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ALPHABETIZEDLocal Author Has Borough Down to the Letter

Jackson Heights Singer Goes Solo

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PLUS: TOP 5 KARAOKE BARS, BOOKSTORES & MORE

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PublisherWalter H. Sanchez

Executive EditorShane Miller

Senior EditorsAndrew ShillingChase CollumJess Berry

ContributorsTammy ScileppiLydia Stetson

Art Direction/Graphic DesignMatthew StefaniSusana DiazChase Collum

PhotographersMichael O’Kane

AdvertisingKathleen Connell

Volume 6 Number 1 – Summer 2014

It’s Queens is published quarterly. Postmaster, send all address changes to It’s Queens – PO BOX 780376 – Maspeth, NY 11378. It’s Queens is a consumer magazine covering the people who move and shake Queens, from real estate trends to transportation, politics to entertainment, It’s Queens will bring our readers the ins and outs of the borough.It’s Queens is wholly owned and published by the Queens Ledger/Greenpoint Star Weekly Newspaper Group. We know enough about the borough, covering it week in and week out since 1873. Bulk mail Flushing, NY Permit #652. Copyright ©2008 It’s Queens. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Any news or feature solicitation for publication in It’s Queens should be done so without expectation of use and without expectation of return to solicitor. Send correspondence to [email protected] . Subscriptions are $7.95 per year. Inquiries for subscriptions - Mail to PO BOX 780376, Maspeth, NY 11378. (718) 639-7000. www.itsqueens.com

On the Cover: Juan Wauters (Photo: Carmelle Safdie)


Contents

FEAT

URES

DEPA

RTM

ENTS

38 Still WautersFormer Beets frontman Juan Wauters wades into new territory with his first-ever solo album.

These 15 Entrepreneurs have got it made in the borough of Queens.

24 The It’s List

Chase Collum takes it upon himself to spend a week drinking to find the Top 5 Queens Beers.

42 Best Brews

It’s Queens ranks the Top 5 Karaoke Bars in Queens.

10 Open Mic

Queens is home to a growing number of bookstores.

49 The Arts

Turn your smartphone into a top-flight camera.

8 Technology

20 Interview

Borough shows its pride at annual parade.

58 Queens Seen

What’s hot and what’s not in Queens.

7 Buzz

SUMMER CALENDAR p. 52

Amol Sarvo has Queens down to the letter.


Walter H. SanchezPublisher

Is A Homeless Depot Coming To Your Neighborhood?Publisher’s Note: alter SanchezW

BREWERIESNew York is historically known for doing things big, but in Queens a string of new microbreweries are taking a different approach. Startups like Fin-back, Beyond Kambucha, Big Alice, Rockaway, SingleCut Beersmiths and the one-ring circus at Bridge and Tunnel are just a few that are part of Queens fast-growing brewery scene.

FLUSHING MEADOWSCORONA PARK With the anniversaries of two World’s Fairs upon us, Flushing Meadows Corona Park is the focus of new attention, especially when it comes to saving the decaying New York State Pavilion. Thousands waited for hours in line earlier this year just for the chance to get to go inside this ‘64 fair relic.

QUEENS LIBRARYFor better or worse, the con-troversy surrounding executive director Thomas Galante has residents and politicians focus-ing heavily on the public library system in the borough. Amid allegations of improper use of public and private funding, and an ongoing investigation into gaudy branch renovations and a blistering six-figure salary, the library’s board has continued to support their leader and his vi-sion, even as others turn up the heat.

CARLOS DANGERLast year, you couldn’t turn around without seeing or hearing something about Anthony Weiner, the seven-term congressman before scandal brought him down. Whether it was a story about his illicit photo shares, verbal sparring matches with non-supporters in local delis, or coverage of his unsuc-cessful bid for mayor, Weiner knew how to bring the headlines. But towards the end of last year, the buzz stopped and the politician formerly known as Carlos Danger has faded into the annals of city politics. For now.

JAYWALKINGIt’s commonly understood that only tourists wait for the light to cross the street in New York City, but new Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration is fighting hard against that stigma. While it’s cus-tomary for New Yorkers to be in a hurry, and nobody has the time to walk to the corner to cross, it’s becoming clear that people are going to have to start mak-ing time if they want to live to see the other side of the street.

THE SODA BANWith former Mayor Michael Bloomberg in of-fice, it was hard to enjoy some of the guilty pleasures in life without actually feeling guilty about them. But now that the old sour tooth is out, it’s becoming easy to drift back into our old, 64-ounce soda-sipping ways. And though de Blasio has stated publicly that he supports the ban, the issue itself has faded very much into the background with other issues like gun vio-lence, traffic safety and affordable housing tak-ing the spotlight.

Queens Buzz:Three new trends in the borough, and three others that are falling out of favor..


Walter H. SanchezPublisher


Every family has someone—an uncle, little brother, or grandparent—who lives behind the camera, snapping and rolling video during all the priceless moments that com-prise everyday life in Queens.

With the combined rise of smartphones and social me-dia, all the technologies your resident AV nerd needs to capture those moments with the utmost clarity and quality can be right at their fingertips. Whether an iPhone or an Android, there are now plenty of ways to take personal documentaries to the next level without having to lug along an extra cam-era or a cumbersome video rig.

Tech Specs:Processor: A7 Chip with 64-bit architecture supplemented by the M7 motion coprocessor.Display: Four-inch diagonal Retina display with 1136x640 pixel resolution at 326 ppi.Operating System: iOS 7.1 is built for action with its smart multitasking and state-of-the-art features including AirDrop and CarPlay, a feature added with the 7.1 release. Camera: iSight – 8 megapixels with an aperture of f/2.2 protected by a sapphire crystal lens cover, capable of burst-shot, HDR photo capture. FaceTime – 1.2 megapixels.Video: Full HD at 30 fps with the iSight camera, and 720p with the front-facing FaceTime cam. Capabilities include slo-mo, face detection, improved video stabilization and 3x zoom. (And you can also take still photos while shooting video, giving a true all-in-one feel to the iPhone 5s).Audio: Compatible audio formats include AAC, protected AAC (from the Apple store), HE_AAC, MP3 VBR, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV.Storage: Available in 16gb, 32gb and 64gb models.Battery Life: Built-in, rechargeable lithium ion battery with a talk time of up to 10 hours and a standby life of up to 250 hours; video playback life is roughly 10 hours and audio playback is roughly 40 hours.Additional Features: Thumbprint ID, iCloud storage, improved Siri intelligent assistant, three-axis gyro, accelerometer, proximity sensor and ambient light display sensor.

Olloclip 4-in-1 iPhone lensMuch like our Android feature points out, there are several telescoping lens kits available for the iPhone. But if you’re looking to get artsy, and don’t have space for long-body glass in your bag, this multifaceted kit is just what you’re looking for. Offering a fish-eye, a wide angle that nearly doubles the iPhone’s field of view and two macro lenses. The Olloclip slips onto the corner of your phone, making it quick and easy to slap on when you’re looking for that perfect shot in a hurry. $99.

Optrix XD5 Waterproof HousingWith its all-glass, wide-angle lens kit, this waterproof housing will let you take your iPhone to places you would not have worry-free. With the Optrix XD5 rated for dives as deep as 33 feet, you could stand to suffer a few splashes and tackles into the water without sacri-ficing your phone. $124.95.

grudge

iPhone/ Android -- Universal Tools

iRig MIC CastBoth iPhone and Android users will find this pocket-sized recording tool useful for recording lectures, podcasts and in-terviews with crystal-clear audio quality. Also key; the unidirectional pattern has been designed to reduce background noise for those windy summer after-noons. $29.99.

Anker Astro E4 13,000 mAh Dual USB ChargerWhile smartphone manufacturers have made great strides in battery life capac-ity, when you start rolling video on the regular, you’re going to need mobile charging solutions to match your needs. That is why chargers like the Anker Astro E4 are smart accessories to have around. This charger is a little bulkier than some available options, but it will fully charge your iPhone four times over. $46.99

iPhone:If you’re an Apple, then you probably believe, as many do, that the iPhone is the pinnacle of smartphone technology. With its slim line look, smooth glass feel and lightning-fast operating system, the iPhone 5s is an easy crowd-pleaser that comes with all the frills and design features one would expect. What’s more, these phones are creeping into the affordable price spectrum, running at $550 for a non-contract 5s from month-to-month carriers like Virgin Mobile.


match Galaxy Note 3 Welcome to the world of Android.

To date, the Galaxy Note 3 has pushed smartphone boundaries, offering up a multi-platform world with the

Samsung Galaxy Gear smart-watch, S Pen and a highly functional processor.

While camera buffs may be blown away by the in house 13-megapixel rear camera and 1080p video capabilities,

this phone also comes with a wide range of camera and digital

accessories that makes it wellabove an everyday device.

$749.99.

Specs:Processor: LTE 2.3 GHz Quad-Core Processor/ 3G: 1.9 GHZ Octa Core

Processor Display: 5.7 inch (144.3 mm) Full HD

Super AMOLED (1920X1080)OS: Android 4.3

Camera: Main (rear): 13 megapixel BSI Sensor, auto focus camera with Smart

Stabilization LED Flash and Zero Shut-ter Lag/ Sub (front): 2 Mega-pixel BSI

sensor with Smart Stabilization, Full HD recording at 30 fps.

Video: Recording and Playback: Full HD (1080p), UHD

Audio: Codec: MP3,AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ WMA, AMR-NB/WB, Vorbis, FLAC, WAV

Memory: 32/ 64 GB user memory + microSD slot

Battery: Li-ion, 3,200mAhAdditional features:

Samsung Galaxy Gear: 800 MHz pro-cessor, 1.63-inch display, 1.9 megapixel

camera with video and audio capabili-ties.

S Pen: air command, action memo toolGroup Play: share music, pictures, video

and documentsS Voice™ Hands Free, S Health

CamKix 12xWith this 12x telephoto CamKix lens and hard-case/mini tripod package, smartphone users can transform their daily selfie-taking into full-fledged professional photography. Accessories for include the full gamut of fisheye, macro and wide-angle options. $57.99.

Waterproofing

Sony Xperia ZR If you’ve ever left your phone in your bathing suit pocket (or been pushed into the hotel swimming pool) you are in luck with the expansive Android mar-ket’s latest waterproof creation. The Sony Xperia ZR touch-screen HD design offers up a 13-megapixel camera with 16x digital zoom and full HD video (1080p) recording capabilities. $499.99.

CamKix 20xFor professional photo-takers only. This high quality 20x telephoto lens for the Samsung Galaxy S3 includes a mini-tripod, hard case and microfiber back with a cleaning cloth and one-year warrantee guarantee. $89.98.


Karaoke is a pastime that is definitely not suited for those who easily embarrass or can’t loosen up after a couple of drinks. I can personally count on less than one hand the times I’ve had the courage to let the public hear my off-key singing voice. Most memorable was during a cross-country road trip on a stop through Min-neapolis. My buddy and I shamelessly belted out “A Whole New World” from Disney’s classic Aladdin, and hopped back on the road as swiftly as we could. Though it was fun and freeing to feel anonymous in a city where no one knew my name, I find it a rare urge to do the same on my home turf in New York City. But if you’re braver than I, here are the five best places in Queens to show off your talents - or lack thereof. 5

47-02 Greenpoint Ave, Sunnyside

Top 5Karaoke Barsof QueensBy Lauren Milano

Upon entrance to Bliss Street Station it is apparent that it’s a le-git Irish Pub. What you wouldn’t know on a low key Tuesday night dominated by regulars is that it also churns out an eager karaoke crowd. The patrons of Bliss Street Station are as serious about their Shepherd’s Pie as they are about their ability to put a personal spin on their favorite tune. The bar hosts a trifecta of karaoke nights occurring every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. On any one of these nights, the good people of Sun-nyside can be found belting out classic tunes like “Don’t Stop Believing” and “Living On A Prayer.” And like any karaoke buff, they aren’t ashamed to put their performances on repeat and in response to this passion the bar has hosted their very own Bliss Idol.

Bliss also offers a diverse menu that includes my favorite meal, brunch. And on Wednes-days pairs karaoke with 50-cent Buffalo wings and $5 Jager Bombs. If you’re from out of the neighborhood it’s only steps from the 7 train and the experience will be price-less.

Fig. 1: Always stretch before bustin’ a move

Bliss Street Station

Illustrations by Matthew Stefani


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Place At Main definitely gets this right and pleases karaoke enthusiasts, not only with its decadent private rooms, but also with its dark and sexy am-biance. It celebrates the true essence of karaoke and has a public lounge where you can traditionally humiliate your-self. And the best part is the chance to lament the shortcomings of your singing voice over a wood-burning fireplace, a full bar, and delicious yet affordable cuisine.

If you’re more apt to belt a note out in the comforts of your own room, then Place At Main could be considered a home away from home. The private rooms are not only huge, but ooze with the swagger of a modernly deco-rated Manhattan condo. So much so that you will probably feel like you’ve been transported into a sultry Shakira music video. Overall this place gets two thumbs up and It’s Queens would highly recommend traversing the 7 train to make a night of it.

4 36-45 Main St, Flushing

3 68-

While the reign of karaoke bars has been dominated by Flushing, Ridgewood is slowly stepping up to the plate. From the outside, Queens Tavern looks like your typical neigh-borhood bar, but once inside you realize you’ve found the gem of Ridgewood. With ka-raoke on the first Monday of every month, patrons get a chance monthly to express themselves. It has a bare-bones quality that definitely alludes to a dive bar, but like Ridgewood it is on the brink of hipsterdom. There are fun and kitschy things like the music schoolteacher piano set atop a small stage accented with a huge American flag. You’ll even hear the occasional folk song played between karaoke sets and to subdue feelings of stage fright, a modest but satisfying craft beer se-lection. I had an Allegash White and my buddies both downed a couple of Queens Lagers.

Queens Tavern is definitely a karaoke spot where bartenders will not only remember your name and drink of choice, but your favorite karaoke song. Located on Fresh Pond Road it is just a hop and a skip from the M train and definitely worth your subway swipes.

Fig. 3: Glam rock is still cool

Fig. 2: Remember to hydrate

P l a c e @M a i n

Queens Tavern 69 Fresh Pond Road, Ridgewood


Flushing karaoke takes it to a whole new level with the likes of Zebra Lounge. Not only does Zebra Lounge deliver with its luxurious karaoke rooms, but boasts an elegant atmosphere that brings it to karaoke baller status. Upon entering you are greeted by a wall of charming kabuki masks and soon find that the entire place is adorned in light hardwood. It has a zen-like quality that you would never expect from a karaoke bar and the word kitschy is not even remotely on its radar.

But wait, there’s more! Zebra Lounge is a multifaceted experi-ence that also extends into a restaurant that serves up super fresh pan-Asian cuisine. And most importantly there’s the matter of happy hour! Zebra Lounge hosts happy hour ev-eryday from 5 to 8 p.m. with $3 draft beers and $5 shots. So even if you come in with no intentions of renting a room and howling to your favorite songs, after three hours of dirt-cheap alcohol you may find yourself singing a different tune.

2

Fig. 5: Please twerk sparinglyFig. 4: Again, stretching is paramount

Zebra Lounge 13611 38th Ave, Flushing


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1 If karaoke were ever to get a spot in the Olym-pics, Shout Karaoke would definitely churn out the top dogs. Shout was the last stop on the karaoke tour and we most certainly saved the best for last. It’s a small but sleek venue that boasts the futuristic look often found in FroYo joints and hosts a diverse crowd. The only thing that wasn’t diverse was the quality of each performance, and to say that they

were all stellar is an understate-ment. My friends and I found our-selves dropping our jaws at near perfect renditions of Celine Dion’s “Love You More” and hitting the high notes in Prince’s “Kiss.” We quickly discovered that on top of a crystal clear sound system, the program scored each singer’s performance for all to see. If your score was in the “good” zone you won a free shot, and what is better incentive for improvement than that?

Though each performer held their own, the egos did not seem overbearing and a more mediocre singer would definitely be em-braced. If anything I felt a strong sense of community that wel-comed newbies and the friendly staff was the cherry on top. Locat-ed literally steps from the N and R trains, there isn’t an excuse not to check this place out and make it your new favorite karaoke haunt.

Fig. 6: Air-guitar is MANDATORY

Karaoke Shout 32-46 Steinway St, Astoria


There is no doubt that location and transportation play a big part in the success of a district, as do chambers of commerce, Business Improvement Districts and other business groups that help attract tenants and shoppers. But attracting people to spend three to four hours on a shopping strip involves something that is not as apparent as it might seem. People also choose where to shop based on food options, shop diversity, and ease of getting there and getting around. People might originally visit because they wanted to go to one or two particular stores, but a good shopping strip makes them want to make a whole day of it.

With all that in mind, It’s Queens gives you theTop Five Shopping Districts in Queens.5

Top Five

Steinway StreetAstoria has a well-established strip of chain stores and local retailers that draws city folk and tourists alike. The wide street promotes an open feel in the district, and while there are trea-sures to be found all along Steinway, the street’s intersection with Broad-way is clearly the hub.

Ridgewood has a very diverse business strip - which is no surprise since it is one of the gateway neighborhoods to the most diverse county on the planet. Although their selection of food vendors is not on par with some of the other districts featured here, there is a rich variety of available shopping and its located conveniently next to a beautiful new transit hub at Myrtle-Wyckoff.

Myrtle Avenue

Shopping DistrictsShopping Districts in Queens

4


Austin Street Forest Hills has a great selection of what we like to call “destination” shops. These are high-end cloth-ing and accessory stores for men and women. That, along with a large Barnes & Nobles and a few movie theaters makes Austin Street a classic - and classy - shopping strip.

Main Street-FlushingMain Street–Flushing has the busiest transporta-tion hub in Queens. All trains and busses eventu-ally lead here, which means that in addition to the shoppers who are drawn to the area’s ethnic grocery stores and restaurants, commuters also join the mix. This gives the district an open-market feel, and while it can be a bit frenetic, we think the retail options make a visit worth the hassle.

82 StreetJackson Heights

In our opinion, Jackson Heights is the best business strip in Queens. The Jackson Heights strip is by far the busiest, and is regularly full of people loaded down with shopping bags filled with goodies. The influence of the strip on 82 Street between 37th and Roosevelt avenues can’t be understated, as shoppers span out over five blocks in either direction. A unique draw to the 82nd Street strip is that stores closer to Roosevelt Avenue are quite Hispanic in nature and lan-guage, while the stores on the strip located closer to 37th Avenue tend to be Indian-, Pakistani- and Bengali-owned.

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When a tech entrepreneur creates a children’s book about his favorite bor-ough, you just know it has to be innova-tive.

Long Island City dad Amol Sarva’s work in progress – “Q is for Queens” – was inspired by his lovely daughters Pascale, 7, and Lila, 3. The lifelong New Yorker had an epiphany one day while riding the No. 7 train, and then solidified his idea for an A to Z hardcover book about New York City’s biggest borough dur-ing a visit to a children’s book exhibit at the New York Public Library earlier this year.

“There was this huge collection of classic children’s books, and it was sur-prising that not a single one was about Queens,” he recalled. It got him think-ing. “There’s really a lot of highlights in Queens that maybe I didn’t even know about, the kind of things you’d want

your kids to know about.”

So he got to work. Since January, Sarva has been busy assembling Queens icons and has teamed up with artist friend, Re-nee Bentley, whose beautiful illustra-tions bring to life world-famous lo-cal landmarks (100 will be men-tioned), colorful sights and notable resi-dents.

Ideas, ideas….“A” is for Arthur Ashe, “B” is for Bayside, ”C” is for Cyndi Lau-per, who grew up in Ozone Park (Did you know her hair dye is made here)?

“Queens needs a sweet collection of iconic images, posters and memorabilia, all wrapped to-gether in a lit-tle volume for the next gen-eration,” says Sarva, who was born in the neighborhood of Jamaica.

His parents were immi-grants, like 70 percent of peo-ple who live in Queens. “My brothers and I were halfway grown when we moved to Little Neck-

Douglaston, then Bayside. I went to high school in the city, and when I went off to college, I swear I thought I’d never live in Queens again, but it was a very short time before I was back, this time, in the starting-to-be-hip part, Long Is-land City,” says Sarva, whose family members still live in Forest Hills, Little Neck and thereabouts.

Sarva’s Kickstarter campaign was a huge success and exceeded his initial goal of $8,000, but his stretch goal to cover ad-ditional printing costs is $35,000, so he can get his book into “every school, li-brary, museum, and art institution in Queens. I think we’ll be able to ship by June,” he said.

“Since posting ‘Q is for Queens,’ the project caught fire,” says Sarva. “I’ve heard from a litany of influential Queens elected officials and cultural in-stitutions with their support.”

“I am so excited to support such an imaginative and educational project,” said Assemblyman Ron Kim. “‘Q is for Queens’ is an exciting way for kids of all ages to learn a little bit more about our very special borough. We have so many stories here to tell and this is a very fun way to tell them.”

Q is for QueensBy Tammy Scileppi

Illustrations byRenee Bentley


In Q is for Queens, “F” is for Flushing Town Hall. “’Q is for Queens’ is a unique way for children to learn about the cultural and historic treasures in Queens,” said Town Hall executive director Ellen Kodadek. “Parents and children can discover the borough together, visiting the letters of the alpha-bet – a fun way to learn! We can’t wait to carry the book in our gift shop, so families can explore Queens from A to Z.”

Continuing on down the alphabet, “R” is for the Ramones (from Forest Hills) or for Rockaway or for Run–D.M.C. (Hollis natives).“Any borough that was home to Mae West, John Gotti, Jack Kerouac, and Dr. Jay pretty much has to have a book like this,” said Sarva. And then there’s Geraldine Ferraro, the first female vice presidential candidate, who lived in Forest Hills and once taught in Astoria schools.

Remember where Spider-Man came from? High school student Peter Parker was a science-whiz orphan living with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May in Forest Hills.“And when Barnum & Bailey Circus comes to New York City, they walk from Long Island City to Madison Square Garden,” said Sarva, who has been “part of a ton of Queens stuff.”

He started the oldest LIC blog (www.lic-nyc.com) and helped a bunch of Queens organizations, like the Coalition for Queens, which tries to bring more tech opportunities to Queens, and the Queens Paideia School, an experimental school in Long Island City. He even helped to build East of East, a building in LIC.

The author has been working from The Oracle Club, a writer’s room in Long

Island City, and said he has “assembled some friends – writers, illustrators, film-makers – plain old, regular, awesome people” to work with him. He says he’s also expecting lots of help from designers and editors from all over Queens.

“I’ve roamed the streets of Forest Hills, Jackson Heights, Flushing, Astoria, and Rockaway,” says Sarva. “Had lemon ice in Corona, made giant bubbles at the Hall of Science, seen the Mets lose and win, fell asleep on the 7 round trip, and

bought my first computer on Northern Boulevard.”

“I am Queens Boulevard,” he says. “So, maybe you think like I do that our bor-ough needs a little more love and respect to go with its New York City siblings. I’ve met too many New Yorkers who are like, ‘I’ve never been to Queens.’ And now that I have two cute kids, I want them to know what they should talk about. Queens rules!”

Author Amol Sarva posing with his family while on vacation in Greece.


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Chef and owner of Bittergreen Local Harvest Catering Tim Cavaretta hails from central Massachusetts, however he has lived in Queens on and off for the last 10 years or so. And now, he has finally found a niche in the borough he calls home.In the past, Cavaretta has dabbled in everything from forensic investigations, to real estate and university administration; but he has always carried a pas-sion for entertaining and an appreciation for working with regional, small-scale farmers for his work.Now at the helm of his very own catering company, C avaretta has carried his focus by working with local farms as well as incorporating ecological principals into everything that they do, regardless of the budget, as he explained.“There is such a thriving improvisational entrepreneurial culture here, unlike what you find in the other boroughs,” Cavaretta said of the borough. “People around here always find a way to make things work. It doesn’t hurt that you can usually find a parking space, either.” (Andrew Shilling)

Sometimes in life you have to make your own breaks. That’s what these enterprising residents of Queens are doing, taking matters into their own hands and following their dreams; whether its creating a food market or opening a restaurant or making world-class guitars. This issue, The It’s List presents 15 entrepreneurs who are making their dreams a reality.

14.TIM CAVARETTABitterGreen Cateringeatbittergreen.com

Inspired by their love of healthy food and Mayor Bloomberg’s “War on Junk Food,” SUNY Albany graduates David Levi and Darren Shlisky real-ized that there was a serious shortage of healthy, ready-to-eat snacks available for supermarket shoppers. Now, after closing a successful round of crowd funding last September, Chic-a-Peas are gaining recognition as a worthy product around the nation. Dave and Darren discovered chic-a-peas by “snack-cident,” as they like to say, when

they burned some chickpeas while baking up a quick snack, and they found them to be crunchy and delicious.Their no frills, no filler recipe is simple and straightforward, so snackers can feel good about scarfing down a handful of chic-a-peas. Currently available in Sea Salt and Falafel flavors, the in-gredients in both are chickpeas, safflower oil and spices. And that’s it. (Chase Collum)

15. DAVID LEVI & DARREN SHLISKYChic-a-Peachicapeas.com

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Jason Roos and the team at Steepster have a passion for tea like none other in the borough. As one of the largest online tea communities around, their platform has really taken all of the possible angles, offering up a tea journal (or “tealog”) to provide members a platform for reviews and tasting notes; and the Steepster Select tea of the month club, helping new and experienced tea drinkers alike to truly embrace their beloved drink.“There are so many people from so many different places that all share a love of tea, but relate to it in their own unique way,” he said. “This fosters an environment where people are interested to share their experience while listening and learning from the perspectives of others, which makes sharing and learning about tea a lot of fun.”Based out of Long Island City, the former co-founder and COO of Memberly, a subscription commerce initiative; and Disrupto, a leading NYC-based digital product incubator; has now found a way to share his passion with others in his borough.“The cultural diversity of Queens is the perfect backdrop for us to build our foun-dation of helping people explore and love better tea,” Roos said. (Andrew Shilling)

11. JASON ROOSSteepster www.steepster.com

Nadira el Khang started out making her custom leather bags for fun, but after they started to gain popularity among her friends and family, she thought she was on to something. Then, when she sold her first bag three years ago, she knew for sure. That’s when the Moroccan native took her idea for a custom bag manufacturing business to the Queens Economic Development Corporation, who then helped her get started with the basics, including an Etsy website, business cards and design of her brand logo. Now, Khang has more than 150 uniquely hand-crafted leather items for sale through her website, including satchels, briefcases, backpacks, totes and purses, wallets and pouches, journals, bracelets, travel bags and digital accessories. She looks forward to graduating from LaGuar-dia Community College on June 5, and to being able to fully dedicate herself to her leather craft. (Chase Collum)

12. NADIRA EL KHANGNadiraBag

Megan Sipe had to think outside of the box to combine her two very different passions, however she assures that it is not quite as strange as you might think.With her business Chocolate Dances in Long Island City, this chocolatier/ choreographer has infused her love for performance art and handcrafted truffles by pairing the two with a live dance, theater and music performance company.“We love creating dance inspired by chocolate and we love creat-ing chocolates inspired by dance,” she explained. “Most of all, we want to share it all with you.”

Sipe, a professional dancer and choreographer in NYC since 2006, explains that while the pairing does seem a little strange, that it is really no different than coupling food with wine.Like many other young entrepreneurs on our list, Sipe also operates the chocolate making portion of her business out of the Entrepreneur Space in Long island City and coordinates with other makers to create her product.“With each box of chocolates you purchase, you are not only getting the finest truffles in New York handmade by chocolate loving dancers, you are also supporting our performing arts dance company,” Sipe said. (Andrew Shilling)

13. MEGAN SIPEChocolate Danceschocolatedances.com

10. TARA MCKIERNAN & BETH WAYTOWICHThe End of the Aendofthea.com Tired of going nowhere at someone else’s company, Tara McKiernan and Beth

Waytowich began making moves to open their own Rockaway-based fashion outlet about a year ago. Quickly, they realized that the cost of opening a retail storefront would be above their means, so they improvised.Now, after months of planning, equipment acquisitions and inventory build-up, the pair is poised to launch Rockaway’s first mobile fashion boutique, which they have named End of The A in honor of the neighborhood’s last-stop location on the A line. McKiernan and Waytowich purchased a box van about three months ago from Clear Water Pool in Howard Beach to use as their mobile flagship store. After a complete interior renovation, which will include installation of floating shelves and clothing racks, the boutique will be ready to open for business. In anticipation of their grand opening, the pair of entrepreneurs is already receiving requests for their attendance at street fairs as far away as the Hamptons. By par-ticipating in such events and working to establish close ties to their local Rockaway community, McKiernan and Waytowich hope to build up a strong reputation, and maybe even one day, to open their own brick-and-mortar store. But for now, their focus is on putting End of the A into drive and seeing where the road will lead them.(Chase Collum)


12. NADIRA EL KHANG

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Branding and social media has always been something that just came naturally for this Sun-nyside business owner, so it was nothing new for Josh Springer when he started Northside Web Services in his hometown. After the Rego Park native first began spending his free time helping friends and family develop their own web presence, he decided it was time to expand his efforts in helping business startups with visualizing and maintaining their own brands as well.“There are a lot of businesses that have been around here forever, but the times have changed,” Springer said. “And I’m not just doing it for them, but I’m showing them how to do it in a way they can understand.”When business owners contact Springer for advice on reaching out to expand their clientele, and visit his website at (www.northsidewebservices.com), they quickly see recognition for his work with web design and development, logo design, branding, search engine optimization and social media. “I feel like more of an educator,” Springer said. “If the business owners know what they’re doing, they’ll have a better idea of what they want to do on these other platforms.” (Andrew Shilling)

8. JOSH SPRINGER Northside Web Servicesnorthsidewebservices.com

Started by Dennis Lee and his college sweetheart Liz Wick, Astoria Coffee began as a coffee delivery service and is even now working to build out its new location at 30-04 30th St. After graduating from Ohio State University, the couple moved to NYC, where Dennis worked in guitar binding, and before that, as a piano repairman and a teacher in NYC public schools. Liz, when not working to help manage the delivery service and build out, works as a practice manager for an ophthalmologist.The couple originally met in a mutual friend’s coffee shop near their college campus, and they have long been fans of the unique atmosphere found in local coffee and teahouses. Taking this love to the next level, they began working out the specifics of opening their own coffee shop in Astoria in the spring of 2013. Since they knew it would take time to find the right location for their shop, the couple began operating a whole bean delivery service, helping them create a client base, as well as strong ties with suppliers around the country. As soon as construc-tion is completed on their new shop, Dennis and Liz look forward to creating an open and welcoming shop for Astorians to congregate and decompress. (Chase Collum)

7. DENNIS LEE & LIZ WICKAstoria Coffeeastoriacoffee.com

Carolyn Sevos Hamilton, the president and CEO of Long Island City-based YouCake, Inc., has been baking up her very own customized deserts in the QEDC Entrepreneur Space kitchen since 2011.After teaming up with Bonne Fete Baking and a deep outreach with the communities of Queens, Hamilton and her team have gone above and beyond by turning family photos and corporate logos into high-quality, edible frosting sheets for a wide range of cakes and cookies.

“When you are testing a new product, it is very satisfying to have the opportunity to work with people of every nationality right at your doorstep,” Hamilton explained of her company’s home base in LIC. “For the food industry you have access to an amazing number and array of suppliers.”So next time you are planning a bridal shower, wedding, graduation or corporate party, try out this local start-up to ensure a picture perfectly focused celebration. (Andrew Shilling)

9. CAROLYN SEVOS YouCakeyoucake.com



5. MATT SWANSTON GOOEY & COGOOEYANDCO.COM

When Matt Swanston moved from his home in St. Louis back in 2004, he brought with him a passion for baking and a cake recipe that would later help glaze the way for a career in Queens. After graduating with a degree in theater at Columbia College Chicago, the young entre-preneur later realized his culinary calling after strolling through one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the borough.“It wasn’t until I saw something in a bakery on Steinway Street — around the corner from my apartment in Astoria — years ago that it dawned on me that New Yorkers had never had a hometown treat that I had been

missing for years; the Gooey Butter Cake,” Swanston said. Swanston started Gooey&Co back in 2011 after many trial tastes of his cake recipe. Today they are selling out 1,300 of his baked confec-tions – made with cream cheese, farm fresh eggs and organic buttermilk -- every weekend.“Each cake I make, each flavor, is an extension of me and my creativity and I love sharing them with everyone and seeing them enjoy something that I have enjoyed for so long,” Swanston said. “I enjoy living life a bit on the wild side and seeing where it takes me.” (Andrew Shilling)

When chef Tomika “Tom” Burke took home top honor at Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” competition in early April 2014, the Cambria Heights native also came away with confirmation that her pursuit in the culinary arts was more than just a childhood dream.After graduating from Columbia Law School at age 31, Burke left her job on Capital Hill and pur-sued her love for food by opening

TomCookery catering company.“This is such a blessing,” Burke said of winning the competition and finding a new vision for her newly re-focused career. “Now my heart is back in it.”Burke combines her family roots in the Barbados with her upbring-ing in Queens to turn out some finely tuned, southern style and Caribbean-themed dishes made for a variety of parties, corporate

events, “casual shindigs” and bar mitzvahs.“If you’re going to go out of bor-ough, yeah it’s trendy, but I just feel like Queens is where it’s at,” she said. “We just have the best food, the best people and we’re real. We’re not trying to be something else. I will represent Queens to the end.” (Andrew Shlling)

6. TOMIKA BURKE TOMCOOKERY CATERINGWWW.TOM-COOKERY.COM

After Hurricane Sandy flooded out a fish distributorship co-owned by Jimmy Tu at 46-63 Metropolitan Avenue, he was devastated. But a little hurricane wasn’t going to stop him. Instead, he used the opportunity for renewal and launched a trendy little Vietnamese street food restaurant that is all the rave (and even has some claiming that its existence is proof that hipsters are coming to Ridgewood next). To inspire his menu, Tu took a tour of Vietnamese street food vendors, sampling dishes and taking notes on methodologies before bringing that know-how back to Queens. He chose to name his new restaurant Bún-Ker because it was born in a storm and also as a play on words alluding to the Vietnamese vermicelli noodles, called bún (pronounced boon). (Chase Collum)

4. JIMMY TUBÚN-KER46-63 METROPOLITAN AVENUE


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2: LAURA SICILIANO-ROSEN & SCOTT ROSENEat Your Worldeatyourworld.com

It’s a great big culinary world out there, and navigating it on your own can be a daunting challenge. Enter Eat Your World, a website created by the husband-and-wife team of Laura Sciliano-Rosen and Scott Rosen that points you in the direction of the best examples of local cuisine across the world, literally. Learn how to eat a fried tarantula in Phnom Peng, get the skinny on eating chapu-lines (fried grasshoppers) in Oaxaca, or simply find the best breakfast taco in Austin. (This author and one of the site’s creators respectfully disagree on the rankings!)

The Jackson Heights couple got the idea for the site in 2011 as their work as a travel writer and photographer took them to far-flung locales and, of course, led them to new and exciting cuisines. Now with a young one to look after, they don’t get to travel quite as much and rely on contributors from around the globe to keep the content on the site fresh. “We are trying to get contribu-tors in cities that we would like to visit but can’t get to,” Sicialano-Rosen told It’s Queens. They are also open to users of the site posting their own photos and short write-ups of their own culinary adventures from across the globe. “We really want people to own the content and feel like they are really contributing to the site and a part of it,” said Siciliano-Rosen.

But even if traveling the world isn’t exactly your bag, you don’t have to look too far outside your front door to find world cuisine. Eating your way through the diverse and multi-ethnic neighborhoods of our own borough some-

times calls for a travel guide, and Eat Your World doesn’t overlook Queens. “In a perfect world we would have an entire second site just devoted to neighborhoods throughout New York City to let people know the best things to eat,” Sicialano-Rosen said. (Shane Miller)

You never know when you’re going to come across something delicious, but there’s a good chance you found it at the Queens County Mar-ket, a pop-up edible marketplace that showcases bakers, chefs and other culinary entrepreneurs from the borough and beyond. It was created by Katrina Schultz Richter, a Queens residents via the Philippines, in April of 2012. Since then, the market has made appearances across the borough, at places like SingleCut Beersmiths, Quaint in Sunnyside, Sac’s Place in Astoria, and most recently at an event in early May at the Queens County Farm.

The market’s mission is to not only connect Queens residents with local food makers, but give those same food makers a chance to get some publicity and grow their young businesses. “The idea for the market was to create op-portunities for food entrepreneurs, especially start-ups, and provide a diverse marketplace reflecting the borough that I was raised in and am still a resident of,” Richter told It’s Queens.

There have even been some early success stories. “Gustavo Frias of Gustavo’s Salsa has participated at Queens County Market since our very first event,” Richter said. “It was his first step in testing, marketing and selling his salsa. Based on customer feedback, he has since added a bottled version and the salsa is now sold in several NYC retailers.”

As for what shoppers will find at the market, each event is new and different. “Each market is unique in that we pop-up monthly, for one day only, in various communities throughout the borough,” said Richter. “The idea is to travel to different Queens neighborhoods, support a venue and Queens business that you might have not known, while sampling some of the best foods made by independent food vvpreneurs from here in Queens and greater NYC. The vendor list changes for each event so there’s always new food products to taste and new food producers to discover and meet.” (Shane Miller)

3. KATRINA SCHULTZ RICHTERQueens County Marketqueenscountymarket.com


1: DEAN GORDONDean Gordon Guitarsdeangordonguitars.com

It’s probably a fair estimate to say that about half the teenagers in Queens at some point get interested in picking up a guitar; some stick with it, others give up rather quickly. But when Dean Gordon was 15, he didn’t just get into playing guitar, he decided to make his first cheap Fender Squire sound better. “Within a few months, I started tinker-ing and trying to improve the sound,” he told It’s Queens during a visit to his garage workshop behind his family’s home in Astoria. CONTINUED NEXT PAGE


Soon, Gordon was ordering kits to as-semble his own guitars, but wanted to take his newfound passion further. Thanks to a chance encounter between Long Island City luthier Roger Sadowsky and Gordon’s father in the hardware store he owns near Sadowsky’s workshop, Gordon soon found himself with a paid apprenticeship. Not long after he got the gig with Sadowsky, Gordon also found himself studying under Victor Baker, another Queens guitar maker with a shop in Astoria. “I had apprenticeships with two world-renowned gui-tar makers at the same time,” Gordon said. “I learned every little as-pect of guitars.”

At the same time, Gor-don became interested in designing his own guitar, but wasn’t interested in mim-icking the classics. “I thought, ‘do I want to make a Telecaster or a Strat, or do I want to come up with something cool?’” recalls Gordon.

“I came up with some off-designs, but I still thought they were boring.”

Then one day while doodling in his 10th grade English class to avoid discussing To Kill a Mockingbird, Gordon hit on the design for his signature model, the Mirus. He showed the design to both Sadowsky and Baker, and while they liked the look, they both told Gordon it would be hard to execute. Un-

deterred and with a little

help from his father in the

way of tools and equip-

ment, Gordon got to work.

Gordon says the first guitar left a lot to be desired, but by

the second one he knew he had something special and others began to take

notice. Gordon’s boss at Chelsea Guitars got a head’s up that legendary guitarist Keith Urban would be in the shop one Saturday to buy some amps for a show at Madison Square Garden, and told Gordon to “con-veniently” have one of his guitars on hand. When Urban came in, Gordon’s boss men-

tioned the guitar and urged Urban to give it a try.

“I could see Keith roll his eyes,

but as soon as I pulled it out of the bag I could tell he was

interested and began to play it,” Gordon said. “He would walk away, but 20 minutes later he would come back and pick it up again.” Urban eventually walked out of the shop with the amps...and a Mirus.

Gordon has been building guitars now for two years, and is currently working on his eighth one. He says he wants his guitars to be appreciated as more than just superb musical instruments. “I want my guitars to look like art.” (Shane Miller)



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Jackson Heights singer-songwriter branches out on his own with his firstsolo record.

By Tammy ScileppiPhotos: Carmelle Safdie

COVER STORY



In photos promotIng hIs debut solo album, NAP: North American Poetry on Captured Tracks, Juan Wauters sits in front of the iconic Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park and kneels before the shops of nearby Willets Point. His Queens pride was also evident when he was frontman for The Beets, and the group would display “We are from Jackson Heights!” banners during its performances. Popular among the DIY music crowd, The Beets were often described as “folk,” “punk” and “garage.” But that was then. These days, Wauters has put that crazy world behind him for good and moved on, finding himself again musically, soul-searching and coming into his own after a recent break with the band.“At the end of 2011, our group was very unsta-ble and we weren’t getting along,” Wauters told It’s Queens during a recent interview. “There-fore, I decided to step aside for some time to reevaluate the purpose. During this time, I re-corded some stuff on my own. These record-ings are what turned out to be my new record, N.A.P.

“In 2013, I played a lot with The Beets and also under my own name,” he continued. “After months of playing with both projects and com-paring their positive and negative attributes, I decided that it was best to focus on my music career as a solo artist.”And focus he did. Pushing his creative bound-aries, Wauters’ characteristic sound and new attitude have been captured in the heart of his new album, which took its name from a poetry magazine that he and his collaborator, former Beets member Matthew Volz, once published. “When we had the opportunity to release this record, we were discussing different titles and this is the one that stood out the most,” Wauters explained.

True to its name, the album is a poetic-sound-ing collection of recordings he made between 2010 and 2012. “The meanings and feelings behind them are meanings and feelings that I felt when writing them, and I do not try to make them public as a way to encourage the listener to make their own assumptions about

what these mean to them,” Wauters says.Mellow, introspective tracks like “Water” and “Sanity” are filled with lyrics that make you pause and reflect, so you have to read between the words to really get the subtle nuances. Wauter’s lyrics are somewhat reminiscent of ‘60’s folk music, but he’s truly in a category all his own; the truth is, it’s tough to nail his down to a specific genre, and that’s what makes his sound so different and fresh.“I try to write music that talks about myself, and I try to be as sincere as possible,” he says. “I’m a big fan of the idea of crafting songs, so I focus on that and try to make them personal to me by creating my own language.” In “Water,” he’s seeking answers to life’s im-portant questions. It starts off with fluid gui-tar strums, followed by Wauters’ warm voice: “Woke up early; felt that itch, what am I doing now with this niche? Do I belong? Who is it that I am? What is that I’m for? Who’s that in my skin?” Like his singing voice and musical style, the talented musician is warm and approachable;

COVER STORY


very down to earth and real. Friends and family matter a lot to him, and he has chosen his close circle carefully, being very selective down to his pets. He talks about meeting his dog near a bakery in Jackson Heights. “We have an artistic partnership,” he says jokingly.

When he was 17, Wauters left his Uruguay home in 2002 to join his father, who had come to New York earlier to find work. The creative young man turned to music and socializing to ease the boredom and loneliness he was feeling working in a factory. “My family left Uruguay because of economic reasons, and came to New York because my father’s brother and his family had been here for over 20 years,” Wauters recalls. “When I first got here (Jackson Heights), besides work-ing, I concentrated on learning English. Once I felt confident enough, I got a G.E.D. and then started taking classes at LaGuardia Commu-nity College in Long Island City.”And what does he like most about Queens? Wauters says, “It has the real feeling of the working class, and there is a strong middle class. I also like how we are all able to live to-gether, accepting each other’s qualities. I enjoy walking on 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights and going into La Nueva Bakery, walking down 82nd Street, or riding the No. 7 train and going to Flushing Meadows.”Eventually, he and a friend got together and formed The Beets, who would go on to release several albums, beginning in 2009.

The songwriter insists he’s “trying to write New York music, not rock or folk, or anything like that,” and you get the sense that at 30, a piv-otal age for most, he’s also trying to figure out his place in the universe – as we all are at one time or another – living together on this spin-ning orb and wondering, Who am I really and what’s my purpose here? What’s next? The eccentric singer has been performing over the past year and says he’s going to keep performing and working on the promotion for NAP over the next couple of months. As of now he’s playing mostly by himself on the guitar, while Volz “sets the stage with a light show and banners that create a very special show.” “I will be going into the studio pretty soon to record a new record,” he says. “The project is just picking up form, so it will be molding over time, which is very exciting.”

NAP: North American Poetry is on iTunes to preview, buy, and download, and on Amazon.com. The album is available in a special gate-fold edition, with artwork (and a comic) by longtime visual collaborator Matthew Volz. You can stream the whole thing via Rdio.

By Chase Collum


Top FiveQueensBeers


5When Spiro Theofilatos began making his kombucha-infused beers, it really started out as just a novelty item since he had to obtain a brewer’s license in order to work with kombucha in the first place. But he is definitely on to something. Now, this is definitely not a beer drinker’s beer, but if you’re one of those who tolerates beer drinkers and wants some-thing to throw back while they nerd out about hoops or football, this love is for you. The Mava Roka is a gluten-free kombucha beer with a fruity, slightly sour flavor and a smooth, full mouth feel. And definitely a perfect and welcome replacement to Mike’s and Ice.

Two years ago, this list could not have been written. But in that interceding timespan, all over the borough the call for craft beer was heard loud and clear by a disparate group of brewers now operat-ing from Long Island City to the Rockaways. Just last month, two new breweries debuted in Queens—one in Glendale and the other in LIC. And that’s why Dan Bronson of Crescent & Vine in Astoria felt it was time that Queens had its own beer week.As it stands, there are currently six licensed breweries in Queens, includ-ing Bridge and Tunnel, Transmitter, Big Alice, Finback, Rockaway and Beyond Kombucha. There are also craft beer lovers clubs popping up around the borough, like the guys over at Brewstoria, a monthly craft-ers club that meets up to taste beers every first Wednesday in (…you guessed it...) Astoria. Now, I am no Garret Oliver, but I’ve been drinking beer (legally) for a decade now, and I have made a point of trying out local favorites wher-ever I find myself as I have made my way across various corners of three continents (and I tasted dozens of new beers for the first time at Beer Week with a residual beer gut to prove it), so I guess you could say I’m a semi-pro. What I am getting at is, while I know my way around beer, you might find you have your own opinion, in which case you can feel free to take mine with a grain of hops.

Top FiveQueensBeers

Mava Roka


4SingleCut Beersmiths opened up shop in the further northern reaches of Astoria at the tail end of 2012, mak-ing it the second full-scale brewhouse to open in Queens since the end of Prohibition (Rockaway Brewery is the first). SingleCut founder Rich Buceta left a career as an ad exec to pursue his passion for home brewing as it turned into a job at a brewery in Brooklyn, but he quickly real-ized he wanted to open his own brewery—one in his own borough. Now that Buceta’s brewery is running full-steam, you can forget what you’ve heard: The Smoked Gose is the true champagne of beers. From the center as you pull, your mouth is overwhelmed with a cidery bubble of celebra-tory success. The next time you’re not sure you should take the champagne toast because you’ve been on beer all night, compromise with this well-balanced option instead. That isn’t to say this is only an occasion beer, but it cer-tainly plays the part well. 3While Kyle Hurst, the chief brewer at Big Alice, has

been known to say that he doesn’t think his brewery will ever win any competitions because their beers don’t fit into any category, I am prone to disagree. And that is why Big Alice’s batch of Rye, Oat, and Hot Pepper Stout is getting the bronze on my list. True, Big Alice only brews in micro batches, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are making some damn fine beer. In fact, in their first year, they’ve already brewed more than 100 unique batches of beer, and they’re only getting started.

2Transmitter Brewery made its debut with four new beers on the inaugural night of Beer Week at Crescent & Vine, and while all were swig-worthy, it is the Farmhouse Ale that rules the roost. As you draw your glass (or mug, stein, etc.) to your lips, the smell of fresh-cut wheat and fennel surrounds your nose, and a light, fluffy cloud of citrus sifts itself into the surrounds of your mouth like a tidal wave of spring and life and happiness. For all of the country-born city dwellers out there (like me) slinking around the bor-ough, this beer can be an aid to reminisce, allowing you to remember all the reasons you loved home and none of the reasons you left.

R, O & HP Stout

Farmhouse Ale

Smok-Ed Gose


4

21

Farmhouse Ale

Hazelnut Brown AleSmok-Ed Gose As a testament to the impact of this unparalleled hazelnut brown, Robby Craf-ton, one of the brewers at Big Alice, told me that he remembered trying this beer for the first time a year earlier. It’s that memorable. And it is with that stamp of approval that I confidently place Rich Castagna’s Hazelnut Brown securely at the top of this list. Much like the Farmhouse by Transmitter, this beer catches your nose long before it reaches your lips with the soft smell of hazelnut thickly wafting from the top of the glass. Part of how Castagna gets such rich flavor-ing is in his use of fire over steam to heat during the brewing process. The rest comes straight from the heart. Inspired by his mother’s support in her final years, Castagna opened a microbrewery in her Maspeth garage and named one of his inaugural beers in her honor. From the start, he has been in the habit of giving his beers meaningful names. Take his “$20 and a Switch Blade” for example, named for a time when the father of the Queens Kickshaw’s owner, who was being bullied, sent him to school with $20 in one pocket and a switchblade in the other and made him decide which one he was going to use. Heck, even the paddle that Castagna uses to stir his mash has a great story behind it. The bottom line is, while he is a pretty solid dude and about as hard working as is humanly possible, he’s pretty sentimental, and that sensitivity comes across in all of his creations. While he is still brewing out of his late mother’s garage, Castagna hopes to expand in the near future into a space with a tap room, because for him, brewing is all about the people. And maybe that’s why people love his beers so much.

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These book shops are finding creative ways to thrive in a digital marketplace

by Jess Berry


Top 5 QueensIndependent Bookstores When Borders went bankrupt and started closing its stores across the country in 2007, it seemed like the beginning of the end for brick-and-mortar stores and their book-loving frequent-ers. For many, the battle still continues as Amazon continues to dominate online book retail and many independently owned book shops are forced to close their doors.But for these five booksellers in Queens, the challenge has not been anything that they couldn’t overcome. From selling online to hosting numerous community events to supporting a social justice cause through its sales, these stores have found a way to successfully sell books to the readers of Queens and beyond.There is almost nothing better than spending a quiet afternoon strolling among the stacks of books, used or new, in a store

dedicated to the art of the printed word. Whether you’re looking for a cheap find, a book that is now out-of-print, the latest sci-fi bestseller or a new book club, these Queens booksellers have got you covered.For all of these stores, however, the challenge of making a profit selling physical books in a world that increasingly looks to find everything online is very real. Community support is essential for their success, and each of these shops makes a visit to their store or website a worthwhile excursion in their own way.So next time you find yourself with a few quiet hours, consider stopping in to one of these five bookstores. Grab a coffee, wan-der among the stacks and get lost in the magic of a good book.

#5 Apollo Books17-17 Troutman

These book shops are finding creative ways to thrive in a digital marketplace

“If you want something from the 17th century, I’m your guy.”Jeff Brewer originally started selling books to pay for college back in the 90s. As he got better at the business, he found himself continuing his career in bookselling. Now he has been finding and selling books for almost 20 years, which explains his ex-pertise in finding rare books for his clients.The past decade has seen a severe drop in the num-ber of bookstores around the country. Between that and the astronomical rent in New York, Brew-er decided to run his entire bookselling business, Apollo Books, online.While some prefer browsing a collection in per-son, do not be deterred by Brewer’s lack of a store-front. He considers himself a bit of a rare and out-of-print expert. “That’s where I sort of found my niche. It’s very challenging intellectually,” he said.Brewer prides himself on selling relatively inex-pensive books, both from his rare and out-of-print collection and his general stock. No matter what you’re looking for, Brewer can help you find it. “I deal with a little bit of everything, so there’s noth-ing I haven’t handled in the past.”So whether you want to check if your favorite best-seller is in stock, or you’re looking to settle in with some centuries-old literature, check out Apollo Books on www.abebooks.com and see how Jeff Brewer can help.


Enigma Bookstore in Astoria is admit-tedly not for everyone. Shop owner Hugh Brammer said he appeals to the “geekier and nerdier group, if you will.”Specifically, if you’re a fan of Dun-geons and Dragons, watch Game of Thrones, enjoy a good comic book or have watched all of the Star Wars mov-ies multiple times, Enigma Bookstore is the place for you.Specializing in fantasy, sci-fi, mystery and horror, as well as comics and graph-ic novels, Enigma Bookstore definitely appeals to a niche market. And with low prices for used books, Enigma Book-store is a dream destination for the geek in all of us.The shop also hosts events — usually featuring authors of books they have

in stock — every Friday and Saturday. During the week they have groups that host two separate game nights. To help you get even more cozy, they offer cof-fee and tea and will soon offer prepack-aged snacks.If all of that isn’t enough to get you in looking for the next George R. R. Mar-tin book, the staff at Enigma Bookstore is the icing on the cake. Falling into the “geekier and nerdier group” themselves, they know the titles they are selling be-cause they have read them.“It’s not like a Barnes and Noble where a person has to look a book up to know what it’s about,” said Brammer. “And we can refer you to a book that we think you’ll like.”

Turn the Page Again in Bayside allows book lovers to buy used books for re-markably low prices — nothing in the store costs over $5 — while donating to a great cause.The shop is operated by Transitional Services, a non-profit that helps people with primary psychiatric diagnoses en-ter into the workforce. The non-profit hires people with mental disabilities and trains them for six to nine months before helping them find another job.A small storefront on Bell Boulevard, it is easy to drive right past Turn the Page Again. For those who frequent the shop, that is perfectly fine.“We definitely have our regulars,” store manager Elle Fliegel said. “It’s very funny because some of our regulars won’t share us with their friends and coworkers,” It’s no surprise why the locals want to keep the bookstore in Bayside secret.

Pair the shop’s relatively wide selection and unbeatable pric-es – they even give away some of their books - with the fact you are supporting a good cause, and you’ve got a real gem of the bookstore. All of the books are donated by the Queens Library or by customers them-selves, which is what keeps price so low. And if you donate, you can receive store credit.Customers can find bestsellers, classics or books from any number of genres ranging from science fiction to cook books. There is even a separate chil-dren’s corner. With something for ev-eryone, you are sure to walk out of this shop with a book (or five, or ten).

#4 Enigma Bookstore33-17 Crescent St.Astoria

#3 Turn thePage Again39-15 Bell BoulevardBayside


The Austin Book Shop is a rare and out-of-print bookstore that specializes particularly in American history. What makes this store so noteworthy, however, is its own rich history.The shop opened on Austin Street in 1954 and had its own dark secret — the famous 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese happened right outside its door. In 1986, owner Bernard Titowsky moved the store to its current location on Ja-maica Ave.Current owner Ray Harley took over the shop in 1993, after Titowsky passed away, because of his own personal history with the store. He had been a “Book Bum” for years — a group who would meet every Saturday at the bookstore for a drink and good company.Now the shop is known nationally for baseball, which can also be attributed to Harley. Back in the 80s, he sold his collection of 800 hardcover baseball books to Titowsky. The Dodgers even created their own library using many books from the Austin Book Shop.Besides baseball, Harley has a large catalog of books on women’s studies, immigration, law, crime, performing arts, New York and African American studies. You can call or go online and place an order any day of the week, but to go and browse the extensive collection, you will need to head to the shop on a Saturday, the only day of the week the store is open to the public.The trip is certainly worthwhile — Harley stocks books ranging from topics as specific as an anti-Eleanor Roos-evelt book to as rare as a book on the Mississippi Chinese. You never know what you’ll find in the stacks.

#2 Austin Book Shop104-29 Jamaica AvenueRichmond Hill

The Astoria Bookshop is the closest on this list to a typi-cal bookstore, in that owner Lexi Beach sells new books without any particular genre specialization. What the shop does specialize in, however, is localizing its stock and events to make it a real community hub in Astoria.Beach opened the shop after a long history working with books, most recently in digital and audio books. “I was gradually realizing in my time at that job that I am not a digital person,” Beach said. “If I was going to be selling something to someone I wanted to do it in person. I just like physical books.”But The Astoria Bookshop boasts more than just books. Locals flock to the store for all sorts of events, ranging from weekly story time on Tuesday mornings to writing workshops, mindful meditations, author readings or the shop’s monthly book club.Realizing the importance of the neighborhood around her and mixing that with her love of print books, Beach has created a store that can either be a pleasant stop for some book perusing or a weekly destination for regular patrons.“I want to be able to have the kind of events and the kind of books on the shelves that local customers are looking for. A bookstore, maybe more than other kinds of retail, is a very local kind of business.”

#1 The Astoria Bookshop31-29 31st StreetAstoria


Entertainment CalendarA Roundup Of All The Cool Happenings In Queens

MAY 2014:

FRIDAY, MAY 23

Helen Sung Trio – The “(Re)conception Project”Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams Piano Competition winner Helen Sung performs music from her personal collection. @ 8 p.m. | Flushing Town Hall, 43-50 Main St., Flushing.

Werner Live Music@ 9 p.m. | Gottscheer Hall, 657 Fairview Ave., Ridgewood

SATURDAY, MAY 24

World’s Fair Train Show The Long Island Garden Railway Society presents this outdoor replica of the World’s Fair Unisphere and working G scale model trains on display from May 24 to 26. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free with Garden admission. | Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing.

John Yao and his 17-Piece InstrumentAsian-American jazz musician John Yao performs. @ 4 to 6 p.m. Free with Garden admission. | Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing.

SUNDAY, MAY 25

Movie Screening“The Heritage” tells the love story of a Christian soldier and Jewish girl during the Spanish inquisition. Free. @ 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. | Rego Park Jewish Center, 97-30 Queens Blvd., Rego Park.

Greenpoint Avenue FestivalStreet fair. @ 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. | Greenpoint Avenue from Queens Boulevard to 42nd Street, Woodside.

TUESDAY, MAY 27

BINGO Night Take home the cash prize at this BINGO night for seniors. @ 7 to 10 p.m. | Rego Park Jewish Center, 97-30 Queens Blvd., Rego Park.

THURSDAY, MAY 29

Choreography: Knockdown CenterArtist Michou Szabo premieres his art installation. @ 8 p.m. | Knockdown Center, 52-19 Flushing Ave., Ridgewood.

Karaoke at the WindjammerKaraoke night and open mic. @ 8 p.m. | The Windjammer, 552 Grandview Ave., Ridgewood.

Trans-Pecos Live MusicLive music for all ages. $10. @ 8 p.m. | Trans-Pecos, 915 Wyckoff Ave., Ridgewood.

SATURDAY, MAY 31

RetrospectivaMusic from classical composers with Flamenco dancing and song. $28 adults, $20 seniors, $12 children and students. @ 8 to 10 p.m. | Tony Bennett Concert Hall at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. 35-12 35th Ave., Astoria.

Picnic Day at Onderdonk HouseGrills and picnic tables supplied for Onderdonk House’s largest picnic event. @ 12 pm to 6 pm. | Onderdonk House, 1820 Flushing Ave., Ridgewood.

SUNDAY, JUNE 1

Noguchi ArtwalkA walking conversation of a current installation, “Noguchi Archaic/Noguchi Modern,” with senior curator Dakin Hart. @ 3 to 4 p.m. | The Noguchi Museum, 9-01 33rd Rd., LIC.

Monthly Jazz ClinicKenny Brawner hits the stage with the Queens Jazz OverGround for the monthly Jazz Clinic, followed by the Monthly Jazz


Jam. @ 7 p.m. | Flushing Town Hall, 43-50 Main St., Flushing.

Queens PridefestQueens Pridefest @ 11 am to 6 pm. | 37th Road from 73rd Street to 77th Street, Jackson Heights.

Grand Avenue FestivalStreet fair. @ 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Grand Avenue between 65th St. to 72nd St., Maspeth.

Karaoke at Queens TavernKaraoke night. @ 9 pm. | Queens Tavern, 6869 Fresh Pond Rd., Ridgewood.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4

Seasonal FarmstandMeet with local farmers and pick from over 50 varieties of vegetables every Wednesday through Sunday throughout the summer. EBT and food stamp benefits accepted. @ 12 to 5 p.m. | Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., Glen Oaks.

Grant Writing Take a class with the business outreach center. $10 @ 6 to 8 p.m. |Queens Council on the Arts, 37-11 35th Ave., Astoria.

THURSDAY, JUNE 5

I.A.M. Open Mic NightThe Immigrant Advancement Matters group invites performers and poets to express themselves to support the group’s educational programs. @ 7 p.m. | Flushing Town Hall, 43-50 Main St., Flushing.

SATURDAY, JUNE 7

Women’s Day Street FairVendors sell clothing, fragrances, cosmetics food and more at this first annual event. @ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 106-60 Union Hall, Jamaica.

SUNDAY, JUNE 8

Tourette Syndrome National Awareness 5K Run/WalkRaise funds with the Tourette Sundrome Association for this neurological condition. Call 1-888-4_TOURET for more information. @ 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Flushing Meadows Corona Park, 54th Avenue and 111th Street. Flushing.

Forest Hills Symphony Orchestra

The Forest Hills Symphony Orchestra is celebrating its 50th anniversary of production by holding a concert to end the 2013-14 year. Pieces by Beethoven, Schubert, Ivanovici, Mendelssohn and Waldteufel will be performed. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens and students. Call 718-374-1627 for tickets. | 107-23 71st Rd., Suite 240, Forest Hills.

Forest Hills Festival of the ArtsFrom 11 am to 6 pm the annual street fair will be held on Austin Street with a variety of food, music, games and vendors. The festival is sponsored by the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce and will showcase local businesses throughout

Queens. | Austin Street, from 69th to 72nd Road, Forest Hills.

Spring Fling Car Show & Blood DriveSponsored by East Coast Car Association Toys for Tots. @ 9 am to 4 p.m. | Maspeth Federal Savings Bank Parking Lot at 69th Sreet off Grand Avenue, Maspeth.

Community Volunteer DayVolunteer event to participate in garden activities. @ 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11June 12th World Cup ScreeningDJs, open piano and the screening of the annual World Cup. | Queens Tavern, 6869 Fresh Pond Rd., Ridgewood.

SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 2014

Jackson Heights Art Clubs Show & SaleOutdoor art show. @ 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | In front of PS 69 at 77th Street and 37th Avenue, LIC.

Strawberry FestivalOutdoor festival celebrating the season of summer. @ Noon to 4 pm. | Onderdonk House, 1820 Flushing Ave., Ridgewood.

FRIDAY, JUNE 20

Maspeth World of Wheels ExhibitionAn exhibition showcasing the best “car ideas” submissions


coming from across New York. @ 8 pm. | The Knockdown Center, 52-19 Flushing Ave., Ridgewood.

SATURDAY, JUNE 21

Kenny Brawner is Ray CharlesThis live pianist, vocalist and acting impersonator hits the stage with his 12-piece orchestra for a night of some of your favorites from the Ray Charles catalog. @ 7 p.m. | Flushing Town Hall, 43-50 Main St., Flushing.

LGBTQ Immigrant VoicesMusicians, dancers and performing artists from the Queens immigrant LGBTQ community join local Councilman Daniel Dromm for a special performance. @ 7 p.m. | Flushing Town Hall, 43-50 Main St., Flushing.

SUNDAY, JUNE 22

SS Reformed Church Spring BazaarSunnyside is saying goodbye to spring and hello to summer with a lively bazaar from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The bazaar will be serving American and Indonesian food, live music and will be hosting a raffle and community yard sale. | Skillman Avenue and 48th Street, Sunnyside.

Festival de las Flores & Summer Solstice CelebrationA festival celebrating Colombian tradition. @ Noon to 5 p.m. | Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing.Ridgewood Market & Gottscheer Hall Summertime SpectacularArtisan market with gifts and brunch. @ 11 am to 5 pm. | Gottscheer Hall, 657 Fairview Ave., Ridgewood.

SUNDAY, JUNE 30

Groovin’ in the ParkConcert. @ Noon to 6 p.m. Admission $70/$120. | Roy Wilkins Park 177-01 Baisley Blvd. (at Merrick) in Jamaica.

JULY 2014

SUNDAY, JULY 6, 2014

30th Avenue Astoria FestivalStreet fair hosted by Friends of Community Board. | Along 30th Avenue from 29th Street to Steinway Street, Astoria.

MONDAY, JULY 7, 2014

Tour de Queens 2014The 7th annual biking event in Queens. Check-in @ 7 a.m. | Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing.

SUNDAY, JULY 21, 2014

Jamaica Jerk FestivalJamaican culture festival. @ Noon to 8 p.m. Admission is $25. | Roy Wilkins Park 177-01 Baisley Blvd. (at Merrick) in Jamaica.

FRIDAY, JULY 25

36th Annual Thunderbird American Indian Mid-Summer Pow WowThis three day native tradition is the oldest of its kind in the city inviting over 40 Indian nations to showcase a wide variety of arts, crafts, jewelry and food. $10, adult; $15, adult weekend pass; $5, children ages 12 and under; $7, child weekend pass. Free with Farm Membership. | Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., Glen Oaks. *Runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday

SATURDAY, JULY 26

Out in the Streets Music & Arts Fest 2014Outdoors music and art festival. @ 1 pm that ends @ 8 pm on July 27. | The Vander-Ende Onderdonk House, 1820 Flushing Ave., Ridgewood.

SUNDAY, JULY 27

Broadway SummerfestStreet fair by the 114th Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol. @ 11 am - 6 pm. | Broadway between Steinway Street and 47th Street, Astoria.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, 2014

Steinway Street FestivalStreet fair. @ Noon to 6 p.m. | Steinway Street between 28th Avenue and 34th Avenue, Astoria.

Junta Hispana FestivalFestival celebrating Hispanic culture. @ 11 a.m. | Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing.

AUGUST 2014:

FRIDAY AUGUST 1, 2014

JAMS Jamaica Avenue FestivalThe biggest street fair in Queens. @ 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Jamaica Avenue from Parsons Boulevard to 169th Street, Jamaica.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2014

Junction Boulevard FestivalStreet fair. @ 11 am - 6 pm. | Junction Boulevard between Roosevelt and 35th Avenue, Jackson Heights.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9

Hong Kong Dragon Boat FestivalAnnual sporting and multicultural event that is also held on Sunday August 10. | Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing.

Ongoing August 25 – September 8US Open Tennis ChampionshipsThe largest tennis grand slam in the country. | Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows.



10 REASONS TOEXCERCISE

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TO PREVENT DISEASEExercise has been proven to reduce the risk of just about every single health problem known to man; from stroke or heart disease to cancer and osteoporosis.

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TO HAVE MORE ENERGYAnyone who exercises regularly will tell you that they are more energetic, less easily irritated and are more peaceful.

TO SLEEP BETTERExercise boosts energy levels, but also wears you out. It makes you feel more vibrant during the day and sleep better at night.

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the loss of both are drastically reduced with regular exercise.

RELIEVE BACK PAINIn most cases, the best thing that you can do for back pain is to move and strengthen those muscles. Consult your physician or physical therapist for guidance.

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PRIDEPARADE2014


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Mount Olivet CemeteryServing the Public of All Faiths for 164 Years

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May 19 thru June 14, 2014:

Grave flags for veterans interred at Mount Olivet Cemetery will be available at the office during office hours for the first 200 families who visit.

Historical information will requested that will be added to our Veterans Archive. Families should visit the office Monday-Friday, 9:00-3:30, 65-40 Grand Avenue.

Free hand-out on

flag etiquette.

Historical information will be requested that will be added to our Veterans Archive. Families Should visit the office Monday - Friday, 9:00-3:30,65-40 Grand Avenue.

Free hand-outon flag etiquette


62 • Summer 2014 www.itsqueens.com62 • Fall 5.3 2013 www.itsqueens.com

Queens Commerce BUSINESS DIRECTORY

The Meadowbrook Motor Lodge

440 Jericho Turnpike, Jericho, NY 11753phone 516-681-4200 fax 516-433-7530

Weekly / Corporate Rates AvailableLIE Exit 40E to 25E (Jericho Turnpike)

2 Miles on Left-Hand SideFree Ample Car and Truck Parking

Newly Renovated Rooms Heart Shaped Jacuzzis / All Mirror

Rooms / Flat Screen TVsExclusive Smoking

& Non Smoking RoomsKing Size Bed & Double Bed Rooms

DVDs / 25 inch TVs / Microfridges Free Wireless Internet

Located in a Private Secluded Neighborhood

Only minutes from most parts of Queens

Near All Major Highways / AirportsWake Up Service

24 Hour Front Desk / Restaurant on Premises

www.meadowbrookmotorlodge.comwww.shortstayny.com

Day Rates :Sun- Thurs Morning :$34 Evening :$42 Nightly : $85Fri - Sat Morning : $34 Evening : $48 Nightly : $95

Weekly Rates Starting at $525

Subject to AvailabilityHolidays Excluded

The Meadowbrook Motor Lodge

440 Jericho Turnpike, Jericho, NY 11753phone 516-681-4200 fax 516-433-7530

Weekly / Corporate Rates AvailableLIE Exit 40E to 25E (Jericho Turnpike)

2 Miles on Left-Hand SideFree Ample Car and Truck Parking

Newly Renovated Rooms Heart Shaped Jacuzzis / All Mirror

Rooms / Flat Screen TVsExclusive Smoking

& Non Smoking RoomsKing Size Bed & Double Bed Rooms

DVDs / 25 inch TVs / Microfridges Free Wireless Internet

Located in a Private Secluded Neighborhood

Only minutes from most parts of Queens

Near All Major Highways / Airports

24 Hour Front Desk / Restaurant

www.meadowbrookmotorlodge.comwww.shortstayny.com

Day Rates :Sun- Thurs Morning :$34 Evening :$42 Nightly : $85Fri - Sat Morning : $34 Evening : $48 Nightly : $95

Weekly Rates Starting at $525

Subject to AvailabilityHolidays Excluded

440 Jericho TurnpikeJericho NY 11753Phone: 516-681-4200Fax: 516-433-7530

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66 • Summer 2014 www.itsqueens.com66 • Fall 5.3 2013 www.itsqueens.com

Project Woodhavenprojectwoodhaven.comAudience: People Who Are All About WoodhavenIf you want to know what is going on in Woodhaven, then you have to be tuned in to the Project Woodhaven blog. More than just a blog, it’s actually a clearinghouse for all sorts of information about Woodhaven across a variety of platforms. The site will post not only news and events going on the neighborhood, but videos and other media, as well.

Rockawayistrockawayist.comAudience: Resident Interested in the RockawaysOne year ago, Hurricane Sandy tore through the Rockaways and disrupted what was a bit of a resurgence for the peninsula, as new people were beginning to discover the charm of this beachfront community. Visitors were pouring in,

Well, there’s still a lot to see and do, and you can keep tabs on what’s happening here.

Rego-Forest Preservation Council regoforestpreservation.blogspot.comAudience: Those Interested in Rego Park & Forest HillsPretty much what its name suggest, this is a blog focused on the historic preservation of Rego Park and Forest Hills, as well as a place to check out what is going on in the neighborhood today.

Blogs of Queens

Queens Politicsqueens-politics.comAudience: Borough Political JunkiesQueens Politics is an oft-updated blog devoted to bringing its readers analysis of politics in Queens and occasionally the tidbit of insider information, often with an anti-establishment bias.

www.itsqueens.com Summer 2014 • 67www.itsqueens.com Fall 5.3 2013 • 67

Queens MaMa’squeensmamas.comAudience: Mothers (and Fathers, too)

wholesome activities to do with the kids can be an overwhelming and duanting task. Enter www.queensmamas.com. This website does all of the work for you, giving you thousands of ideas, activities, and events that will be fun for the whole family. (Yes, even dads, too.) The site was founded by Leni Calas, a Queens native with two daughters. Queens Mama’s receives thousands of visitors per month, and in 2010 won 1st place in the Queens Economic Development Corporation’s StartUP! Business Plan Competition. It’s still going strong.

LIC Postlicpost.comAudience: People With an Interest in Long Island CityLIC Post is an active blog with the most up-to-date information on local happenings and news in the neighborhood of Long Island City.

The Newtown Pentaclenewtownpentacle.comAudience: People Interested in Issues Surrounding Newtown CreekOver the past decade, this long-overlooked (and neglected) waterway separating Brooklyn and Queens was a natural disaster. But thanks to people like Mitch Waxman - the creator of The Newtown Pentacle - the creek is starting to get a little love, and a federally mandated cleanup is underway. Heck, even if you don’t care a lick about Newtown Creek, you should visit this blog just to check out the stunning photography, which is some of the best we’ve seen in a while.

Why Leave AstoriaWhyLeaveAstoria.comAudience: Astoria LoversIf you love Astoria (whether you live there or not), chances are you’re a member of the bloggish social networking site WhyLeaveAstoria.com. Why indeed, when there’s so much to do; the popular site features upcoming events of all kinds, throws great parties, and serves as a forum for groups of like-minded individuals.


MEMBER

FDIC

Queens Banking Offices Administrative Office 80-10 Eliot Avenue, Middle Village, NY 11379 • 718-651-4600 79-21 Metropolitan Avenue, Middle Village, NY 11379 • 718-326-6300 79-21 Metropolitan Avenue, Middle Village, NY 11379 • 718-326-520 60-20 Fresh Pond Road, Maspeth, NY 11378 • 718-366-4700 Brooklyn Banking Offices455 Beach 129th Street, Belle Harbor, NY 11694 • 718-634-0333 731 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211 • 718-388-4400 Bronx Banking Office 791 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10462 • 718-828-5600

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