Hi Why Leave Astorians,

I'm working on a mural in Queens that says "I live here" in the 160+ languages spoken in the borough - to be created sometime in 2014. 

To prepare I'm collecting the words for "I live here" in each language, in both written and video form.  SO if you speak a language that's not yet featured on the project website, please get in touch annabel (at) ILiveHereQueens.com with the words…

Hi Why Leave Astorians,

Do you speak a language other than English?  If so please consider sending a few-second video (webcam / phone video is fine) of the equivalent of "I live here" in that language to me at: annabel (at) iliveherequeens.com.

The plan is to bring together videos for…

Hi Why Leave Astorians,

I have just launched a project to create (sometime in 2014) a mural in Queens that says "I live here" in all of the 160+ languages spoken in the borough.  I would love input in the form of:

- Language advice!: Input on how to write "I live here" in any of the languages:…

In the pic: Tara Pappas of UFCW Local 342 (far left), with workers from Trade Fair meat department including Eunice Izquierdo (second from right) and Beatriz Gomez (far right).

Belatedly sharing this post from Saturday (www.30thAve.org):

From last Wednesday, Trade Fair employees have been standing…

PS 5 kids when they were in the third grade, circa 1949.

Article originally posted on www.30thAve.org):

In September a group of people in their early seventies met for lunch at an Astoria restaurant.  Most had either attended Public School 5 or Junior High School 126 in the neighborhood together,…

Brooklyn’s massive book festival is underway this weekend, which is just one aspect of its thriving literary scene. Hundreds of writers have made and still make Brooklyn their home. Meanwhile reams have been written about Manhattan and by its inhabitants. There’s plenty of material for the “literary map” of that borough. It begs the question, what about Queens? It barely features on the…

Note: Astoria Coins and Collectibles will have a grand re-opening this coming Saturday, September 22.  Everyone is welcome.  Customers will receive a free Buffalo Nickel or comic book with each purchase.

First up, a note from Jennifer Greco about the shop:

Astoria Coins and Collectibles is a place where…

Gus Prentzas worked in a flower store while he was a politics and international relations student at college.  Then at the age of 22 he bought his own flower store in Astoria, on 29th and Ditmars.  Other than a short period out, he has stayed in the flower business, while keeping politically active through his involvement with local organizations.  He…

Elizabet Flores owns La Bomboniera Marylu party store on 30^th Ave.  What more festive way to end this year of interviews than a conversation with her.  “We are like a party planner,” Elizabet says.  “We can help you with first communions, christenings, birthdays, weddings.  We help you with the invitations, favors, decoration of the hall…anything that you…

Sid is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) with the New York City Fire Department.   He covers “pretty much anywhere on the West end of Queens.”  I spoke with him on a bitterly cold Sunday morning while his ambulance was parked outside Mount Sinai Hospital on 30^th Ave.…

Jeanne Marie Boes, now 23, was born and brought up in Astoria.  She used to live on Newton Avenue and for the past 11 or 12 years has lived on 30^th Avenue.  There was a Casio keyboard lying around at home when she was a child.  She liked playing about on it, and hasn’t looked back since then.

“I’ve always leaned towards music, she says.   She…

George Phillips worked as a NASA engineer for eight years, before a change of direction in 1982 when he took over Astoria Music at 35-19 30^th Avenue.  The music store has been there since 1922.  George says that it is Astoria’s third oldest business, after Ronzoni  pasta company on…

Trade Fair supermarket stretches along 30^th Ave between 31^st and 32^nd Streets.  It’s a swath of color with its fruit and vegetables on display and bright announcements of special offers.  Among the bustle of customers and deliveries I spoke with its manager Mustafa Eid.  Sabah Guessar, also a manager there, joined in some of…

Frank DePaola was born in Calabria, Italy and moved to the US when he was eight years old.  His family first lived in Long Island before coming to Astoria.  Thirty three years ago he opened Sorriso Salumeria, an Italian delicatessen at 44-16 30^th Ave.  “Sorriso” means smile in Italian.

“We specialize in hard-to-get items,” Frank says.  “Cheese,…

On Friday evenings a group of young people meets at the East River Development Alliance (ERDA) center in Astoria Houses, a housing development at the far Western end of 30^th Ave that is home to just over 3000 residents.  They meet to work on their group project, “REELization Films.”  They make short films inspired by elements of their lives and issues…

Just down from where I live on 30^th Drive (a couple of blocks South of 30^th Ave) is the mosque Masjid Al Ikhlas.  At intervals throughout the day there is a greater flow of people down the street as people walk to, and then back from, their prayers.  I spoke with Rahim and Akim, both from Algeria, outside the mosque just after prayers in…

The stretch of 30^th Ave between 28^th and Crescent Streets is dominated by Mount Sinai Queens hospital.  Throughout the day there are uniformed doctors and nurses crossing the Avenue to get coffee and sandwiches at Father & Son’s Delhi, ambulances and stretchers coming and going, relatives arriving to visit family members.   On a…

Peter Loupakis works at Loupakis Karate Acrobatics school on 31^st Street just North of the 30^th Ave subway station.   I spoke with him between two classes.  The first was with a group of young kids.  When I arrived they were learning to walk up a steeply slanting beam. “Let’s learn to climb the Matterhorn!” Peter called to them as they…

Josh Ellis and Elanna White were thirteen when they started making music together.   Now both nineteen, they have formed the band Donner Social.  Talking with them it is clear that they know each other well.   Often they finish each other’s sentences.  Or one picks up what the other has just said, by repeating a phrase then taking it forwards.

Both were…

Brothers Ralph and Yury Almaz opened their jewelers store at 35-13 30th Ave 26 years ago.  It is aptly named Almaz Brothers.  They had come to New York a few years previously from Uzbekistan.  There were jewelers in their family going back generations and their grandfather was one; they decided to continue the…