Heat Wave Island Escape Just Minutes Away

If you're looking for a quick and convenient way to make this weekend's Heat Wave a little bit more bearable, you might want to give Roosevelt Island a try, if you haven't already. It's just minutes away from Forest Hills on the F train and yet an hour or two there and you'll feel rejuvenated - like you've gone on a mini-vacation. It really is one of our city's best-kept secrets.

Amazon Said To Choose Queens for Second Headquarters

From The NY Times:

Amazon’s HQ2? Make That Q for Queens

New York City last week announced $180 million in new spending on Long Island City to bolster transit, fix the sewer system and attract new, good-paying jobs. Now it appears that spending was, in part, deliberately timed. Amazon is nearing a deal to name Long Island City, a fast-growing neighborhood on the western edge of Queens, as one of two locations that would together house as many as 50,000 employees in its ever-expanding work force, according to two people briefed on the negotiations.

Coachella Eyes Queens

Some Competition for Forest Hills Stadium? Yes, word is that Coachella East, or something like it, may be giving our local music venue some strong competition next summer, taking over Flushing Meadows Corona Park for a multi-day festival. Another feather in the cap for our borough!

Producers behind Coachella eyeing Flushing Meadows Corona Park for 2016 music festival

Tourists Have Landed in Queens. They're Staying.

An interesting story in today's Times about more and more tourists checking out our Borough:

Tourists Have Landed in Queens. They’re Staying.

“Queens, New York’s largest borough, is also quickly becoming its hippest, but most travelers haven’t clued in ...yet,” the travel guide company wrote in its endorsement of the borough as the top destination for 2015. “With microbreweries springing up, new boutique hotels, a reinvented seaside at Rockaway, a world-class art scene and a truly global food culture, 2015 is the year to try Queens.”

José Barreiro, the Lonely Planet advertising executive who participated in the tourism panel in Long Island City, told the audience that the company is “trying to get ahead of those places that are hip and cool” and identify destinations that “are untouched by tourists.” (Brooklyn received a similar imprimatur from the guidebook company in 2007.)

World's Fair Anniversary Festival This Sunday

World's Fair Anniversary Festival Sunday, June 7, 2015 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Free Join NYC Parks in celebrating the 50th and 75th anniversaries of the 1939-40 and 1964-65 World's Fairs! Come to Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Sunday, June 7, 2015 to join free tours of historic World's Fairs sites. There will be music and dance performances in the park, as well as different foods from around the world, including Belgian waffles, which were introduced to New York City at the 1964 World's Fair. Kid-friendly activities include half-priced rides on the historic carousel, puppet shows, and face painting. For more information, visit the World's Fair Anniversary website or call 311.

Now, For the Good News: Awesome NY Times Coverage of Forest Hills

Boy, all those pathetic crashes on Queens Blvd. can get a bit depressing, no? Well, here's some good news to brighten up your Thanksgivings tomorrow. This awesome coverage of Forest Hills and Queens in The Times from several days ago:

Affordable and Reliable, Queens Real Estate Ascends

And here is one of my favorite descriptions of Forest Hills to ever appear in The NY TImes. Or, at least since I've been living here anyway :)

A couple of blocks away on Austin Street, he found a mix of cafes, bars, chain stores and small businesses and began to picture a life there. Twenty minutes and four express stops later, he was back in Manhattan planning their move.

And, while we're on the topic, here's some photos I took recently of The Aston entrance on 71st Ave.:

World's Fair Commemoration at the Historic Midway Theater

P.S. 101Q Goes Back in Time To Celebrate Centennial

The School in the Gardens, P.S. 101Q is celebrating its momentous 100th birthday tomorrow with events that gather school children, alumni, top educators and politicians together for a once-in-a lifetime trip back to May 20,1914 – the day the school first opened its doors as a NYC Public School.

The milestone centennial celebration will begin at 8:30 am Tuesday with an outdoor assembly featuring presentations by NYC Schools Chancellor Farina, Queens Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz, and Congresswoman Meng’s office. In a nod to the times, a barbershop quartet will ring in the festivities and the day will feature an immersive, entertaining trip to May 20, 1914 for students, community members and alumni. Maypole dancing, soapbox car construction, silent films, mini-museums, and storytelling will offer a glimpse of this special school’s long history.

Ceremony host Monique Paniagua, Principal of P.S. 101Q proudly states, “Confucius once said, ‘Ifyou think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.’ As we celebrate P.S. 101Q’s centennial, we celebrate 100 years of teaching people and look forward to teaching for the next hundred years. We’ve grown generations of beautiful minds that have changed the world!”

“I want to wish a very Happy 100th Birthday to the School in the Gardens,” said Queens Borough President Melinda Katz. “The school has been consistently high-performing and has a warm, welcoming atmosphere conducive to shaping young minds and preparing our children to lead successful lives and be outstanding contributors to our society. I commend the teachers, administrators and staff members of the School in the Gardens and wish their fine institution many more years of success.”

Illustrious alumni of P.S 101Q include:
Burt Bacharach, 6-time Grammy winner and 3-time Oscar winner
Carroll O’Connor, 5-time Emmy winner
Chieli Minucci, 3-time Emmy winner and Grammy nominated jazz musician
John Cassavetes, Emmy nominated and 3-time Oscar nominated actor and director
William Ryden, Pulitzer-prize nominee for his ragtime compositions

For more information on P.S. 101Q centennial plans, including pictures of the school and students throughout history, click http://alumni.ps101q.org/

World's Fair Festival

The World Comes to Flushing Meadows Corona Park on May 18 to Celebrate the 75th and 50th Anniversaries of the World's Fairs

Sunday, May 18
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Festival
5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., Concert and Fireworks
 

On Sunday, May 18, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., NYC Parks is celebrating the anniversaries of the two World’s Fairs held in what is now Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
The giant, one-day festival will offer a wide range of free activities for all ages to enjoy and re-live the 1939 and 1964 Fairs:

• Tour the original structures, sculptures, and buildings, including the New York State Pavilion, Queens Museum, Queens Theater, and more!
• See giant tents filled with World’s Fair memorabilia
• Check out vintage vehicles including amphibious vehicles and a Batmobile
• Enjoy food trucks representing international cuisines
• Watch live cultural entertainment
• Share and record your own World’s Fair memories and photos

For kids, there will be:

• Crafts and activities by NYSCI, the Queens Museum, and other cultural institutions
• Inflatable rides
• Puppet shows
• Strolling magicians
• A visit from Mr. Met

And much more!
From 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the anniversary celebration continues with a free concert by the Liverpool Shuffle (a Beatles Tribute Band) and the Queens Symphony Orchestra, and a sky full of fireworks.
The event is rain or shine.
Visit the World's Fair Anniversary page for more information about the Festival, and to take a virtual tour of the historic fairgrounds.

Queens Beer Week

Participating in Queens Beer Week are: @FHStationHouse @AustinsAleHouse

6th NY Reelabilities Film Festival Comes to Queens

 Stand Clear of the Closing Doors

The Central Queens Y will host the 6th Annual NY Reelabilities Film Festival on Sunday, March 9, and Monday, March 10 in Forest Hills.  The Reelabilities Film Festival, a film festival touring major cities across the country, will feature three films on living with disabilities at screenings over two days in Queens.  These rich and moving films are about the human experience, rather than about disabilities. Discussions follow each film, with speakers such as the director and lead actor of two films.  The festival plays at the Central Queens YM & YWHA, at 67-09 108 Street in Forest Hills.  Tickets and information are available online at www.cqy.org/tickets or by calling (718 268-5011, ext. 151.  All films are open to the general public, with an $8 donation requested.

Gabrielle

Eerily reminiscent of the recent tragic story of Avonte Oquendo, Stand Clear of the Closing Doors will be shown on Sunday, March 9, at 11 a.m.  Set in Queens during Hurricane Sandy, this powerful film tells the story of an autistic boy who runs away from home, but is found.  On Sunday afternoon, March 9, at 2 p.m. the festival features Gabrielle, an uplifting story about love and the redemptive powers of music among young people with developmental disabilities and living in a group home. On Monday, March 10, the festival continues with a screening of Do You Believe in Love, a film about a matchmaker whose tough love style of matchmaking brings together people with disabilities to find soul mates and partners through life.

The ReelAbilities Film Festival is the largest festival in the country dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories and artistic expressions of people with disabilities. Post-screening discussions bring out the issues in each film and bring together the community to explore, discuss, embrace, and celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience.  The CQY festival also includes an unusual photographic exhibit, the Pearls Project, a groundbreaking exhibit featuring young people in disabilities programs throughout Queens.

SATURDAY: Queens Boulevard Walk to Highlight Safety Proposals for Hazardous Corridor

For decades, Queens Boulevard has been notorious as one of the most dangerous speedways in the five boroughs. But this Saturday, the so-called “Boulevard of Death” will be the site of a leisurely — and safe — walk for area residents, as Transportation Alternatives’ Queens Activist Committee hosts the Queens Boulevard Winter Wander.

“Queens Boulevard is the most integral route through the borough, but it is simply not safe,” says Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “The majority of New Yorkers who use it every day, transit riders, pedestrians and bicyclists, are all at serious risk.”

T.A. advocates will begin Saturday’s event with a community discussion at New Life Fellowship Church in Elmhurst. They will outline the Zero on Queens Boulevard campaign, which calls for a redesign of the corridor to add pedestrian safety improvements, along with dedicated lanes for Select Bus Service (SBS), and protected bike lanes.

Pastor A. Redd Sevilla, Executive Director of the New Life Community Development Corporation says, “We, the people, benefit when we continually transform our neighborhoods to make room for pedestrian traffic and not just vehicular. I love walking to work because I see the faces of my neighbors and hear the voices of their greetings. I enjoy seeing the kids run as they are supposed and seeing neighbors gather in community. I hope and pray that none of these lives would have to be cut short because of poorly planned streets. Let us re-imagine and reshape Queens Boulevard to make it safer for the children, youth and families that walk and bike in its vicinity.”

After the meeting at New Life Fellowship Church, The Winter Wander continues with a group walk along the Boulevard toward Forest Hills. Local street safety advocates will discuss the history of the roadway and the dangers faced by pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike.

Council Member Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens) says, “Safety on Queens Boulevard has come a long way over the past 20 years, but we still have more work to do.  I look forward to working with my colleagues, the community and Transportation Alternatives in order to ensure that Queens Boulevard is a safe place for all.”

Council Member Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights, Elmhurst) says, “Safety has improved with better stripping, medians and crosswalk countdowns that give pedestrians a little bit of extra time to start crossing the street before vehicles can drive from any direction. But more needs to be done. Pedestrian safety is a vitally important issue for my district and citywide. I have worked with the Department of Transportation to implement Neighborhood Slow Zones, Safe Routes to Schools projects and other pedestrian safety improvements. However, these improvements alone will not make our streets safer. Strict enforcement of traffic laws and pedestrian safety education for New Yorkers of all ages are absolutely essential to prevent future tragedies on our streets. I thank Transportation Alternatives for bringing attention to this important issue. "


About the Zero on Queens Boulevard Campaign
With more than 40 coalition partners and 2,000 petition signatures, the Zero on Queens Boulevard Campaign is poised to make major gains in early 2014.  Local residents, small business owners and community leaders are calling on area community boards to support a street redesign to save lives and strengthen the local economy.


WHAT:  Queens Boulevard Winter Wander

WHEN:  Saturday, December 14th,  1 pm- 3:30pm

WHERE: Walk kicks off at: New Life Fellowship Church, 8210 Queens Boulevard,
Elmhurst, NY 11373

WHO:  Transportation Alternatives and Concerned Queens Community Members,
Open to the Public

RSVP : bikenyc.org/event/5679

QueensWay Community Workshops This Week

Last Wednesday, The Friends of the Queensway Steering Committee co-hosted its first community workshop to discuss the QueensWay vision and gather input from Woodhaven residents. The organization's next two workshops will be happening this week, on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, in Forest Hills and Ozone Park.

Workshop II - Tuesday, November 19, 7-9 pm

Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School (MELS)

91-30 Metropolitan Ave. Forest Hills, NY

(two blocks east of Woodhaven Blvd)

Workshop III - Wednesday November 20, 7-9 pm

Ozone Park Senior Center

103-02 101st Ave, Jamaica, NY

(at 103rd Street)

RSVP is greatly appreciated. You can do so by contacting:

Shelma Jun

QueensWay Plan Engagement Manager

shelma@hesterstreet.org .

212.431.6780 x110

What is the QueensWay?

The QueensWay is a community-led effort to transform a blighted, 3.5 mile stretch of abandoned railway in Central Queens (Rego Park, Forest Hills, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, and Ozone Park) into a new linear park and cultural greenway. At this time,   consultants are initiating a feasibility study and planning process, to convert the abandoned railway into a pedestrian and bike path, incorporate cultural and community programs, and connect the adjacent neighborhoods to each other and to Forest Park.   The QueensWay is supported by many Queens residents , and spearheaded by Friends of The QueensWay (FQW) and the Trust for Pubic Land (TPL) the nation's leader in creating urban parks.

What will happen at the public workshops?

These workshops will give residents an opportunity to share their ideas, suggestions and concerns   for the project. Your input could help create a vision for the QueensWay that  would identify potential recreational and educational activities, economic opportunities and addresses safety and security concerns.

Daily News Reports on Queens Breweries

There are 4 new breweries in Queens now, with 2 more on the way!

What's a sign of an improving neighborhood in the City today? Having its own brewery! When are we gonna get ours?

Queens now home to four breweries, with two more in the works
It started as a trickle of beer lovers opening breweries, but now the suds are flowing furiously in Queens. The borough lays claim to four breweries — with two more on the way. They range from large facilities, replete with tap rooms, to scrappy operations where brewmasters experiment with beets, coconuts, tomatoes and other such unorthodox ingredients in concocting their libations.

Queens Museum's New Website

The newly-renovated Queens Museum just launched its new website. Click the image below:

Queens Museum Reopening: Inauguration Ceremonies from Around the Borough and the Globe

Saturday, November 9, 11:00 am – 9:00 pm, 2013

In this first of three consecutive days celebrating the reopening of the Queens Museum,Target Wide Open Weekend (November 9-11) kicks off with the opportunity for diverse communities to tell us how they would open a building and bless our new space. How do you inaugurate a space in India, Bulgaria, Mexico, or Taiwan? In addition join us for the Opening Reception and numerous performances related to Queens International 2013, and the other inaugural season exhibitions featuring solo exhibits of artists Pedro Reyes, Peter Schumann, and Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao as well as a group show of Cuban contemporary works. You’ll also have access to the first open studios of our new Artist Studio Program, and new installations of our permanent exhibitions. See Detailed Schedule of the day below:

Rendering of the new Queens Museum facade

11 – 2 pm
QI artist Lynley Bernstein‘s “Fishing for the Elusive Snakehead” a 2.5-hour guided fishing trip in search of the infamous Snakehead fish identified by the city authority to inhabit waterways in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Once caught, it must be submitted to the city. Gear and Bait provided, meets offsite, and ends at the Museum. For more information and to RSVP, please email: exhibitions@queensmuseum.org.

12:30-4:30pm

Video screenings of works by QI Taiwanese artists: CHANG Chien-Chi, CHEN Chieh-jen, HSU Chia-Wei, Jun YANG and YU Cheng-Ta

2 – 4 pm
Poets in the Galleries: Tan Lin
The Poets in the Galleries series utilizes the Museum’s exhibition space as an invigorating site for exploration, interactive readings and discussions. For four Saturdays in November and December 2013, a different poet will conduct a lively presentation in response to the Museum’s current biennial of Queens-based artists, Queens International 2013.

Today features poet Tan Lin. Tan Lin is the author of Lotion Bullwhip Giraffe, BlipSoak01, Ambience is a Novel with a Logo, Heath (Plagiarism/Outsource), 7 Controlled Vocabularies and Obituary 2004 and The Joy of Cooking (2010). His work has appeared in numerous journals including Conjunctions, Artforum, Cabinet, New York Times Book Review, Art in America, and Purple. His video, theatrical and LCD work have been shown at the Marianne Boesky Gallery, Yale Art Museum, Sophienholm Museum (Copenhagen), Ontological Hysterical Theatre, and as part of the Whitney Museum of American Art’s Soundcheck Series. Lin is the recipient of a Getty Distinguished Scholar Grant for 2004-2005 and a Warhol Foundation/Creative Capital Arts Writing Grant to complete a book-length study of the writings of Andy Warhol. He has taught at the University of Virginia and Cal Arts, and currently teaches creative writing at New Jersey City University.

Schedule and participating artists:
November 9: Tan Lin
November 16: Stephen Motika
December 7: Charles Bernstein with Susan Bee
December 14: Patricia Spears Jones

3-5 pm

Multicultural Welcoming & Blessing Ceremonies including: Aztec Blessing by Calpulli Cetilitzi; Andean Ceremony by Estudiantina NY; Taiwanese artist Chin Chih Yang will perform as a master calligrapher, Using a brush specifically designed for the occasion to create innovative calligraphy to render logotypes and lucky words for guests. QI artist Vlada Tomova’s New York Bulgarian Women’s Choir presentig a new pieceA!Capella!Blessing!

3 – 6 pm
Opening in the Museum’s Community Partnership Gallery: An Inclusive World, a group exhibition organized by COPE NYC, a program that examines how art transforms the lives of those with a wide array of needs and abilities.

3 – 6 pm
Queens Museum Studio Program – Open Studios

4 – 5 pm
QI artist Joseph Heathcott offers Brooklyn-Queens Borderlands, a virtual guided walking tour along the Queens-Brooklyn border in the Panorama of the City of New York. While there you are welcome to enjoy the large scale photos of our buildings in various stages of construction, New York City Building Time Lapse, 2009 – 2013: Photographs by Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao

5:30-6 pm

Performance Llego FeFa by Magdalena Maria Campos-Pons and Neil Leonardcelebrating the reopening of the Museum and the opening of Citizens of the World: Cubans in Queens in the new The Shelley and Donald Rubin Gallery.

6- 630 pm

Fuijui Wang

QI artist Fujui Wang presents Hyper Transmission, a site-specific sound performance in the Atrium capturing locally sampled electromagnetic waves rendered in a specially devised directional speaker

630 – 8 pm
QI artist Matthew Volz’s Meanwhile Back in Queens, a live concert in collaboration with the Juan Wauters with Carmelle Safdie

8- 9pm

Joro-Boro

QI artist Joro-Boro presents Smuggled Party, a participatory DJ performance mashing up collected tunes from museum visitors’ MP3 players while also in collaboration with fellowBulgarian Collective performer Vlada Tomova‘s New York Bulgarian Women’s A Capella Choir.

_______________________________________________________________

Wide Open Weekend at the Queens Museum is generously supported by Target.

Queens International 2013 is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York, Contemporary Art Foundation, La Guardia Corporation, and Target.

Additional funding provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Reception sponsor Khajuraho Lite Beer.

The Queens Museum Reopens

.... and there are a ton of changes. The article in today's Times details them. It sounds really great.

A Local Place for a Global Neighborhood

On Saturday, the much-changed Queens Museum reopens, focusing on the wide world of art found in the cosmopolitan breadth of its borough’s population.

And here's the write-up from Time Out NY:

The Queens Museum reopens after major renovations 
Gone is the old World’s Fair ice-skating rink, replaced with skylit galleries, an airy atrium, event spaces, a café and artists’ studios. The new additions have doubled the institution’s size to 105,000 square feet—about two and a half times the size of Grand Central Terminal’s Main Concourse.

You can get to the museum via the 7 train and then by walking through the Park.
Flushing Meadows–Corona Park near 111th St and 49th Ave entrance, Queens (718-592-9700, queensmuseum.org). Wed–Sun noon–6pm; suggested donation $8, seniors and students $4, members and children under 5 free.

Some Long Island City Real Estate News

Hey, I hate to lose you guys here in The Hills, but for those of you looking for a new domicile, or if you're just a NYC or Queens real estate buff, here's something for ya:

aptsandlofts.com has unveiled initial listings for Gantry Park Landing, the newest addition to Long Island City’s exciting waterfront from The Lightstone Group. Slated for August occupancy, potential renters can reserve preview appointments for the 119-unit boutique-style rental starting on July 12.

Homes at Gantry Park Landing, located at 50-01 Second St., are a mix of spacious studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts. Prices begin at $1,875 for a studio, $2,450 for a one-bed, $3,250 for a two-bed, two-bath and $4,650 for a three-bed, three-bath home.

Here's some more information:

The Lightstone Group will officially launch leasing for Gantry Park Landing through aptsandlofts.com on July 12 with sneak preview appointments for reserve list renters. The stunning199-unit boutique property offers a sleek refined industrial aesthetic with carefully honed finishes and amenities that create an exclusive, intimate setting in one of New York City’s most dynamic and thriving neighborhoods.

“Our team has spent such a great amount of time scrutinizing every detail of this rental property − from the unique finishes and design aesthetic to the common areas and resident services – to ensure we’re offering the highest quality rental possible,” said David Lichtenstein, chairman and CEO of The Lightstone Group. “We look forward to introducing Gantry Park Landing to discerning renters seeking a finely tailored alternative to the large scale properties that are commonly found along the waterfront.”

Slated for occupancy in August, the 12-story Gantry Park Landing is a boutique-style luxury rental, located at 50-01 Second St., just steps from the widely acclaimed Gantry State Park on Long Island City’s waterfront. With a nod to Long Island City’s industrial past, Gantry Park Landing’s exterior presents a redefined industrial style with a concrete façade accented by large floor-to-ceiling double-paned windows with opaque glass accents.

“Gantry Park Landing is an amazing addition to Long Island City’s waterfront and is unique for providing some diversity in building type for the area. With just under 200 homes, Gantry Park Landing offers a more boutique setting that provides renters with a stronger sense of community and lifestyle,” said David Maundrell, founder and president of aptsandlofts.com. “Also, the building is only one and a half blocks from the subway at Vernon Jackson, which is an important deciding factor for today’s renters.”

Homes at Gantry Park Landing, crafted by the internationally renowned designer Mark Zeff, are a mix of spacious studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts that range in size from 460 to 1,256 square feet. Prices begin at $1,875 for a studio, $2,450 for a one-bed, $3,250 for a two-bed, two-bath and $4,650 for a three-bed, three-bath home.

Apartments offer condominium style finishes and fixtures including central air conditioning, oak flooring, vented washers and dryers and many units with massive walk-in closets. Select homes also include private outdoor space.

Gantry Park Landing features custom imported Italian kitchen cabinetry of gray oak and white lacquer, white stone countertops, GE stainless steel appliances, glossy white tile backsplashes, and Kohler stainless steel under mounted sinks.

Sleek bathrooms include gray porcelain tile floors, custom built-in shower mirrors, custom gray vanities, accent tiles and Kohler bathtubs with American standard fixtures.

Gantry Park Landing offers residents a wide array of high-end amenities that are typically found in a more sizable development. Taking advantage of the stunning waterfront views, the building features a furnished roof deck with outdoor grill, dining area, sun deck, fireplace and views of the Manhattan skyline.

Additional amenities include a state-of-the-art gym with a separate yoga studio; resident lounge with TV area and work space; tenants club room; game room with Ping Pong, billiards, TV area and kitchenette; a second floor terrace with outdoor seating and pergola; a commercial quality laundry room; common interior courtyard; pet spa and bike storage.

For more information on Gantry Park Landing visit www.gantryparklanding.com

L.I.C. Summer Concert Series

Enjoy live music all summer long at Live at the Gantries

Kupferberg Center for the Arts has just announced its summer concert series, Live at the Gantries in Long Island City.

Live at the Gantries is a series of free, outdoor performances featuring a collection of Queens-based musicians as diverse as the borough. The 2013 Season features performances of jazz standards, big band sounds, Brazilian Farro, Middle Eastern fusion, world music, and Irish flutes and whistles!

Live at the Gantries begins on July 9 and continues every Tuesday through August 13. Each show starts at 7:00 PM and ends with a spectacular sunset at Gantry Plaza State Park, a 10-acre waterfront oasis between 49th and 50th Avenues along the East River.

The Live at the Gantries 2013 Season Features Performances By

John Yao & His 17-piece Instrument // July 9, 2013

Brasil Live // July 16, 2013

Jonny Meyers & The Trio // July 23, 2013

Tony Demarco and Christel Rice with Siobhan Butler // July 30, 2013

Dahdoo Middle Eastern Ensemble // August 6, 2013

Gerardo Contino y Los Habaneros // August 13, 2013

Live at the Gantries is free and open to the public.

Subway: 7train to Vernon/Jackson (first stop in Queens). Walk west toward the river on 50th Avenue.

Ferry: East River Ferry to Hunters’ Point. Walk north on 2nd Street.

Battle of the Boroughs Tennis Challenge

They are currently looking for tennis players from all over Queens to represent their borough in this one-of-a-kind event.  This competition is a great way for Forrest Hills tennis players to vie for their neighborhood and borough's glory and all the funds raised will go to support City Parks Foundation's free youth tennis program.

Benefiting City Parks Foundation 

Borough Challenges Starting May 11th - Finals June 15th 

USTA Eastern and City Parks Foundation are teaming up to present The Battle of the Boroughs Tennis Challenge, a new adult recreational tournament to be held in May and June in New York City parks. The tournament will feature the best of team competition and neighborhood pride, and support CityParks Tennis, which provides free tennis lessons and activities for children at 40 parks citywide.

“We are so excited about the Battle of the Boroughs Tennis Challenge,” said Jenny Schnitzer, Assistant Executive Director of USTA Eastern. “The event will showcase some of the best adult tennis players in New York City’s parks, and help create opportunities for children of all ages to learn the sport of a lifetime.”

"This is a fun new opportunity for adult players in our parks to get together for a friendly competition representing their own neighborhoods and boroughs," said Mike Silverman, Director of Sports for City Parks Foundation. "We hope this will grow into an annual event that helps support CPF's free youth tennis instruction provided to over 7,000 players each year."

Adult teams of up to ten players 19 years old and up, will compete against other teams in their borough before earning a slot in the citywide championships held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens on June 15th. Registration is $20/per person, and proceeds will support City Parks Foundation's free youth tennis programs in all five boroughs.

To learn more and to register for the Battle of the Boroughs Tennis Challenge, visit http://eastern.usta.com/boroughs.

Borough Challenges

            Crotona Park, Bronx - May 11

            Riverside Park, Manhattan - May 11

            Flushing Meadows, Queens - May 11

            College of Staten Island, Staten Island - May 11

            Prospect Park, Brooklyn - June 1

Citywide Championships

            Flushing Meadows, Queens  - June 15

CityParks Tennis presented by Chase, one of the largest municipal tennis programs in the country, provides free tennis lessons and activities at 40 parks citywide to children ages 5-16. CityParks Tennis also features an advanced training academy, which offers talented youth with financial need the opportunity to bring their game to a higher level of competition. Hundreds of academy graduates have earned college athletic scholarships and sectional and national rankings. Two graduates of the academy have played in the junior division at the US Open.

City Parks Foundation (CPF) is the only independent, nonprofit organization to offer park programs throughout the five boroughs of New York City. We work in over 750 parks citywide, presenting a broad range of free arts, sports, and education programs, and empowering citizens to support their parks on a local level.  Our programs and community building initiatives reach more than 600,000 people each year, contributing to the revitalization of neighborhoods throughout New York City. For more information about CPF visitwww.CityParksFoundation.org

USTA Eastern, based in White Plains, New York, is a not-for-profit community service organization that encompasses all of New York State, Northern New Jersey and Greenwich, Connecticut.  It is one of 17 geographic sections of the United States Tennis Association, the governing body of tennis in the US, and administers a number of USTA tennis programs, including Jr. Team Tennis, Adult Leagues, and sanctioned tournaments. For more information about USTA Eastern and how to get started, visit eastern.usta.com.