Forest Hills Community Board Member Forms Presidential Exploratory Committee

It's official!

After weeks of speculation, Mary D'Angelo, a long-time member of the Forest Hills Community Board, announced at a rally in The Gardens on Sunday that she is indeed taking the first steps towards a Presidential run.

For those new to the community, Mrs. D'Angelo has been involved in local politics for several decades. Beginning on the local School Board in the 1970's, she joined the neighborhood's Community Board in 1982. She is probably most known for her decades-long effort to have Forest Hills secede from New York City to become a special district of Long Island's Nassau County.

Asked on Sunday by Edge of the City why she finally decided to run, she said, "One word - Congestion Pricing!"

Aside from her local political involvement, Mrs. D'Angelo is a stay-at-home mom who has 12 children.

He tenure in New York City politics has been mostly uneventful, aside from a scandal in the early 90's when it was revealed that she home-schooled her 12 children despite sitting on the School Board.

Mrs. D'Angelo said Sunday she should make a final decision as to whether to run for President by this Friday, after her Exploratory Committee completes its findings after 5 days of exploring.

If so, she says she would most likely run as a Republican candidate, despite having been a Democrat for all of her 75 years.

Old Vienna Cafe To Make Triumphant Return To Forest Hills!

Happy Easter and Passover! And I am happy to bring you this terrific news. Those who have been living in Forest Hills for several years will be thrilled to learn that Old Vienna Cafe is making a surprise return to Forest Hills after a multi-year absence. The much-beloved restaurant, which was formerly in the location where Banter is, near the Midway Movie Theater, will not only be returning but will be located in the enormous former New York & Co. space on Austin St.

Yes, this Eastern European, Iron-Curtain-themed restaurant will be returning in the coming weeks! Here, to refresh your memory is my actual review of it from way back in 2011, before it disastrously closed its doors after Forest Hillers decided Soviet-style prices, like $10 for a bottle of Coca-Cola, just didn't appeal to them very much.

Early Impressions: Old Vienna Cafe

I stopped by the Old Vienna Cafe on its opening night Saturday. I really liked this very original and unique new restaurant. You really get the feel you are visiting a restaurant in Vienna or Eastern Europe, from the table in the center loaded with small pastries, to the accordion player serenading you, to the decorative chandelier. It all makes for a very cool place to relax and unwind with friends. Oh, and did I mention the coffee and cake are delicious?

The menu includes a variety of small plates and sandwiches such as a cheese platter, and assorted tea sandwiches; entrees like mixed grill kebabs, bratwurst and weiner schnetzeil; salads; wines and imported beer; teas and coffees, and a variety of desserts like fruit tarts, vienna cheesecake and creme brulee.

Also, though the atmosphere in Old Vienna Cafe is very relaxed and fun, I would characterize this as a fairly upscale restaurant. The prices can be a bit steep ($8 for the slice of cake in the photo below, $23 for weiner schnetziel, $5 for a cappuccino and $8 for some of the beers.) But, hey, you get to listen to a fabulous accordion player as you soak up the Eastern European vibe. So I guess you're paying some for the unique atmosphere. I only tried their dessert and coffee, which were really good, so can't vouch for the entrees or appetizers.

Here are some pics I snapped. I will scan and upload their entire takeout menu soon.

Forest Hills Considering Anti-Walking Ordinance

Faced with a stubborn number of car-on-pedestrian accidents along Queens Blvd. and other streets around the neighborhood, Forest Hills is actively considering what would be the nation's first-ever "Anti-Walking Ordinance."

The idea to ban pedestrians in and around central Forest Hills comes as NYC DOT officials recently admitted that they were at an "absolute loss" to come up with a way to "humanize" the street traffic in the central Forest Hills area, in other words, get cars to slow down in the presence of pedestrians and obey the most basic of traffic laws, such as stopping at stop signs, heeding yellow traffic signals, and giving pedestrians the right-of-way at intersections instead of plowing ahead and running them down like so much stray cattle.

Asked about the possibility of this ground-breaking ordinance, 40-year local Forest Hills resident Mary D'Angelo, 56, stated, "I think it makes sense. During my daily drives from my Forest Hills apartment to Austin Street to pick up my much-needed sundries, I often notice people actually walking and in my way! Sometimes, they even block the intersections with their bodies as I try to turn!

"One time," D'Angelo continued, "I was in such a particular hurry to drive the few blocks from my apartment to Austin Street that I thought the bump and screams I heard was actually one of them! Only later did I conclude the ambulance sirens must've been for another one of those street crimes!"

Eighty-year-old Marty Silverstein, a resident of the Kennedy House apartment on Queens Blvd. expressed disappointment, however, in the new ordinance. Silverstein had founded a local pedestrian safety group several years ago called "Right of Way," but ironically lost most of the group's members during a much-publicized at the time perilous crossing of Queens Blvd.

"We were on our way to the group's inaugural meeting at Portofino," he recalls. "I was looking forward to a nice hot cup of soup. But just a few minutes after we started our crossing, most of my group was carried away towards Long Island by several vehicles and never heard from again!"

Silverstein was especially disappointed given that the last he had heard, local DOT officials had been on a learning trip in Europe, being introduced to such things as speed bumps and walk signals actually timed to the physical movement of the human beings doing the walking, instead of tire rotations—a development that had given him hope that the car-on-pedestrian problem might be solved by such innovations. "I haven't attempted another crossing of the Boulevard in several years," he said.

Such pedestrian traffic would be banned under the groundbreaking initiative.

Chances Now Look Good For Forest Hills Break With City

Surprising as it is to most observers, the New York City Council has reportedly agreed to take up legislation proposed by a large segment of long-time Forest Hills residents to secede from New York City.

The movement, which has been gathering steam for several years now, spurred on by quality of life concerns like crowds of people walking on the sidewalks shopping and enjoying themselves, traffic on Austin St. and Queens Blvd., a proliferation of newfangled hamburger restaurants, a generalized fear of betterment, and the noise of laughter, was dismissed just a few years ago, in 2007—the last time the City Council considered it—as having no chance.

But at least one public official, who wished his name withheld, said this year's unusual presidential election has begun to have reverberations well beyond Washington, shaking loose long held norms, including whether the loud voice of the number of Forest Hillers seeking change should be considered by the City government. The official even admitted that as of this point, the vote, which would be held on Election Day in November, has a good chance of passing.

What happens after Forest Hills secedes from New York City is perhaps even more surprising. The legislation by the residents seeks to carve out of this area of Queens a new county of Long Island. So, Forest Hills would officially become known as Forest Hills, Long Island, as the bill's proponents have long hoped for.

Said Mary D'Angelo, 62, who has lived in Forest Hills for 45 years, "I always thought Forest Hills was part of Long Island anyway, so this really won't make much difference to me."

Since Long Island is legally not allowed to have subway connections to New York City because of arrangements with the Long Island Railroad, the City is reportedly drawing up plans to fill with cement the 71st/Continental Ave. subway station and then bulldoze it over to make room for several swing sets and a Dairy Barn.

Queens Blvd. to be Replaced with Hyperloop

Amazing news to report today. I have always been a vocal critic of Queens Boulevard - its noise, its safety hazards, its ugliness. But even I couldn't imagine that it would actually be closed and paved over. And in my lifetime, no less! But yes, it was announced today that Queens Boulevard will be shuttered beginning July 1st of this year and replaced with Elon Musk's cutting edge mode of travel: the Hyperloop.

According to the company, the new "Queens Boulevard Hyperloop" will result in trips from Forest Hills to Manhattan taking -.06 seconds. And there will be a special Depot Station built near the taxi line in front of the 7-Eleven for trips to Asia and the Far East that will take a lot longer, about 30 seconds. 

What's more, the City is reportedly exploring replacing additional inappropriate thoroughfares that run through otherwise delightful neighborhoods with the Hyperloop technology as soon as possible.

OvoSodo Pizza

Was quite delish

New Sign is Up - P.M. Edition

New Sign is Up

Whole Foods Beats Out Apple For Coveted Forest Hills Subway Station Deal!

Very exciting news! In fact, I would dare to venture that this is THE most exciting news to hit Forest Hills since the opening of our new Bareburger just a few weeks ago!

In my humble opinion as by far the most influential blogger in Forest Hills, the only downside I see to this deal is the requirement reached by Whole Foods, MTA, Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce and Bloomberg Administration officials that all residents of Forest Hills must sign up for rodent control duty to keep the varmints from encroaching upon the new subterranean store.

I also am told that the new store will be accessible only, I repeat only, via one of the new glass elevators currently under construction at the Forest Hills station. A Whole Foods spokesperson said this was a "win-win" for everyone, as it will insure a constant trickle of shoppers that will not overwhelm the new store given its expected popularity since it will be the only one in all of Queens. "Accessibility to the store via the MTA elevator should keep crowds down to a very manageable total of about five shoppers per hour," she said.

The spokesperson added that a special organic grapes/Metrocard combo deal will become available soon only, I repeat, only, to holders of monthly cards.

Please post your opinions about this extremely exciting news below so I can react with the appropriate level of hostility.

Edge of the City Introduces Digital Subscriptions

Due to the incredible popularity of my blog, yes, the long-time rumors are true, I have been forced to implement a new digital subscription plan. Here are the choices you have in order to gain access. The Edge of the City Board felt these were quite reasonable:

1. Clean my apartment building of all mothballs for me.
2. Build me a series of Whole Foods stores where the Key Foods currently are located.
3. Move the Forest Hills Trader Joe's to somewhere on Austin, so I can actually shop at it.
4. Convert the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium into a year-round Farmer's Market/Eataly East gourmet, organic food complex.
5. Build me a Shake Shack where the Blockbuster is closing.
6. Close Queens Blvd. permanently to all traffic.

Thanks,
Drake