter, no booths),

with low-set stools that ensured not craning your neck when order-ing would result in an eyeful of the soup jockeys crotch. Adorning the walls we found the (thankfully straightforward) menu, backlit and

handwritten, along with a smattering of dollar store Easter decorations. And that was it. No kitsch. And oh, no, nothing

at all even remotely fancy. Speaking of fancy: The Al-

pha waiters are efficient, gruff, no-nonsense and old enough to pull it all off with dignity and charm. And dang if our coffee wasnt perfectly watery the kind of cup that could keep us hanging around reading Bu-kowski til the bars close. Which we nearly did.

Some would argue that lun-cheonettes arent, by definition, true diners. To them we say, shut up and pass the salt.

Orange Hut5317 Broadway, Woodside

There was a time before we became rich and successful jour-nalists; a time, not long ago, when we were poets, hungry for language and food. During these years, one of our great pleasures was crawling wearily from our shabby board-inghouse room to the local diner, which rewarded our picky tastes by charging an extra .25 for let-tuce and tomatoes. Not only did we save ourselves money, but we were granted a measure of dignity by our fellow patrons, who nodded approvingly when we ordered those thin burgers plain.

So entering Orange Hut, a grubby little luncheonette at the corner of Northern Ave and Broadway in Woodside, was a homecoming of sorts.

Not only are the veggies there a $.50 upcharge, but Orange Hut is easily the most reasonably priced diner weve visited in years. We

mean reasonable: with a cheese-burger clocking in at just under $3, we nearly felt compelled to order the upcharge toppings in a quiet display of personal growth to our inner post-adolescents.

We knew we were in for some-thing special before we even crossed the threshold: The exterior is classic prefab diner, with the weathered charm of a used dishwasher left on the curb for a night or three. Id est: Exactly whats missing from some of the archi-tecturally dependent diners on this list.

As for those af-fordable menu

items, they were among the best we sampled. Our pancakes were fluffy-yet-filling, and the sausage was alchemically good. The watery coffee came in a paper cup. To stay.

#2


8/15/13

8/15/13

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8/15/138/15/138/15/13


Top Five

in Queensgyms

AlTernATive

#1Steves Coffee Shop40-34 162nd Street, Flushing

We ask the owner of Steves Coffee Shop in Flushing if we can take a few pictures. He agrees, on the condition that two things are in frame: Steves original faux marble countertop, and the 1930s era black-and-white picture on the adjacent wall. Featuring that same counter.

We cant blame him. After all, countertops are the defining facet of a diner, each one a living record written in coffee and cash. The hub of commerce. A crown thats held a thousand crown jewels. Steves counter, dating all the way back to 1923, is one gorgeous example.

Beyond that, Steves is perhaps the most elegantly composed diner we can remember visiting, with tasteful art on the walls, mod-ern made but classy lighting, a wall of immaculate steel behind the grill, and that beautiful green faux- marble counter. Our mother always used to say that cleanliness is next to godliness. And if thats true, Steves is pure greasy spoon heaven.

Oxymorons aside, the prices arent ex-actly pre-depression era, but theyre right on par for 2013. And the cof-fee cant be beat: at just a shade above watery, its the kind of coffee one can spend a day drink-ing for the taste without getting the shakes.

Did we mention the hats? Not only does Steves feature a classically com-posed interior, but the staff are decked out in a diner garb so traditional they would appear to be wearing hand me downs from their 1930s coun-terparts, if only they werent so immaculately clean.

Sadly, we like our diners just a little grungier. But thats just a matter of taste: We wanted some-

thing authentic, but our notion of authenticity springs from a world without shiny new diners, which is what Steves most closely ap-proximates. Clean and composed may take us some getting used to. Meanwhile, well definitely be tak-ing mom here for breakfast.


Top Five

in Queensgyms

AlTernATive

ForesT Hills mArTiAl ArTs gym

At this Queens martial arts gym, the student has become the master.Steven Sciandra, 44, began attending the Martial Arts Gym in Forest Hills when it first opened in 1986. Since then he won the Jiu Jitsu World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, and now hes back in Forest Hills, where he is shihan (head instructor) and sharing his knowledge with a new generation

of fighters.Sciandra teaches various forms of martial arts, including judo, mixed martial arts, and Kali. Not only are his students losing weight and getting healthy, they are strengthening their focus and helping them with multiple aspect of their lives. It used to be just a group of guys, from 18 to 25, that wanted to get together and fight, Sciandra said.

Now its all about the kids coming in with their parents and learning discipline, fitness, and down the line they learn self-defense. Students as young as four are students at Martial Arts Gym.With the kids, if theyre not having fun, no matter what, they lose their attention, he said.

5

When most people walk into a gym they have an idea of what to expect: a row of treadmills, large mirrors, people lifting heavy things. In Queens, however, more and more gyms are helping members break a sweat in a more unconventional way. The fitness scene is becoming more focused on becoming a well-rounded athlete, and Queens is ahead of the game. From martial art to Crossfit workouts, the borough is embracing alternative forms of working out.

116-22 Queens Boulevard

by Andrew Pavia


Top Five AlTer

nATive gyms in Q

ueens

pHArAoHs Army FiTness Club

Here you wont find machines.My facility, will have no machines, explains Ari Harris, founder and owner of Pharaohs Army Fitness Clu. My tagline is, we dont use machines, we build machines.The gym focuses on kettle bell swings and Total Body Exercise suspension. You can use one kettle bell and target your upper body, lower body and trunks, Harris said. This style of exercise, while not so flashy, has proven results, with some participants burning as much as 1,000 calories per hour. This owner is armed with thirteen years of experience as a personal trainer, and says the quality of his workout separates him from the many personal gyms that have sprung up across the borough over the recent year.s.The quality of training has gone way, way down, he said. There are too many jacks of all trades and masters of none.

4

Crossfit

Force Fitness

The Cliffs

Pharaoh Army

Forest Hills Martial Arts

116-16 Queens Boulevard


Top Five AlTernATive gyms in QueensTHe CliFFs

This gym is a place where you really have to watch your step. When it opens later this summer, The Cliffs will be the largest rock climbing facility in New York, and one of the largest in North America.Our goal is to build the biggest and best rock facility, says owner Mike Wolfert.With over 30,000 square feet of climbing terrain, this is a place where Queens residents can go for everything from hurdling 16-foot boulders to using 2,000 square feet of cardio equipment or having a fun birthday party. While living in San Fransico, Wolfert discovered rock climbing and it has become a passion in his life ever since. Now with his very own indoor facility, he stresses people can experience the physical benefits of rock climbing without all of the danger.Theres always that fear of dealing with heights, but practically its not the same thing, Wolfert explained. Its in a controlled environment, youre on a rope and if you let go of the wall there is no impact involved. It even has less impact than running or most traditional sports because youre not hitting the ground with each step. 3

11-11 44th Drive


Top Five AlTer

nATive gyms in Q

ueens

ForCe FiTness Club

While this gym may look like your typical fitness center, looks can be deceiving. In an attempt to adapt with the changing fitness scene, Force Fitness is offering Crossfit classes, kettle bell workouts and even training for obstacle course races. The gym prides itself on the many options it can offer members. In fitness, you cant stay stagnant and its the same for business, says owner Mike Romer. He explains that a Special Forces-style class

was created recently at Force Fitness to prepare people for Spartan Races, Warrior Dashes and Tough Mudder obstacle courses. Romer said that its important to adapt to whats popular, and high-intensity workouts are whats in style now. Were not the typical fitness pub, said Romer. Youre going to come in and do a ton of crazy things.

263-03 Fresh Pond Road


CrossFiT DynAmix

This gym is so alternative that its not even called a gym, its a box. Crossfit Dynmaix has been open just over a year, but its already ranked in the Top 20 Crossfit boxes in the world. The box prides itself on not being another globo-gym by creating a family environment. I think youll find that most people here consider this place their home away from home, said owner Jusin Cotler.Crossfit workouts are meant to prevent physical decay as people age, while simultaneously working to make the individual a well-rounded athlete. Whereas most gyms concentrate on a persons appearance, the idea behind Crossfit is all based on performance. A lean, ripped physique is just a side effect, says Cotler. The box opened in February of 2012 and already has over 300 members, who mostly heard of the facility through word of mouth. Membership is growing so fast that Cotler is purchasing the facility next door and expanding. While Crossfit is meant to harden the body, it turns out that it is also strengths willpower and mind.I saw what it was doing to people, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually, says Cotler. I saw how it was changing peoples lives.

2

1

Top Five AlTernATive gyms in Queens

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.


Somewhere in a box of keepsakes, I

have a small, cheap metal disc with my

name embossed on it. One of my earliest

memories is my grandmother giving me

a few cents that I deposited into a slot

in a magical machine in an arcade off

the Rockaway boardwalk. I pushed the

buttons spelling my

name, and out came

a little souvenir. I put

it in my little pail and

went down to the

ocean. I recall losing it

in the sand and being

delighted when my grandmother found

it. That night, I proudly showed it to

my great aunts Sophie and Fay, who

wintered in East Flatbush, but had a

little summer bungalow in Arverne,

where I was staying. In fact, most East

Flatbush residents had bungalows in

Rockaway in those days the entire

neighborhood decamped so everybody

had the same friends on Beach 49th

Street in Queens as they did on East

49th Street in Brooklyn.

Thats my first memory of Rockaway. I

loved it then, and I love it now. As a kid,

there was nothing more exciting than

racing down to the beach, charging

ahead of my grandparents, who were

no doubt schlepping plastic webbed

beach chairs, umbrellas, bags of tuna

s a n d w i c h e s

and bottles of

C o p p e r t o n e

(which we used

to get a healthy

tan). Jumping

the waves,

exploring for

shells especially the iridescent ones

and attempting to catch minnows

with a towel were perfect ways for a

seven-year-old to spend a summer

day. Over time, it all changed. Sophie

and Fay got a little too old to rent the

bungalow, my grandparents moved to

Florida, and other beaches beckoned.

But the soft spot for Rockaway always

remained in my heart. I have been

fortunate to travel to beaches along the

Pacific, Caribbean and Mediterranean,

but they just dont do it for me. Sure the

crowds are sparser in Amagansett and

the sand is finer in Montego Bay, but in

my mind diving into the Atlantic Ocean

and looking back at the Manhattan

Skyline is one heck of a great beach

experience.

Going to school in New York in the

1970s, Id go to Rockaway with college

friends. Taking the A train across the

bay or seeing the Moorish towers at Riis

Park always put me a good mood. Sure,

Rockaway had changed since I was a

kid. Many of the bungalows were gone,

Zomicks Bakery (great rye bread) in Far

Rockaway moved out, the arcades were

on their last legs, and even Levines

Washington Hotel which as a child

I thought was the height of elegance

was no longer. But the beach always

sold me. I took up running and the

boardwalk, though desolate sometimes

even on a nice day, was always a great

venue. And of course at the end of the

run a dip in the ocean made it worth

the trip no matter the time of year!

My Love Affair with Rockaway by SETH BORNSTEIN


Seth Bornstein is the Executive Director of theQueens Economic Development Corporation.In his spare time, he is a Rockaway Beach bum.

As I ran along the boardwalk, Id see the large tracts of land

where Sophies bungalow once stood. As I waited on the A train

platform, Id glance at the rundown shopping corridors. The

Rockaways looked depressed even on a sunny day, but I knew

the potential. I was fortunate to work in the Queens Borough

Presidents Office in the 1990s, when plans were made for the

Arvene-by-the-Sea housing development. It was exciting to see

the drawings become reality and watch the structures being

built. During that same period, I was delegated to assist in the

relocation and rebuilding of the Joseph P. Addabbo Health Center

(now located in a beautiful building on Beach 62nd Street, it is

a project which makes me enormously proud). Since that time, I

have had the opportunity to work on a number of projects in the

Rockaways.

Over the last decade, the term Rockaway Renaissance truly

defined what was happening. Arverne-by-the-Sea is a great

example of a planned community that takes into account

aesthetic, economic and environmental needs. The new

concessions along the boardwalk, spearheaded by Rockaway

Taco, attracted a new crowd to the beach. Slowly the peninsula

was changing. Sure there were still areas that needed significant

attention, but overall the community was on an

upswing. Until Hurricane Sandy.

Driving down Rockaway Beach Boulevard a few

days after the hurricane and seeing people lined up for food

and supplies near the piles of rubble broke my heart. Seeing the

debris on the beach shocked me. This was a paradise. Only a few

weeks earlier my wife Diane and my daughters Madeline and

Kerry were enjoying sangria, Moroccan couscous and nachos on

the boardwalk while listening to music. It all disappeared in a

few hours.

Through our work at the Queens Economic Development

Corporation I have been fortunate to participate in helping to

revitalize Rockaway. Our Queens Tourism Council bought the

rights to the Ramones song, Rockaway Beach, and now that

iconic summer tune is the background music for a radio ad

campaign. Our Its In Queens! website lists all sorts of events

taking place on the peninsula this summer. The A train is rolling,

the Rockabus is rocking, the ferry is sailing and Zipcar is zipping.

People are coming back whether out of support or just for a

great day at the beach. NYC Small Business Services, Citi and a

committed merchants group are revitalizing Beach 116th Street

and the surrounding environs. Our QEDC Business Services team

is providing counseling and training sponsored by Capital One

Bank. It is a community on the mend.

Rockaway will come back. It has to. Its the greatest beach in

New York City. And I still love going out there and jumping in

the water. The best time is early morning. Admittedly,

I am a lousy swimmer, but for all the Jewish mothers

out there (especially mine) please know that I never

swim alone. My good buddy Dave shares my affinity

for the sea, and he is a much better swimmer than I. So well go

out there at the crack of dawn and dive in. There is no better way

to start the day.


Expressions Embroidery opened in 1996, and since then has offered screen-printing services to a variety of garment manufactures, pro-motion companies, restaurants, commercial contractors and fashion designers throughout the city. Company president George Hanakis and his staff of graphic artists, digitizers and machine operators use over 100 state-of-the-art embroidery machines to design and manu-facture everything on site. If Citi Bank has a picnic and wants 300 shirts for the event, then Ill embroider the shirts for them, Hanakis said. We can do dozens of them at a time for different clothing lines. We have a lot of promotional companies and startup clothing lines.

Their expert needlework, whether on a jacket, a youth league baseball jersey or a fabric napkin or handkerchief, stands out among some of the most detailed and professional in the business. I grew up in Queens and Im very comfortable here, he said. Its just where my lifes been. I live in Long Island now, but once a Queens boy, always a Queens boy.

Since 1888, Abbot and Abbot Box Corporation has manu-factured quality shipping boxes, custom packing and crat-ing services. The company has seen its products featured on movie sets and backdrops, and they have been used by the military as well as for commercial and industrial use. Their boxes have also been used to transport high-end furniture, glass and art both to customers in the United States and overseas. President Stuart Gleiber bought the company in March of 1966 and loves the convenient location that Long Island

City provides for his business. In five minutes I can be in Manhattan or I can be on the Triboro Bridge heading to the Bronx, he said. In addition to custom-made boxes and crates, Abbot and Abbot also make pallets, skids, custom foam fabrication and corrugated cartons, stock size cartons and promotional boxes. The business also provides on- and off-site packing and crating, and will visit a site to determine the best ship-ping and packaging options.

With 35 years of experience, Awards Signs Etching has served celebrities like Mike Tyson and Hillary Clinton along with several congressmen, senators, teams and even leagues. The business struggled at first according to Sajjad Khalfan, Jr., who prefers to go by J.R. His store manufactures awards, banners, digital printing, glass and crystal awards, name badges and tags and indoor and outdoor signs for all kinds of businesses, government agencies and financial institutions. He also manufactures signs for the city and state of New York, as well

as the mayors office. It was very tough the first six months, Khalfan said. We had no customers. We started from scratch. I would be in the shop until three or four in the morning because I had no help. Khalfan recently moved from his Queens location, but he sees Queens as a great place to start a business. The second most beautiful place to open a business is absolutely Queens, he said. It has become the new midtown. If you go to Long Island City, Forest Hills or Rego Park; its not the equivalent of Times Square, but it will get there.

For the past five years, Arlene Young has provided scarves and stoles for school graduations. This school came to me and asked to make stoles for them, said Young who was intrigued by the request and continued making them. The scarves and stoles are made of satin or kente cloth (combination of silk and cotton) and may come with school colors, name or logo draped over the graduation class. Young takes orders for standard scarves as well as logo and mascot scarves, and custom orders.

Chim Samuel, the manager of IRT Manufacturing, is in charge of running a business that has been specializing in party favors for Jewish religious events for 18 years. IRT designs, creates, and produces t-shirts, sweatshirts, socks and necklaces for bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs and a variety of religious holidays. They also design party favors accord-ing to the theme of the party, such as sports, music, travel and more. They take pride in running their business in an ethnically diverse neighborhood. Growing up in Queens, you naturally connect with it, Samuel said. I love the culture here. Everything is so reasonable in Queens, like the prices. It is far cheaper than Manhattan or Brooklyn.

Shabbir Arif opened his new business just two months ago, focusing on indoor and outdoor signs, window and door lettering, banners, magnetic signs, decals and even vehicle wraps. Sign-A-Rama can also make custom and spe-cialty items like light box signs, channel letters, graphics, logos, real estate signs, exterior signs, trade show signs, lawn signs and architectural signs. I used to live here. I love the borough, Arif said. Queens has a rapidly growing His-panic and Indian community, and by staying in Queens, our diverse workplace matches well with the diverse area around us.

10: ExprEssion EmbroidEry

11.Abbot & Abbot box

12. AwArds sign Etching

13. mAryAm scArvEs14. irt mAnufActuring15. sign-A-rAmA

mAdE in QuEEns

Theres plenty of famous things that have their origins here in Queens, from Stein-way pianos to Vitamin Water. For this issue of Its Queens, we chose to focus on some companies making things here in Queens that might be off your radar, but

deserve your attention nonetheless.

179-10 93rd Avenue, JamaicaForest Hills 93-15 179th PlaceJamaica

Elmhurst

37-11 10th Street, Long Island City

179-10 93rd Avenue, Jamaica


6: Artistic stitch

7: thE 7-LinE

In 1996, Sal Loretta turned his garage into what would become the embroidery company Artistic Stitch. Since the company began, it continued growing and adding on services that are all performed in Queens. Lorettas company soon undertook screen-printing in addition to embroidering and became involved in the community, making team uniforms and working with schools like Christ the King High School. Last year, Artistic Stitch began training athletes, no longer just clothing them. At their Glendale location, Artistic Stitch houses batting cages, training camps, a rock-climbing wall, and personal training lessons. Sports are an important part of growing up, and if I can help in that process in a positive way, all the better, said Loretta.

Darren Meenan has been printing t-shirts since 1998, and after wearing a home-made design to the last game of the Mets 2009 season that read I Survived, he decided to turn his passion for baseball into a career. It was just a fun shirt and some fans wanted to know where to buy one, said Meenan, owner of The 7 Line, a privately run Mets apparel business. Today, he has over 20,000 Face-book followers waiting for his next installment of the Mets-themed clothing and items. Meenan not only makes his own clothes, but he also turned his business into a Mets fan club, buying up to 500 road game tickets for local fans. Tickets include a shirt in the package so everyones out there wearing our shirts, he said of his Group Outing packages. We try to make it for the fans so people know were at the ballpark.

Erin Blacks daughter Lyla drew a good monster when she was three years old and explained that it would protect her while she slept. Black used her experience as a costume designer to bring the monster off the page and into her daughters hand. Now its a business run from the family living room in Astoria and even continues to takes Lylas, now 6, creative instruction into consideration. Every member of the family is working to further the busi-nesses by taking custom orders, handmaking products and participating in trade shows to spread the word. Black is also turning to Kickstarter to raise money to help fund a book to bring the characters to life. It actually works, said Black. The amount of feedback we get is outstanding. Lyla Tov means good night in Hebrew, and thats exactly what the monsters have been giving children since Black crafted one for her daughter three years ago.

Patrice Lee describes Spirited Gems as jewelry to inspire, transform and lift the spirit. With a background in art and design, she started her business in 2003. The jewelry soon be came a big hit, and she soon got a handle on what her costumers wanted: gems. Her gems are not only beautiful, but each type of gem has significance. For example the stone amazonite can calm

nerves and emotions. I like to work with gem stones based on their mean-ing, Lee said. Lees top selling gems are amethyst, turquoise, carnelian, and citrine. Lee custom makes bracelets, allowing the costumer to use any stone combination they want. According to Lee having a business in Queens brings costumer-based diversity. Queens is such a big melting pot, Lee said.

8: spiritEd gEms

9: LyLA tov monstErs Astoria

48-01 42nd Street, Long Island City

Jamaica

78-08 Cooper Avenue, Glendale


Rainbow Leather has been keeping Queens in style for over 25 years from its manufacturing location in College Point. This family-owned company works with stylists to supply leather goods and high fashion products.

When we hear polka-dots are hot, we pull out our polka dot embossing plates, said Richard Lipson, president of Rainbow Leather. We buy all the ingredients and cook them up to create our own special leathers.

Despite using equipment from 70 years ago, this team of 10 employees

still finds a way to stay ahead of the fashions trends. Suppliers have said that the costs pale in the compassion of the Euro-pean goods.

Not only is this printing and embroidering leather company the only of its kind in Queens, it is the only one in the United States as well.

We dont have direct competition, Lipson said. No one else does any-thing like we do. Were unique and

specialized. Along with manufacturing leather

to high fashioned designers; Rainbow Leather also supplies to footwear, ac-cessories and furniture industries.

When most people think of Long Island City, they probably dont in-stantly think of pasta, but that might be changing. Theyre mind isnt filled with thoughts of artisan pasta or ravioli, but it should be.

The Ravioli Store has been operating in LIC since 2006, and has been redefin-ing the traditional stuffed past with non-traditional flavors like butternut squash, potato truffle and sweet potato fig. Our flavor profiles are really bold and strong and sometimes bor-dering on funky, said owner Mi-chael Nasoff. Unusual just gives a chef an opportunity to create. Nasoff said the unusual ingredi-ents means the Ravioli Store never competes with the traditional cheese ravioli market, something that Nasoff said he doesnt want to do. Were an artisan company, he said. We do a lot of hand-made and custom products.

Since moving to Long Island City, weve expanded into also selling to the retail channel, said Nasoff. So we sell to stores like Fairway, Fresh Direct and a lot of gourmet stores. Looking toward the future, Nasoff said that the two main goals are to create a gluten-free pasta and become USDA certified, allowing the company to stuff ravioli with meat and poultry. Its great to see all the residential growth in Long Island City and now the supporting business community, including restaurants, however these smaller restaurants very quickly find themselves in cash-flow problems. Nasoff said. But it is definitely a great new opportunity.

Rhonda Feinman, the owner of Rhon-da Feinman Custom Frames, Inc., has made her own way in the custom de-signed, hand-carved wooden picture frame business when she started her own manufacturing company back in 2001.

We get our wood locally, from a sawmill in Connecticuit and in upstate New York, Feinman said.

Often using bass, poplar or maple wood in her work, Feinmans team of 16 frame makers utilize a 7,500-square-foot Woodside warehouse space to produce up to 100 gold leave-finished frames each week for a variety of cus-

tomers like art galleries, picture frame stores or museums.

I employ people with a living wage in manufacturing and thats really im-portant, she said. There are some that do that, but not a lot.

Her customers can choose from a wide variety of pre-selected frames, they can have one made from scratch or even reproduce an antique.

Theres a huge range, she said. We make them from very huge to very tiny.

While originally located in LIC nearly 11 years ago, Feinman said she is happy to be at her new location.

We moved because the lease was up

and everything around us was turning into residential, she said. Im per-fectly happy here. Its good. We like Woodside.

3: rAinbow LEAthEr

4: thE rAvioLi storE

5: rhondA fEinmAn custom frAmEs 55-15 37th Avenue, Woodside


14-15 112th Street, College Point


Clara Kasavina and husband Misha Berger decided on Long Island City as the place to launch their fashion business after they outgrew their first workspace: their kitchen.

This husband-and-wife duo relies on the creativity of Kasavina and the craftsmanship of Berger to create unique pieces of jewelry, bags and other accessories.

While they still refer to it as a small business, Clara Kasavina products have been worn by stars such as Rhi-anna, Jamie Lynn Sigler and Beyonce.

The two are originally from the for-mer Soviet Union and were introduced by their parents in the United Stated. At the time, Kasavina was a computer programmer and Berger was an out-of-work model maker who needed to make ends meet.

This is when I realized that he can

do something that not everyone can. If you cant find a job, lets go into busi-ness together, Kasavina recalls telling her husband.

Belt buckles replaced the fine china on their kitchen table, and as Berger worked on his craft, Kasavina called retailers.

Every door practically opened for us, she said.

Once they began to make some noise in the fashion industry a contractor agreed to work with them. However, the contractor eventually quit because the intense creativity made them hard to deal with, said Kasavina.

That was when the two made their way to Long Island City, with offices and a small showcase in the front and a factory in the back where the hand-crafted pieces are made.

Clara Kasavina was the recipient of

the 5th Annual Independent Designer Handbag Award of 2011, and was nominated for best use of Swarovski elements in 2010.

When asked about the growing trends taking over Long Island City, the two said that they were pleased with the direction the neighborhood is going.

We are surrounded by artists, even in our building, Kasavina said. And I feel that we are one of the companies that are contributing to this move-ment.

Berger said that local legislators and the mayor should work on legislation that would make Long Island City a tax-free zone for small businesses.

Especially for people like small art-ists who are renting little rooms and are scrambling for money to pay rent, Berger said. Its not easy for those people.

1: cLArA KAsAvinA

For over 50 years, Plexi-Craft has been designing, fabricating and provid-ing acrylic furniture, fixtures and acces-sories across the five boroughs with a special emphasis on custom crafted items. George Frech-ter purchased the company in 1972 and it has been in the hands of the family ever since. Once located in Man-hattans Lower East Side, the company moved to Long Island City in 2008.

We moved here five years ago because its the new center of design in NYC, said Ethan Steiner, the head

of marketing and product manager. The new location allows the business to interact with designers, fabricators and other businesses in the industry.

Acrylic began to fade in the 1980s when more thoughtful designs started appearing in the market, according to Georges son Allen Frechter. By the

1990s, acrylic was used as a supplemental piece to com-pliment other furniture.

Now, designers consider acrylic much as they do steel, granite, and wood. Its an-other tool or material in their kit of resources, Allen said. They want a fabricator who can make anything they need out of acrylic. Thats where we shine.

2: pLExi-crAft 30-02 48th Avenue, Long Island City



CovER SToRy


Its been nearly two years since Astorias own Kaitlin Monte took the title of Miss New York in 2011, but the

journey she began years ago was just the start.

by Andrew Schilling

MIss NewYorKMIss New YorKstIll At worK

stIll At worK


Becoming Miss New York wasnt enough. I had to prove that I deserved it

Becoming Miss New York wasnt enough. I had to prove that I deserved it

On a typical day, this overnight local celebrity will typically wake up and head to work with a development team of Columbia University interns in an organization she helped launch combating digital defamation.

Depending on the day, Monte will also host the television show NBC Trivia on Weekend Today in New York, or fill the role as face of the Mets on Mets Insider on SportsNet New York.

I still take the subway, I still have to pay my rent and nothing gets handed to me, Monte said looking

back on her push to the limelight. I also realize that fame and that concept is all very fleeting, so as soon as you trust it to be there, it wont be and that is the New York mentality.

Her dream of becoming Miss New York came following graduation from the University of Tampa

in 2008 when she was just 19 years old, earning a double major in Performance Art and Public Relations.

While aspiring to become an actress and serving as an active member of the USO of Metropolitan New York, Monte combined her two loves in life and forged a brand new path for herself.

Becoming Miss New York wasnt enough. I had to prove that I deserved it, she said. Getting a job, doesnt mean that I deserved to get it, its how do I perform within the job.

Monte was the recipient of the Anti-Defamation Leagues 2012 No Place for Hate: Difference Maker of the Year for her Anti-bullying Through Leadership campaign.

Through the program, she has reached out to over 10,000 students across 100 schools in

the boroughs, where she says the age of cyberbullying has created far-reaching problems among our youth.

When I was in school you could fight bullying by keeping one person from accessing another person, and a rumor could only expand as far as the attention span of the group, Monte explained. People just get over it and they want to talk about something else.

In her one hour presentation for students from kindergarten through 12th grade, Monte helps children and parents cope with the fast-

growing digital age by teaching strategies for handling bullies, places to go to get help. She also serves as the young familiar face in an older crowd of supervisors and authoritative figures.

So many of these kids werent taught how to make better choices, Monte explained. They see their


parents yell at each other or their dad punch a wall and they think thats how they deal with stress. We cant blame them for things if they havent been exposed to different options.

In Cyberbully Census, Monte teamed up with the New York State Independent Democratic Conference to help lawmakers gain a better understanding of bullying online.

She says children who bully often just need attention to help uncover a greater problem.

Childrens worlds have expanded because of the Internet, but their scope and their understanding hasnt necessarily kept up, so its difficult because they dont understand the repercussions of taking these fights online, she explained. We just cant blame them for things when they havent been exposed to different options.

Along with her focus on a bullying in the community, Monte also fulfills her passion of reporting and publicity marketing with major television networks, NBC and SNY.

On Mets Insider, Monte interviews players and gives a behind-the-scenes look at the team. On NBC Trivia, she hits the air on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Weekend Today in New York.

As she manages her busy life post-Miss New York, she says she can always look to the rest of the blue-collar working world in the city for motivation on keeping her eyes on the prize.

Theres always someone working harder than you and always someone willing to wake up earlier and work those extra hours, she said. Anytime I feel like Im slacking, I try to think, Did I meet a level that I feel was competitive today?

One thing is certain, wherever Miss New York is going in life, she is not only making a better for herself, but for all New Yorkers.

Weve all seen people who got a job they didnt deserve and I never want anyone to say that about me, Monte said. If you dont work and you dont hustle, it will all go away.

Anytime I feel like Im slacking, I try to think, Did I meet a level that I feel was competitive


Experts in both U.S. & Import Car ServiceAuto RepAiR CoRp.AMEF

Air Conditioning ServiceAlignment & BalancingNYS DOT School Bus Inspection Facility

(718) 672-9758 | (718) 476-8891 | 74-02 Grand Avenue, Elmhurst

Owned

& operated

by residents

of our

community

FrAnz SchwEitzErPartner

KEvin woltErHead Mechanic

ricK MEtzGErPartner


For more than three decades, Stephen D. Hans & Associates, p.C. has repre-sented new York businesses involved in labor disputes, employment lawsuits and employment-related government agency investigations.

The attorneys at Stephen D. Hans & As-sociates have a proven track record of successfully defending countless com-mercial enterprises and individual busi-ness owners in both new York State and Federal Courts. Located in Long Island City, nY, the law firm of Stephen D. Hans & Associates, p. C. represents small and mid-sized businesses in connection with any em-ployment related matter, including liti-gation defense and government agency investigations.

They represent companies and busi-ness owners across a wide range of fields, including non-profit organiza-tions, doctors and medical practices, restaurants, building owners and man-agers, construction and security com-panies, law firms and lawyers, whole-salers and distributors and suppliers, car washes, grocery stores and several

other types of commercial operations.

Their practice involves all aspects of employment law defense and consult-ing, from compliance and regulatory issues to human resources counseling and employment-related litigation.

In todays business climate, employ-ment-related litigation is often an un-fortunate reality for employers and a necessary cost of doing business in new York. At Stephen D. Hans & As-sociates, they know the frustration and disillusionment employment lawsuits and investigations can cause.

Stephen D. Hans & Associates, p.C. is recognized as a top new York law firm for their extensive knowledge, experi-ence and professional skills.

I have personally known Stephen D. Hans for many years and I highly rec-ommend him as an outstanding em-ployment and labor attorney. Over the years, Stephen D. Hans & Associates has handled numerous legal matters referred by my firm with great skill, care and attention, says peter F. Vallone,

Sr. former speaker of the new York City Council. Stephen D. Hans has practiced law in Queens County, new York for over 35 years. He has successfully repre-sented a wide range of individuals and organizations in such forums as the public Employment Relations Board, the nYS and U.S. Departments of La-bor, the nYS Division of Human Rights, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportu-nity Commission, the Office of Admin-istrative Trials and Hearings, the U.S. District Courts and the new York State Courts.

Stephen Hans is also involved in vari-ous professional and civic associations, such as: Queens County Bar Asso-ciation, Board of managers, Queens County Bar Association Labor Rela-tions Committee, Association of the Bar of the City of new York, Labor Law panel, board member and counsel of the Chamber Orchestra of new York Counsel and former Board member of the Queens Botanical Garden and board member of the Boys & Girls Club of new York.

Employers are Protecting Their Rights Too

Stephen D. Hans & Associates

a d v e r t o r i a l


Stephen D. Hans & Associates

Elder Care Services Inc. and its presi-dent Jack Lippmann have been helping individuals maneuver through the med-icaid process seamlessly for more than 18 years.

As an accomplished speaker and health care professional, Jack Lippmann takes the complex application processes out of the patients hands and uses a number of tools including; pooled-income-trust to

help the elderly get through their golden years with the peace of mind they de-serve.

By using Elder Care, clients get to real-ize the most from medicaid. Everyone who walks through their front door is asked to sit down with every for a guidance session on what is needed, what assets are available and the steps on how to protect their assets and get

the most from medicaid.

Some of their services include applying for pooled income trusts and advocating for longer home care hours. Elder Care Services challenges any type of med-icaid denials and choice nursing home placement and protects your home.Call Jack Lippmann at 347-506-3999 for a free consultation and ask for referenc-es. Offices are in Forest Hills.


a Medicaid Professionalis Someone To Trust


Rockaway ManorHome service health care is a neces-sity for some elderly patients to provide safety and comfort in their home and still receive the necessary professional health services. As people age and are faced with more and more illnesses, it is recommended you use a reputable company to provide a wide variety of this type of special care.One up-and-coming home care compa-ny that serves clients in Queens County as well as the rest of new York City, as well as nassau County, is Rockaway manor Home Care (RmHC), a new York State Department of Health licensed home care services agency. The cor-porate office, located at 150 Beach 9th Street, Far Rockaway, is a community staple and is now in their seventh year of

operations. RmHC provides services such as: nurs-ing, physical therapy, occupational ther-apy, speech language therapy, medical social work, home health aide, home-makers and housekeepers, audiologists, nutritionists and physician services. In addition to the plethora of available amenities, RmHC guarantees the high-est quality of care to each and every in-dividual. It is important that your home care pro-vider is not only professional, but friendly as well. Thats why RmHCs motto is: At Rockaway manor Home Care, when you are a client with us, youre not a patient but youre family!patients are asked to participate in a nursing assessment to determine the

needs for their care. After insurance is verified, an interview is arranged be-tween the nurse of the home care com-pany and a plan is then documented with a menu of services are arranged and scheduled. A complete and comprehensive pre-employment screening is made for each member of the RmHC staff, including identification verification and profession-al references, a full physical examination and proof of ongoing professional train-ing in their field.For a consultation, call an expert at 516-239-8693. Rockaway manor Home Care Where youre not a patient You are family.



To Mercedes Cano, immigration is her life

For the past 13 years, mercedes Cano has been the legal voice for the diverse immigrant population in the Jackson Heights area of Queens.

She represents clients facing deporta-tion, fighting for political asylum and for those seeking green cards.

Cano has successfully represented im-migrants in immigration courts in and out of new York State and has filed appeals for the Board of Immigration Appeals for those in deportation proceedings. She has experience in real estate and busi-ness transactions and understands the need for her expert advice and guidance to help immigrant entrepreneurs and small business owners grow and thrive.

Canos story is an amazing one as she emigrated from Colombia to the U.S. in 1971 as an undocumented 16-year old who did not speak English. Life was tough, said Cano, who shared an apart-

ment with her aunt in the Bronx while at-tending school.

After she finished high school and her aunt decided it was time to return to Co-lombia, she ran away and spent a year on the streets; at times sleeping on the same no. 7 train that today rumbles past the Centro offices.

She has worked as a maid, a waitress, driven a cab for 10 years and was a union shop steward with the U. She did all this while attending Queens College and then City University of new York Law School, as she knew that education would be the foundation of her dreams.

ms. Cano received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature cum laude from Queens College and her Juris Doctor from CUnY School of Law. She has given conferences to CLRn lawyers, a community network of 250 lawyers from CUnY School of Law, on the immigration

practice and representing clients before immigration courts.

She is a member of the Queens County Bar Association, the new York State As-sociation of Criminal Defense Lawyers and American Immigration Lawyers As-sociation (AILA). She is currently the president of The Latino Lawyers Asso-ciation.

Cano opened Centro with a $13,000 grant from the initiative of public interest from Yale University and received sev-eral sponsors later that year.

Her schedule is filled and her days very busy, but she wouldnt have it any other way. I love what I do, I love the law, she said. I love the idea of giving back to life, of empowering people. I love chal-lenging authority, rectifying even the 1 percent of the wrongdoings that come through that door.



A Brief Tour of Queens Novelty Bar Scene

Hung over from last night, but not willing to call it quits on the weekend just yet? Forest Hills Spa has what you need to get your second wind. What appears to be just another bland building from the street im-mediately gives way to an expansive pool area for lounging, eating Sibe-rian pelmeni, and, most importantly, drinking Russian beer out of enor-mous glass mugs that would give Cheers Norm momentary pause. Those willing to ignore all sense of self-preservation are free to sweat out last nights whiskey in one of the saunas (the Russian room has a low ceiling and is especially hot for

it), but wed recommend sticking to the pool area, where local families frolic and the well-stocked beer bar and restaurant is never more than a few steps away. With flowing beer, hot chicken tabaka on your plate, and kids running through your legs, youll feel like youre at a subterra-nean Russian family reunion. Is there a better way to prepare for another night of drinking than that?

http://www.foresthillsspa.com/

Sweating out a hangover even while taking the first swigs toward your next; riding a mechanical bull to jello shot heaven; resisting the urge to smash a beer can against your head: Welcome to the wild and wooly world of Queens novelty bars. Presented for your pleasure are a motley assortment of the best our booze-borough has to offer. To help ease the headache of planning your weekend-long vacation from reality, we present these fine establishments in two sections: Day Drinking and Evening Drinking. Take two to ten and call us Monday morning (or afternoon, we prefer that). And please, try to enjoy responsibly.

Breastaurants, Bathhouses, &Booze

Day Drinking: Forest Hills Spa, Forest Hills: Day Drinking: Forest Hills Spa

ThE iTS liST

59-21CallowayStreetForestHills

byHoytJacobs


Ok. So therez nothing particularly novel about a Breastaurant, especial-ly in NYC where underground cave barz and go-go dancer happy hourz are so last century. Rural Kansaz may find their new Hooters franchise shocking, but for everyone else, its a pass deal. And Canz is as Breastau-rant as it gets: a franchise spinning Hooters patented short shorts and wet-tee-shirt-contest ready white tanks into a decidedly unoriginal Daisy Dukes-and-black wifebeater combo and adding little else until you realize that isnt even the point. What ends up being the stand out feature of Canz are not the standard ironic signz or jaded beyond their

years waitressez, but, well, the can motif that permeatez the aestheticz of every corner in the place, from the bar stoolz to the bathroom wallpa-per. Yes, at Canz the girls take a back seat to the ownerz ap-parent can fetish. Just dont tell the lunch crowd, who range from former high school quartebacks in suits to former high school quar-terbacks in muscle shirtz, both of whom can be found smoking and flexing outside the front door.

And their menu features the most prominent use of zs since the intro-duction of Zima.

There may not be much to Champs: a small bar area with reasonably friendly, no-nonsense staff, a few si-mulcasting TVs, and scattered chairs. Etched glass images of various sporting events like boxing, horse racing, baseball? Theyve got that. But one hardly notices, bland as the overall ambiance is. (Think airport-bar-as-cinder-block and youre on the right track.) In short, its as pure

a dive bar as can be. And if that isnt enough to excite your inner Bu-kowski, the fringe benefits will: Can the ambitious customer take their drink outside to the concrete seat-ing area and watch the horses run while smoking cigarettes and eating hot dogs? Why yes. Yes they can. Cigarettes. While drinking. Need we say more? And if this isnt enough to have you gnawing at the bit, consider

that few things go better with alcohol than cigarettes except gambling of course, an indulgence Aqueduct is more than willing to facilitate should the urge strike. And if youre doing things correctly, it most certainly will. What better way to start a long night of drinking than winning or losing on the horses?

Canz

http://www.canzaciti.com/gallery.html

Champs Sports Bar

http://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/

40-1130thAvenueAstoria

110-00RockawayBoulevardSouthSouthOzonePark


Rooms of gold, semi-precious stones, and ice; a pool with jets propelling you in an out of massage chairs and colorfully illuminated jacuzzis. Massages. Sleeping rooms perfect for napping that hangover off before sweating last nights toxins away. This is Spa Castle, College Points least-kept secret and a beacon to Korean spa enthusiasts across the five boroughs.

Some have called Spa Castle the McDonalds of bath houses, and with small children running amok, one of the worst buffets in New York state, and a cartoonish waterpark vibe, it certainly doesnt compare to more adult fare a bus ride away in New Jersey. But were not here to relax; we want to drink (after sweating off last night in the Loess Soil Sauna, of course) and for that Spa Castle has not one, but two goofy options.

Tonic Lounge, the more refined of the Castles two bars, is located on the third floor, adjacent to a relative-ly decent Korean restaurant. More adult than its downstairs neighbor (well get to that in a minute), Tonic Lounge features a variety of mixed drinks, as wells as a proper bar (with illuminated bottles of your favorite

liquors), and a balcony for gazing wistfully down on the outdoor pool area while pontificating your latest geopolitical embroilment and drink-ing Sex on the Beaches from a plastic cup. Indeed, it is difficult not to imagine oneself an international trav-eler during the minutes and hours spent indulging in Tonic Lounge, though you may often feel as though youre on a layover.

On the flipside: Aqua Bar, a jacuzzi bar and restaurant where waiters serve beer and booze to happy cus-tomers soaking in ketchup infused water. (Beware, French fries are known to float by and get caught in unsuspecting bathers suits.) Its actually pretty great the Spa Castle

experience in a nutshell: booze, Americanized Korean culture, and hot water in a single shot. Weve known people to spend far more time in Aqua Bar than FDA or EPA recommendations allow. And in this case were proud to count ourselves among those bucking government regulations.

By the time we were done drinking in Spa Castles two glorious bars, we had plenty enough Dutch courage to see us into the booze-soaked night, not to mention assuage our modesty in the clothing-discouraged locker rooms downstairs.

If day drinking at one or two novelty bars gets you in the sporting mood, look no further than Elmhursts premiere adult wreck room: Play Lounge. Crave bowling? Check. Foosball? Theyve got that, too. Pool tables and ping pong? Oh yes. Want to do jello shots and watch a daring (or just drunk) lady or two ride a mechanical bull? Then simply sally on up to the bar, ask the tender for one of the cherry shots stacked uniformly in their specially designed glass-door mini-fridge, pass through the beaded curtain to your right, and behold the amateur rodeo antics for yourself. (Bring a jello shot for the rider too, while youre at it.) Neighborhood demographics ensure an assorted clientele at Play, so the place seldom suffers too much from the frat-house ambiance so common to those of its kind. But were just describing what happens after the sun goes down: if you dont feel like traveling all over the borough to pull an all-dayer, we rec-ommend enjoying a few afternoon beers and some bowling before the night crowd packs in. Jello shots available all day, people.

http://www.play-ny.com/our-venue.php

Aqua Bar and Tonic Lounge

Evening and Beyond: Play Lounge

http://spacastleusa.com/ny/food-beverage/

131-1011thAvenueCollegePoint

77-17QueensBoulevardElmhurs


A hotel bar cool enough to attract locals of a certain disposition, Penthouse 88 is a cocktail-soaked perch with views that make a trip from Manhattan worthwhile, if only to gaze at the magnificence of from whence one has come (or wishes theyd come from). Situated just to the left of arguably the most resplendent bridge in the city, the Queens-borough, Penthouse 88 is an oasis of opu-lence in the middle of an industrial area. (Think South Bushwick with an unmistak-ably Queens flavor.) The booze is flowing, the staff is stressed but accommodating, and the music pulsates an apparent mating call to the cool-water and cocktail-dress crowd populating corners of the bar not already taken by out-of-towners. Sip a cocktail, watch the sun turn the bridge a gold-beyond-golden color and snap!, youre a modern day Gatsby. The 2013 film version, of course.

http://penthouse808rooftop.com/lounge/

Full disclosure: we are total rubes when it comes to flash animation and Edwin Bonilla. Add hard-partying party people silhouettes, the beach, and a sea gull caught in a Sisyphean limbo (trust us) to the mix and theres no way we can resist. Which is why we loved Tropix Bar and Lounge in Rego Park long before stepping foot in the door. Because their website has not one, but all those features.Not being ones to judge a book by its cover, we had to check Tropix out. And it didnt disappoint. Though we arrived well before the sun had set, the joint was already packed with carefree people we choose to believe were merely taking a quick booze-break from their cruise ship jobs. With a big back loft area perfect for dancing, Tropix had us shaking it with our mixed drinks struggling to keep up. And yet: no sea sickness here, folks.

http://tropixny.com/

Tropix Bar and Lounge

Penthouse 88 8-08QueensPlazaSouthLongIslandCity

95-32QueensBoulevardRegoPark


A little slice of comfort food in a world in thrall to goofery, Gottscheer is not your average novelty bar. Ostensibly a German beer hall and with its expansive diner area, dark wood interior, and free oompah-stocked juke box , it certainly fits that mold Gottscheer has a local bar vibe but with a welcoming smile. Put simply, the staff know their beers and they make you feel right at home. But if friendliness doesnt pass for novelty in your book (and we sincerely hope it doesnt have to), consider that the

bar is 85 years old and is managed by the Ridgewood Gottschee trustees. So Gottscheer Hall isnt a German beer hall per se, but rather the alco-holic flagship of obscure European diaspora. (Lest we forget the price of history is turmoil: Gottscheer, now an ethnic enclave in Slovenia, has been in recent years a part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Duchy of Carniola, and the Kingdom of Illyria. Or so Wikipedia tells us. And, no, we dont know what a Duchy is.)But all this is irrelevant. Because

once we walked into Gottscheer Hall to be met with the smell of ancient beer and warm smiles, we were hooked. Attracting a younger crowd as the neighborhood changes, the free juke box is now semi-officially open to guest DJs (if they know you). So well keep stopping in until they let us put our special Global Kryner mix in rotation. Still here? Go! Tie one on, please.

http://www.gottscheerhall.com/

Gottscheer Hall 657FairviewAvenueRidgewood


Maspeth Dry Cleaners

69-37 Grand Ave 71-23 Eliot Ave 79-14 Eliot Ave (718) 335-6042 (718) 458-8408 (718) 803-3045

Monday-Saturday 7am-7pm

Cleaning is Our Art


Ridgewoods New Boarders:Something is happening in Ridgewood. Just a few blocks north of Bushwicks exposed brick and raw wood adorned restaurants, the artsy hip are busy planting the seeds of the next Williams-burg, usurping that title from their southern neighbors. We all know this story: one minute a handful of artists are reclaiming that dingy basement apartment in your building. Then suddenly, your East Williamsburg bodega has chandeliers and organic produce; the Puerto Rican family in 2L is gone, replaced by 20 something MFA candidates and reptilian lawyers; and the shabby molding giving way to exposed brick and flatscreens poised on atomic furniture, as the misguided define and redefine what it means to be authentic, while our inner cynics rest assured that this is the way it was and the way it will be again. In a few years

Ridgewood artists will be pushed further east to Cypress Hills or north to Maspeth to lay the gentrys groundwork. But for now, Ridgewood, like Bushwick before it, has an edge. Bearing in mind the eternal return of the New York art scene maybe its better to ask, Is something happening in Ridgewood?; something that sets the neighborhood apart from its Chelsea and Williamsburg predecessors? With this in mind, Its Queens went to the borders of our borough to see what gentrifica-tions artsy shock troops are up to before theyre priced out the neighborhood theyre converting. And though we were ambiva-lent about what we found (this is perhaps too negative), we are happy to report that the bodegas still lack chandeliers.

Half a block above the Bushwick-Ridgewood border sits a former factory converted to accommodate artists spaces and galleries. Sound familiar? Thats because it is, but not necessarily in a bad way. Though the space is reminiscent of what youve already seen a bazillion times in Williamsburg (see also: East Williamsburg), 17-17 Troutman houses some cool work and enough of it to make dropping in worth your while. This sprawling labyrinth is home to at least four gallery/stu-dios, and thats just what we could fumble our way into finding. With more than one owner/artist suggesting there are more galleries soon to come, it looks like 17-17 is becoming the go-to space for ambitious artists eager for a rent that doesnt preclude the occasional Michaels spending spree.

But what we really liked about the 17-17 galleries was the sense of cama-raderie that went above and beyond the one-stop-shopping homogeneity of the spaces themselves: while every gallery we visited was more than happy to talk about their own shows, they were equally excited when recommending a new installment down the hall or singing the praises of Regina Rex, the complexs resident flagship. This mutual promotion impressed a satisfying Chinese box narrative on our visit making our trip in, around, and through 17-17 cohere in a way decidedly less nightmarish than the David Lynchian task of simply moving

from one white box of art to the next. The occasional standout art piece (see Bull and Rams crude-animation-meets-weird-dialogue-loop display, the pastel 1980s revival paintings at Harbor, and most everything a Parallel) doesnt hurt either.

Bull and Ram:www.bullandram.blogspot.com/Harbor Gallery:www.harborbk.com/

Regina Rexwww.reginarex.org/

Various Spaces17-17 Troutman

by Hoyt JacobsA Queens Art Crawl

5Parallel Art Space:parallelartspace.com/Parallel_Art_Space/Current.html


With its proximity to Myrtle Avenue and high-standing ranking in the Ridgewood art scene, Outpost Artist Resources isnt as remote as its name would have you believe. But considering theyve been operating for 22 years, its possible things in the neighborhood have changed. (Wasnt Ridgewood a farming commu-nity in 1991?) Regardless of whether or not OAR once catered to Nan Wood Graham, for the last couple of decades theyve provided local artists access to video, audio, and custom program-ing, making them the true old guard of Ridgewood.

The space itself is Spartan-cum-science fiction: Simple U stairs and exposed duct pipes in the mezzanine; a spacious performance area; the obligatory white walls. But be warned: patrons wanting for sculptures and paintings need look elsewhere. OAR caters exclusively to the visual and audio arts, and is only open during scheduled performances. But even if youre not in the A/V club, its worth giving their performance space a drop in, particularly at show time, of course. The week

we visited the featured performer utilized handmade and traditional instruments to create aural landscapes and plain-old weird sounds. A particularly compelling setup made all the more so by being held in a yes former barn renovated in the style of MC Eschers Super Mario Bros

level.

Outpost Artist Resources:1665 Norman

4 www.outpostartistsresources.org/


Emart isnt a gallery one just wanders into. (Seri-ously, you need an appoint-ment.) Rather, its a place where one experiences a living, breathing dialogue with culture. And that culture is Polish. Situated on an unassuming stretch of Palmetto Street between Fresh Pond Road and 64th Street, Emart is Ridgewoods premier Polish gallery space dedicated to the promotion and preservation of modern Polish art. Fittingly, Emart is as warm and inviting as a plate of cheese pierogi. This is due in no small part to the hospitable owner/operator, Mietko Rudek, he of the profound mustache and burly, but open, arms. Mietko made us feel at home before wed so much as crossed Emarts threshold, with handshakes and the promise of cocktails inside.

And indeed, home was where we were: Emart is a DIY display of Mietkos own collection housed in his private residence, a townhouse where the innumerable sculptures and paintings seem poised to devour walls and furniture alike. Though Emart is home-

spun, Mieko is serious about what he does. While touring us around his various treasures, he exhibited an en-cyclopedic knowledge of Polish art and an enthusiasm for each piece bounding on ebullience, and with good cause: his collection included a little bit of every-thing, provided it is Polish, complete with a personal narrative or two to boot. (Many of the artists are Mietkos friends.) One didnt need to have a glass of whiskey in hand to enjoy the show and tell, but it didnt hurt either.

You dont look like you make enough money for that. Former pioneering Williamsburg artist Fred Valentine doesnt think we can afford the art on his walls. And hes right. Still, our feet were tired after a day of walking back and forth across Ridgewood, and his charming space on Seneca had us hooked right away: the first sight upon entering are a pair of comfy chairs arranged for optimal viewing pleasure. Alas, relaxing was off the menu once we discovered a narrow dark shaft off the main gallery delineated by a wall of steam pipes on one side and back-lit-satanic-insect-collages on the other. We generally find hells gates compelling, and were cuckoo for photo-collage. When said collage features photographs of naked humans, broken glass, wood grain, and fabric all smooshed together to form moths, dragonflies, and cock-roaches, well, were sold. Even if we cant afford them. Luckily, Valentine provides old school hand-held magnifying glasses at the corridors entrance so the unassuming consumer can play Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Missing Wallet while appreciating some of the most compelling art in five boroughs.

www.valentinegallery.blogspot.com/

Emart61-50 Palmetto

Valentine464 Seneca Ave

3

2

www.facebook.com/pages/Emart-Gallery/173586259447564


Okay, Small Black Door is our kind of gallery. Located in a basement under someones apartment, the only external indication that this is a gallery at all is the eponymous black door, a heavy slab of iron which hung ambiguous and open as we approached one sunny afternoon. Moving further in, we knocked awkwardly on the unadorned interior door, unsure if we were in the right place. A few minutes passed before a smiling man arrived to let us in. You werent waiting too long? he asked, explaining that the upstairs neigh-bors had been making a racket all day.

The man introduced himself as Joe, SBDs guest curator and that weekends door man. His show Exhibition Game celebrates and examines contemporary American values through the lens of popular sports. But thats almost beside the point, so far

its queens - summer 2013

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