Thursday, October 27, 2005

Astorian Weekend Edition - 05.10.27

Goblins? Dementors? Witches and Wizards? Muh ha ha ha ha ha! Tonight ditch the scary movie (I did years ago) and curl up to the newest Harry Potter book, The Half-Blood Prince, possibly the best yet. You can find it at Seaburn Books on Broadway (unlike most other books).

Saturday wakie wakie, you'll need to get up early to pick the best pumpkin at the LIC Greenmarket. It's your Halloween pumpkin we're talking about here, so elbowing little kids out of the way is totally fair game. Just be careful; they bite.

After you've cleaned the post-carved pumpkin goop out of your kitchen's nooks and crannies, you want to do something really scary this Halloween? Clean out your cupboards. Yep. Just as I suspected: evaporated milk, tahini, lima beans, and canned chicken. Well, now they can go to a worthy cause. The LIC food pantry is having a food drive at Key Food from 10 to 3. You're in luck; they need canned goods and volunteers, too!

So, now that you've decided that alternately using your canned goods to dress up as a Gursky was a dumb idea, get it together and do Halloween in style. I'm talkin' about the Haunted Waters tour. The one and only walking tour of Old Astoria filled with real tales of the Astorian dead! Shipwrecks, murder, and other general creepiness as you "stroll past graveyards". It's a must. You can't even live here anymore if you don't go.

PS. See what's doin' in the rest of QNS at About.com.

Friday, October 21, 2005

Astorian Weekend Edition 05.10.21

"My god, it's full of stars!" No, not the Avalon realty office. The monolith. If you don't know what I'm talking about you should definitely catch Kubrick classic 2001: A Space Odessey tonight (or all weekend) at the Museum of the Moving Image.

This Saturday you're allowed to start early. It's socially acceptable to drink at noon in some places, and this weekend, that place is lic bar. What's not to love? Choicey booze and live tunes from noon on. Try to stay sober though, because this is also your chance to hear a real harpischord without having to go to a renaissance fair. Huzzah! Meg Cotner and company will be playing live at Waltz at 9 PM. Don't be late, you'll want to grab a treat before the show.

Your Nano *did* snap in half didn't it! I knew it. Well, you can take that and your "decorative" Apple IIe to mac heaven on Sunday. Recycle all your obsolete electronics and associated junk. Drop off next to Best Buy with the Lower East Side Ecology Center. That stuff is *way* bad for the environment so, you might as well give it this proper burial.

PS. Learn all about QNS at About.Queens.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

More Pics!


dance
Originally uploaded by Fun In Astoria.
More pics from Hurricane Relief Event II. Stay tuned for III on 11/6!

Monday, October 17, 2005

Where are the rock stars of Astoria?


IMG_5372.jpg
Originally uploaded by mrminator.
Last night, (in case you were lame and weren't there) some Astorians rocked out at Freeze Peach. Many were excellent. Brownbird Rudy Relic seriously rocked the house with the most bitchin' bluegrass I've ever heard. Plus, he donated all his proceeds from cds to the benefit. I've heard rumblings about him opening for the 11/6 event as well.

There's also a sweet little jazz trio that plays at the LIC Greenmarket. I don't even know their name.

Of course there's our own jazzy Josh Irving.

Who else?

Photo Credit: Matt Mills (thanks!)

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Sports Place


Does anyone know the deal with this place?

Greater Astoria


A visit to Flushing...
PS. Why didn't I take a pic of the dim sum???

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Astorian Weekend Edition - 05.10.14

What says fall like a package of daffodil bulbs? Okay, they look like old balls of garlic, but they're *so* pretty when the come up! Be a part of your community and help plant some at ARROW Community Garden (35th St. between 35th & 36th avenues), Saturday around 11. Bulbs and dirt provided!

Now that you've planted you're ready for a nice Fall Harvest. Hooray for Socrates! From 11 to 3 they'll be having their Halloween Harvest Festival. Hello - you can make your own costume, listen to music (unfortunately its klezmer), and "make a fun project". There will be tasty foods from Sage American Kitchen and a Canine Costume Contest. Are you kidding me? They should do this every weekend.

So -- on Sunday, you get up, make coffee, read the paper and...well...you sort of stop right there. Given that there have been about a zillion natural (and political) disasters every day for the past two months, the news is kind of sucking the wind out of your sails. Get that wind back! Astorians for Hurricane Relief will be having a free show at none other then the bohemian Freeze Peach Cafe featuring (Astorian) National Poetry Series winner Stephen Cramer and several other local artists. Uh...and what does that do? FP will be donating all the proceeds during the show (from 6-8) to our cause - America's Second Harvest Hurricane Relief Fund. Cause they rock.

That's how you take back fall from the hurricanes!

PS. See me every Friday and learn about the rest of the wonderful world of Queens at About.com.

Saturday, October 08, 2005

Weekend Supplement 05.10.08

You had *so* much fun Friday night, that you're beggin for more. Well, no worries, the next Astorians for Hurricane Relief event is next Sunday at Freeze Peach. But, just because Matt and Meesh (read: owners) are such nice guys, they're getting a jump on things. Tomorrow (Sunday 10/9) proceeds from the Cafe will be going to our cause as well. Check it out!

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Weekend Edition 05.10.07

You're at work. Your boss took off to make her long weekend even longer, but if you left, your annoying cubicle-neighbor would totally rat you out in a heartbeat to ingratiate himself with her.

Got cake?

You can have some tonight at Waltz-Astoria. Tonight Waltz will be hosting the fabulous kick-off benefit for Astorians for Hurricane Relief. And they have cake.

Oh my god - why did you eat all that cake last night? Well, this is your weekend to walk it off. Have you even wondered about the Astoria pool? I mean *really* wondered? Well, this Saturday, thanks to Open House New York you'll be able to see its guts. Tour its underground infrastructure from 10-1.

I don't know about you, but every time I walk by the Iron Workers building, I'm like "what are they doing in there?". Find out at 10 am on Sunday. If you're more about art than craft, you can get the low-down on the art scene in LIC. The Noguchi Museum will be hosting a panel discussion all about it at 11.

If you missed church in hopes of catching some hotty iron workers, no worries. On Monday, the Greater Astorian Historical Society will be touring not one, but *five* of them. Even the Church Lady will be proud.

See About.com edition and the rest of QNS.

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert in Astoria

So, your plans this Columbus Day weekend include: shopping for fall clothes (no, you don't need them), doing your laundry while the laundromat's empty, and figuring out why this holiday is a point of Italian heritage when Columbus had to go to the Queen of Spain for his New World sailing money. Sounds like a blast.

*Or* you could catch a hot show Friday night at the newly minted Waltz's Astoria (23-14 Ditmars Blvd). The show is a collection of artists donating their time. And you will be, too! It's a benefit concert for America's Second Harvest Hurricane Relief Fund! Get the deets or donate directly at Astorians for Hurricane Relief.

PS. Haven't seen our poster? They're everywhere!

Weird Garden of George Awning Art

This is what I'm talking about. It's fun, but...uh...it might have an expiration date.

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

News & Notes 05.10.04

Who knew about the Irish Center in LIC?

Katrina survivors right here in Astoria. I wish we could do something for them directly. It says they need winter clothes! Read NYT Article

Local Green, Robyn Sklar, qualifies for matching funds. Read Green News Release. That's hot. I just wish her community garden plot didn't look like crap. (PS. I'd probably vote for her anyway.)

They're going to fix the Steinway bridge. In 2007. Read Article.


Scuttlebutt Section

Garden of George is actually not closing. It's reopening as a restaurant. I was talking with some of the construction guys last night and they put up a really fun installation on the awning. I just hope it's weatherproof. I'll post a pic tonight.

Anyone who thinks they're putting a Whole Foods in where Tupelo was is on crack. I have no idea who circulated this rumor, but it makes me laugh. I heard it's going to be a Cow-Town.

There's a new thrift store on 34th Av. I haven't been there yet, but it looks cool. There's also like ten new Euro-cafes on 30th and a couple new yogalaties places up by Ditmars.

Why is the Euro-mart carrying produce outside the store? It's going to get rained on by the subway dirt and that's just groaty-mcfroaty.

Viva El Mar
appears to have closed. That was a record. I wanted to make a joke about how the letters on its sign are continually getting smaller, but I kinda feel bad for them.

The defunct Big Apple Discount and the discount place on 35th & Broadway appear to both be under renovations.

PS. I actually like Janeane Garofalo on the West Wing. Too bad Al Frankin won't be their next president.

Saturday, October 01, 2005