71ST/Continental
The Border Line
The station that divides a borough.
Photo By Ira Cohen |
There have always been two sets of people in Queens – those with cars, and those without. Though you can find either type throughout the borough, odds are that most of those without cars live west of the 71st/Continental Ave. subway stop, and those with cars live east.
The train stop, which brings riders into the heart of Forest Hills, near the Midway Theater, Austin Street Shopping and a slew of professional offices just off Queens Boulevard, is just 15 minutes to Manhattan – 20 to midtown, less than 30 to lower Manhattan.
This border station is often the last stop for people west of it, and a great drop-off point for those who live east. They may sit, cars idling, by the Ridgewood Savings Bank on the corner, waiting for their loves ones to emerge from underground.
Regardless of which side you live on, this is one of the most popular stops in Queens and a unique way of viewing the split in the community.
Austin Street
Upscale Meets The Chain
Austin Street shopping is still unique. Photo By Ira Cohen |
Austin Street was once “the” place to shop, with its kitschy boutiques, coutourie, and old world charm. This slice of Forest Hills between Yellowstone Boulevard and Ascan Avenue has been home to some of the best shopping in Queens.
Though it still has unique goods that can’t be found anywhere else in Queens, the modern day redrawing of Austin Street includes Barnes & Noble, the Gap, A Children’s Place and more stores that you would find at your average mall, not along a single stretch of street-front real estate.
Shoppers, however, haven’t moved on. There is still incredible foot traffic- not to mention the difficulty of trying to find a parking space on a busy afternoon.
However, the Shops at Atlas Park, set to open this spring, are hoping to take some of the shoppers – and their money – to place easier to navigate and just a mile or so away in Glendale at 80th Street.
Only time will tell if the Austin Street of old can return and reclaim its role as a mecca for the well-to-do.
Coming to America
Finding A Queen In Queens
Eddie Murphy (l.) came looking for a Queen in Queens. |
“Coming To America” is a classic Eddie Murphy film in which Murphy’s character Akeem, Prince of Zamunda, is out to find a wife and comes to the borough of Queens to find his Queen.
The movie is arguably the funniest film of the 1980’s, and has an all-star cast that includes James Earl Jones, Arsenio Hall, John Amos, Samuel L. Jackson, and Eriq La Salle. Directed by John Landis and co-written by Eddie Murphy, “Coming to America” offers comedic talent on all levels of the film.
The film is a hilarious display of Murphy’s talents, as he portrays a slew of different characters throughout, but the borough itself provides much of the comedy. Akeem scours the diverse streets of the borough in search of a future wife, meeting up with a horde of recognizable city characters, such as the dirty-mouthed cab driver, the gossipy crew at the barber shop, and a wide array of women that may be found in the city.
Scenes at McDowell’s Restaurant were actually filmed at the Wendy’s on Queens Boulevard in Rego Park (which is soon to be demolished).
Donovan’s Pub
The Boro’s Best Burger
The best burger in the city is at Donovan’s. |
For decades, people have been raving about the burgers at Donovan’s of Woodside. This small pub on Roosevelt Avenue near 57th Street has attracted visitors for years. When Gary Hart was running for president in 1984, he stopped by Donovan’s for a burger and pint of Guinness.
Retired detective Jack Donovan runs the place; his dad and brother founded it in 1966. Though it has been at the top of our list for burgers for some time, Time Out magazine listed it as No. 1 last year of all the burger joints in New York.
So the next time you feel like actually having the best burger in New York, look no farther than the small white and green Irish pub in Woodside.
Douglaston Windmill
A Blast From The Past
The Douglaston windmill was rebuilt at Alley Pond Park. Photo By Ira Cohen |
Its original version of the Douglaston Windmill was built in 1870, but burned to the ground in 1988. A replica, however, was built and is now located in the Alley Pond Environmental Center.
As the only working windmill in New York City, the original was used in the days before electric power. By the turn of the 20th century, farms were being replaced by homes. An unfortunate fire led to the windmill’s demise 18 years ago.
Flushing Town Hall
Living A New Life
Flushing Town Hall Photo By Ira Cohen |
Flushing Town Hall, built in the 1860s and once the hub of Flushing culture, society and politics, fell into disrepair in the late 1960s. Deserted and neglected, the building became the target of vandals. Even the elements took their toll on the Hall, causing paint to blister and stairs to crumble.
But the hall was restored under the watchful eye of the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts, which reclaimed the landmarked site in 1991.
Since then, it has been reborn, becoming one of the premier arts and entertainment venues in Queens. Its new affiliation with the Smithsonian Institute has ratcheted up the quality of the works on display, and has served as an open invitation to the best performers of Broadway, cabaret and jazz to trod the boards on the classic stage.
Fort Totten
Our Waterfront Battery
Officials cut the ribbon at Ft. Totten’s battery. Photo By Ira Cohen |
Located along Queens’ northern seaboard in Bayside, Fort Totten has for centuries been one of the most notable historic facets of the borough.
Named in honor of Brigadier General Joseph G. Totten, Chief of Engineers of the U.S. Army, last year Fort Totten became a city park.
The Fort currently shares space with the 77th Army Regional Readiness Command, a training facility for the New York City Fire Department, is home of the Bayside Historical Society, has historic buildings, designated wetlands and is the alleged burial ground of Charles Willets, whose tombstone rests just feet from the security gate. Willets bought the property from the Wilkins’ family in 1829 and later sold the waterfront that overlooks the Throgs Neck Bridge to the federal government in 1861.
In 1999, state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) conducted a four phase summary report that envisioned a $17 million restoration of the Fort. This includes future options that would add a small theater, in addition to the complete restoration of the Fort’s Batteries, a visitor’s center and self guided tours. The first phase, which stabilized the Battery was completed late last year. The city has already secured over $12 million for the project.
Though opponents bristle at the concept of a Mystic Seaport styled theme park, the end result would be the near-permanent preservation of the history battery.
Forest Hills Arch
Gateway To The Gardens
The archway is a Tudor gem. Photo By Ira Cohen |
Like an entrance into a mystical village, The Forest Hills Garden Archway sits in its little cove in the Forest Hills area just off of busy Austin Street. The large brick and window archway looms above a grand meeting place, as it sits at the intersection of Continental Avenue, Burns Street, Greenway Terrace, and Dartmouth Street.
The archway is located in Station Square, which is one of the most beautiful spots in the entire city. Pedestrians will note quite a difference as they stroll from the modern day shopping district of Austin Street and down a little bit of Continental Avenue.
Station Square is an exquisite piece of architecture for the eye, as its brick roadway and Tudor-style build give Forest Hills Gardens a very different flavor. It seems as if a horse and carriage should pull up along the sidewalk, instead of the constant storm of cars and trucks passing by.
The 147-acre Forest Hills Gardens has beautiful residential homes and is inhabited by many current politicians, doctors and Queens luminaries.
Forest Park Carousel
A Ride To the Past
All sorts of creatures ride the carousel. |
To some people a carousel may be just a bunch of brightly painted dainty horses, and a circus animal thrown in here or there, revolving around a mirrored center to calliope music. But when you’re in Queens, it’s a different story.
A carousel is more than cheap amusement, yes it usually costs only a dollar to ride one, but at its spinning core it is symbol of fun, family and history. And if anyone knows that the bests it’s those living in Queens, after all, the borough does have two carousels.
While the Flushing Meadows Corona Park carousel sure is fun to ride, the true gem of carousels sits within Forest Park holding some of the last surviving creations of master woodcarver Daniel Carl Muller.
Muller crafted figures for twelve carousels in his lifetime and the Forest Park Carousel is one of only two that remain, with his fanciful interpretations of horses, unicorns, bears, and other menagerie animals.
The band organ began and the carousel took its first spin in 1903 in Dracut, Mass., but wouldn’t make it to the park until 1972. In 1985 the carousel fell into disrepair but the borough wasn’t going to let its jewel tarnish, and put the horses and bears through another meticulous renovation in 1988. The original band organ still plays as families hand over $1 tickets to take a ride into Queens history.
Garden Apartments
Our Secret Suburbs
Washington Plaza in Jackson Heights set the architectural bar. Photo By Ira Cohen |
Just an 11-minute subway ride from Manhattan’s East side is an area of Queens with hidden treasures that would make the most steel-faced Wall Street type smile once in a while if he knew what he was coming home to.
Along 34th and 35th Avenues in Jackson Heights are some of the most exquisite architectural wonders. Take the Washington Plaza, at 73-12 35th Ave. for example. Six buildings are situated in a three-quarter circle, all facing inward. At the mouth of the semi-circle is a small doorman’s booth. In the middle is a cascading, five-level waterfall. Behind that is a diamond-shaped fountain that used to have a bronze statue at its peak. Miniature columns decorate the entryways to the buildings.
Washington Plaza marks the western edge of nearly 20 blocks of structures with hidden gardens in the back, grand architectural features and alleys that – in days before the entire area put up fences – used to allow the kids to go from one building to the next, ride their bikes and have a place to play.
Though access to most of the buildings is strictly limited to residents now, one can still catch glimpses of the beautiful architecture and gardens that make this a wonderful place to live.
Queensboro Observatory
For Our Starlit Nights
The Queensboro observatory. Photo By Ira Cohen |
The observatory, located on the roof of the Library Building at Queensborough Community College in Bayside, houses a state-of-the-art 16-inch telescope that can transport visitors to space without leaving Queens.
Stargazers can see details on the Moon, excellent views of planets, interesting stars, nebulas and galaxies. Students in the QCC astronomy course (PH 110 Astronomy and Space Physics) attend at least one night observation session there during the semester. Their guests and other QCC students and faculty/staff are welcome on a space-available basis. Continuing Education also offers the public periodic stargazing.
The first telescope, a 12-inch Cassegrain, was contributed by former QCC student Harry Schneider. The QCC Observatory was opened in 1979. It is the largest observatory at a college in Queens.
TWA Terminal
Flights Of Fancy
Eero Saarinen’s TWA terminal. Photo By Ira Cohen |
Built in the shape of a bird taking flight, the TWA Terminal in JFK Airport was constructed in 1962 by architect Eero Saarinen. The structure, otherwise known as Terminal 5, has a number of distinguishable features, from its expressive curves, spacious hallways, high balconies and tube-like passenger terminals.
When it was functioning, the building was also equipped with orange carpeting and glass windows tinted purple.
The terminal was shut down at the same time of the closing of TWA Airlines in 2001. TWA was bought out by American Airlines.
In December, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. George Pataki announced that Queens born JetBlue, which currently occupies Terminal 6, will create a nearby $825 million terminal. The new structure, scheduled for opening in 2009, will include 26 gates capable of up to 250 daily flights, 635,000 square feet of room, and a connection to the historically landmarked TWA terminal. The new terminal will utilize the front portion of the landmarked TWA center as an entry point.
Hall of Science
Fun For Everybody
Kids enjoy learning at the Hall of Science. Photo By Ira Cohen |
The New York Hall of Science, located just of 111th Street in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, is a high-tech playground (both literally and figuratively) that has been entertaining and educating kids and adults for decades.
Having opened a 55,000 square foot expansion in 2004 and having refurbished and rebuilt its rockets at Rocket Park, the hall is an obvious attraction.
What may not be as obvious is the science that goes into every exhibit. From an exhibit on the brain in 2002 that showed large-scale models of how neurons work to the current exhibit of Hidden Kingdoms, the World of Microbes, all the fun is interactive and educational.
Heck, even the playground is filled with gizmos and technology – but in a way that can capture the imagination of children and give parents the reassurance that their kids are having a great time, and getting something out of it as well.
SPAGHETTI PARK
Bocce Ball Bonanza
A local resident lets Mayor Bloomberg take a shot. Photo By Ira Cohen |
From billionaire Boston native Mike Bloomberg to the hot dog vendor on the corner, everybody gets into the action. Bocce is a game similar to marbles, but with bigger balls.
Just try watching a round or two of bocce without picking up a taste for the old country. Pizzerias, delis and neighborhood eateries surround the park, located at the intersection of 108th Street and 51st Avenue.
The long, rectangular court is tucked into the corner of William T. Moore Memorial Park, more casually referred to as Spaghetti Park. Between the court and the park’s edge is a barbeque grill that sizzles to life under the tall green trees strung with electric lights.
Paper lanterns line the edges of the park and a sound system plays Italian favorites and opera, especially during the summer months. For some unexplained reason, in an area surrounded by graffiti, there doesn’t appear to be a smudge on the immaculately maintained park.
