Kickstarter to Bring Bookstore to Forest Hills

I received this email from a reader....

To Whom It May Concern:
As a fifteen year resident of Forest Hills and the father of two children, I feel this is important to post on your website. It is my hope that, through your site and others, enough awareness can be brought to this important cause. 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1844468864/lets-bring-a-bookshop-back-to-queens-ny?ref=card 

http://qns.com/story/2016/04/21/former-barnes-noble-employees-look-to-open-queens-bookshop-after-remaining-chains-were-shuttered/

More About the Planned Forest Hills Target Store

New Store, Big City: Target to Open in Queens, N.Y., in 2016 

The bright lights, the crowds, the hustle and bustle. When you make your home in the big city, convenience is key. So driving long distances to do your shopping, and loading up on economy-size packs that won’t fit through your apartment door? Not always an option. Target is all about bringing convenience, value and great design closer to home—and since we go where our guests go, we’re customizing each new store to ensure a locally-relevant experience, complete with assortments and shopping solutions that best fit the surrounding neighborhood’s needs. We’re excited to announce our newest flexible format store opening in Forest Hills, Queens, N.Y., in July 2016.

A two-level, 21,000-square-foot space, the Queens Target store will be located near a Long Island Railroad transit stop, easily accessible on foot or by car. It’ll be a quick stop for locals to find pharmacy, fresh grocery with grab-and-go food options, basic apparel (think tees, tanks and C9 active wear for men and women), health and beauty necessities, tech accessories, tablets, mobile phones and more. We’ll stock it with a tailored assortment that caters to city dwellers, including home products perfect for single family homes and condos. And to make each shopping trip as quick and easy as possible, we’ll offer easy fulfillment options like Store Pickup, so guests can place an order online and pick it up at the store for free.

The Queens location is one of two Target stores coming to the Big Apple in 2016. Across the city, we’re designing our 100,000+-square-foot Fulton Street store to cater to residents and students in downtown Brooklyn’s Albee Square, and visitors coming from the nearby DeKalb Avenue subway station. It’ll be stocked with grab-and-go food options, innovative mobile solutions and lots more based on what local guests told us they want most.



It’s all part of our urban growth strategy to reach guests in new places with the right mix of products and shopping experiences—creating more opportunities for guests to shop how, where and when they want. How’s that for convenience?

Huge News! Target to Replace Barnes & Noble in Forest Hills!

The Daily News broke the story today:

Express Target will replace Barnes & Noble in Forest Hills

Barnes & Noble out. Target in.
A new Target store is slated to take over the space formerly occupied by Barnes & Noble at 7000 Austin St., in Forest Hills, the Daily News has learned. The store will be the first flexible-sized location in Queens for Target, which has recently been offering more compact shopping experiences for city-dwellers.
Target inked a deal for a 15-year, 20,795-square-foot lease and is slated to open at the propery in mid-2016.

Forest Hills Book Signing Thursday

Forest Hills grew out of an experiment--the transformation of 142 undeveloped acres into America's first garden city. From the early renderings of 1909 came a "fairy-book suburb," as Sinclair Lewis wrote, with architecture that was inspired by medieval villages. The success of the community bred development of homes, churches, and businesses on nearby plots. Forest Hills landed the most prestigious tennis tournament in the country. Theodore Roosevelt visited. Helen Keller moved in. Only generations later would the peace shatter when residents viciously protested a historic proposal for public housing.

Local author Nicholas Hirshon was a reporter for the New York Daily News from 2005 to 2011, covering community news, breaking stories, and features. This is his second book. His first, Images of America: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (2010), is the only book on the Long Island arena known for hosting the NHL's New York Islanders.

Upcoming Events at Barnes & Noble Forest Hills

All Day Event at Forest Hills Barnes & Noble Today

Organizers are trying to keep the Forest Hills Barnes & Noble on Austin Street from closing:

Updated agenda: 5/31 All Day Celebration at Barnes & Noble - Help Save Our Store!

FREE SPECIAL EVENT to commemorate 20th anniversary at 70-00 Austin St. on SUN, MAY 31 from 10:00 AM to 7 PM: Barnes & Noble and Author Michael Perlman are proud to invite the community to Customer Appreciation Day. The eventful lineup will feature:

- A book “Buy-In” to help support Barnes & Noble, which is under threat of closing… Purchase any book all day long.
- Free food from Knish Nosh, Red Pipe Organic Café, & La Boulangerie
- Exo Cafe will raffle a gift certificate
- Beginning at 10 AM: Raffle – Enter to win a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook 7” tablet!
Free B&N tote bag for the 1st 200 customers making a purchase.
- 2:30 PM: Children’s storytime with SKITTLES THE CLOWN, balloon animals & face painting
- 4 PM: Performances by notable musicians LOU MICHAELS & DOUG LEBLANG

- 5 PM: Author MICHAEL PERLMAN will have a book talk & signing of his new book, LEGENDARY LOCALS OF FOREST HILLS AND REGO PARK & notable magician MICHAEL CHAUT will leave his audience spell-bound: www.facebook.com/LegendaryLocalsofForestHillsandRegoPark

Barnes & Noble event listing: http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/4852693

More to come! Please invite your friends.

And… Don’t forget to sign the petition to save Barnes & Noble: www.change.org/p/muss-development-barnes-noble-nyc-elected-officials-keep-barnes-noble-open-at-70-00-austin-st-forest-hills-ny

Some Thoughts on Barnes & Noble's Closing

A petition to keep Barnes & Noble open in Forest Hills has almost 3,000 signatures. You can view and sign the petition here: Keep Barnes & Noble Open at 70-00 Austin St, Forest Hills, NY!

While I personally would love the Barnes & Noble to stay open in Forest Hills, I would also love a lot of things, like to be 18 again. (Those were the days!) But unfortunately, that ain't going to happen, and I'd be very surprised if a petition will keep B&N from eventually leaving Forest Hills. Times have changed. I used to spend many an enjoyable hour browsing the aisles of Barnes & Noble. But in recent years, that browsing for books has been done virtually all the time on my Kindle. The last time I stepped foot in B&N was around Christmas-time when I was looking for a gift.

What I think should happen is B&N should consider a smaller format store so we can have some bookstore remain in Forest Hills.

But I think a broader issue is this neighborhood's need for more things to do, whether it  be easier access to parks (The Queensway would solve this), more cultural events open to the community at large, or expanding the Greenmarket to more days of the week.

Also, since many parents especially seem to cite a need for a children's bookstore in the neighborhood, either one should open or B&N should consider leaving open a smaller kids' store.

The Tennis Stadium's recent partnership with the New York Pops to be its summer home is a fantastic development. I hope the Pops expand their presence in our neighborhood and give something back in the form of some free performances as well. How cool would a July Fourth Pops concert be at the Stadium or somewhere else locally where everyone can enjoy them? 

Whole Foods, Welcome to Forest Hills!

Well, one can hope, can't one? Now that news comes that our Barnes & Noble on Austin Street, an enormous, centrally-located retail space, is closing, according to the Daily News: Barnes & Noble to shutter Forest Hills store: sources

Money quote: “We’re talking to some national retailers,” Kay said.

If not WF, well, then what about an Apple Store? Yes, the Borough is already getting one at the Queens Center Mall, but we could always use another right here.

 As for our Barnes & Noble, I will miss it, though I have to admit I haven't been into it since Christmas-time. I've gone all Kindle by now when it comes to my book shopping. But I've spent many an hour strolling and reading through the aisles of B&N and other bookshops and do indeed miss the experience. But times change...
 

Signing & Presentation at Barnes & Noble To Launch New Book on Forest Hills & Rego Park Notables

Local author Michael Perlman

Introducing "Legendary Locals of Forest Hills and Rego Park," a new 128-page book written by native Forest Hills resident and preservationist Michael H. Perlman and published by Arcadia Publishing. On March 6, 2015 at 7 PM, Perlman will conduct a book signing, presentation, and question and answer session at Barnes & Noble at 70-00 Austin Street in Forest Hills. Readers will discover the unique stories of over 200 Forest Hills and Rego Park notables including celebrities, who have shaped its culture and history, and may have impacted society. 

“My book features an array of quotes from notables including celebrities, as well as descendants of notables, which grants an eternal presence to their voice,” said Perlman. “The average individual that I encounter is unaware of the heavily concentrated quantity of celebrities whose lives were influenced as a result of living or working in Forest Hills or Rego Park, where its historic surroundings are a breeding ground for culture, the arts, and various trades.”  

A diverse showcase will offer insight on musicians, actors, artists, sports figures, politicians, farmers, architects, developers, inventors, philanthropists, and longtime business owners. Wherever possible, home addresses are featured. Notables include Jerry Springer (wrote the book’s foreword), Helen Keller, Carol Channing, Ray Romano, Burt Bacharach, Stevie Wonder, Sid Caesar, Carroll O’Connor, Donna Karan, Geraldine Ferraro, Grosvenor Atterbury and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr, Philip Birnbaum, Ascan Backus, Walter Dorwin Teague, Simon & Garfunkel, the Ramones, Dale Carnegie, Malthe Hasselriis, sisters Gypsy Rose Lee and June Havoc, Dennis Tito, Bob Keeshan (“Captain Kangaroo”), John Beltzer, Doug Leblang, and Michael Chaut.     

 Also featured are several community destinations, which are associated with the appearances of notables. Some “landmarks” are the Forest Hills Gardens, Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, the Midway and Trylon theatres, Eddie’s Sweet Shop, Knish Nosh, Ben’s Best Delicatessen, and the former Fairyland Amusement Park, Hamburger Train, and Boulevard Tavern and Stratton entertainment venues.  

Michael H. Perlman is a writer, news columnist, editor, and public relations consultant. He is chairman of Rego-Forest Preservation Council and a recipient of the Historic District Council's 2014 Grassroots Preservation Award. His pursuits range from singing in Carnegie Hall to photography, graphic design, and tree giveaway events.

Perlman stated, “I hope my readers will explore the historic neighborhoods of Forest Hills (1906) and Rego Park (1923), as well as acquire an interest in their neighborhood’s history. I envision a greater audience feeling inspired by the accomplishments of their past and present neighbors to become notables on either a personal level or in their community or society.” 

For more information, visit and “Like” his Facebook page or the Barnes and Noble events page  

Barnes & Noble Renews Lease

Now, this is the type of article about Forest Hills I love to read. This really does say it all:

Here's Something: A New York Barnes & Noble Doesn't Decide to Close