Last Space Available on "Restaurant Row"

Tucked in better the marijuana dispensary and the Thai restaurant on 70th Road, aka Forest Hills' famed Restaurant Row. This space would be great for that little indie bookshop the neighborhood so desperately needs.

Two Things We Could Use in Forest Hills

A Make Your Own Salad place. Yes, I'm still hoping one of these opens in Forest Hills. We've come close - I know a major chain was interested in Forest Hills several years back. But still no takers. With Shake Shack, Bareburger and other chains now open on Austin Street, it's obvious there's certainly enough of a demand for a different kind of fast-casual lunch or dinner option in Forest Hills. Why it hasn't happened yet? Who knows. For now, anyone craving the healthy ease and convenience of something like a Chopt or a Just Salad can swing by Natural, where they have a make-your-own salad station, albeit quite awkwardly set up amidst the checkout line.

An indie bookshop: My calls for an indie coffee place resulted in not one but two opening in FoHi, and right across from each other on Austin Street no less. Surely, we can do the same with an indie bookshop? Now that indie bookstores are experiencing a resurgence as consumers realize e-books just don't always cut it, the thousands of readers here in Forest Hills are left with either going to the library, ordering on Amazon, visiting the newly-opened Kew & Willow bookshop in Kew Gardens or venturing over to one of the remaining Barnes & Nobles in Manhattan or somewhere else. But there is simply nothing like having your own local bookshop in your community. It can become a haven for book lovers, hosting author readings and other related events. And how delightful is it to escape a hot summer day by wandering into your local bookstore, and feeling that refreshing AC cool you down as you meander through the aisles, stopping here and there to pick up a book and just escape from the daily grind?

   

Books and Whales

These news items from today are kinda of local interest.

First, the books. Amazon is opening a second bookshop in Manhattan. For all of you still missing B&N, who knows, one may be in our future, too, eventually....

And, as for the whales, there's this sad, and a bit unusual, story on Rockaway Beach today...

Perfect Space for a Bookshop

This is the spot where the candy store Emily's Sugar Rush used to be, now empty again. Not sure why this corner with such great windows, and in such a central part of Austin Street shopping, should be so hard to get a successful business going. There are so many obvious things Forest Hills needs that would be a huge hit.

What about that bookstore everyone wants? Would be ideal. Anyway, it's listed as "off-market," now, which seems to say it is no longer available? Anyone know what's going on with it?

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/