Astorian Weekend Edition, 05.11.09

This weekend brings us Leaf Fest, right here at Astoria Park. The Astoria Park Alliance, working with the Queens Botanical Garden/Queens Compost Project, is collecting your fall leaves for composting (volunteers will turn the pile and gardeners will be able to partake in the compost come spring). Bring them with you to the Astoria Park parking lot on Sunday the 8th, between 11 a.m and 1 p.m., and volunteers will be happy to collect what you have. You'll be able to learn more about composting, too. If you can, please bring any non-perishable food items to donate to local food pantries. Leaf Fest continues on Sunday the 15th and 22nd, too.

Craving pork by chance? Head over to Sac's on Broadway for their annual pig roast. Around 8 p.m. on Thursday night the pig (actually two of them) will be cooked to the point of juicy deliciousness, having roasted on a spit all day. Call 718-204-5002 for reservations on Thursday, November 5 and Thursday, November 12. Sac's is at 25-41 Broadway.

Rèst Âü Ránt, home of the diacriticals, is turning two this weekend! Saturday hails their anniversary party, complete with live music, specials, passed hors d'ouvres and more! Party starts at 9, yum. The fun lives at 30-01 35th Avenue.

Remember the crap weather on October 24th? It totally harshed the plans for It's My Park Day at Queensbridge Park, so much so that they had to postpone it! Good news: this Saturday's the day! The event starts at 10 a.m. and goes til 2 p.m. Consider registering if you're part of a group (contact greenshoresnyc@yahoo.com to register or if you have questions). Snacks and supplies will be provided for all volunteers.

Finally, Waltz Astoria (23-14 Ditmars Boulevard) presents The Ultimate Singer-Songwriter Contest. Details for contestants are here, and it looks like it could be a really good time. The festivities start at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and the Sunday finale starts at 8 p.m. Come see and support great local talent. Also try the pumpkin pie - it's totally NOM-able.

It's My Park Day at Queensbridge Park.

Have you ever been to Queensbridge Park? I have a few times, and it's a pretty nice space. Great river and city views, places to relax, family-friendly... and you can help it stay beautiful!

Queensbridge is participating in It's My Park Day, Saturday, October 24th. Join in the citywide celebration of making our favorite parks ready for the winter. Press release follows:

ASTORIA/LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y. – Winter is right around the corner! Join with Green Shores NYC and the Friends of Queensbridge Park Committee for It’s My Park Day (IMPD) on Saturday October 24th, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. IMPD will take place rain or shine.

The event will give residents of Long Island City and Astoria a chance to spruce up Queensbridge Park after an event-filled summer. Within a few hours, volunteers will take part in several projects, including painting, planting and general park cleanup. Arts and crafts activities for all ages will round out the day.

Queensbridge Park is on the waterfront and provides breathtaking views of the Queensboro Bridge (also known as the 59th Street Bridge), East River and Manhattan skyline. It’s heavily used by children, families, cyclists, runners, and amateur sports teams. Built in 1939, the park features baseball fields, a multi-use field for soccer and football, volleyball and handball courts, a marked bike path, a playground and barbeque areas. Over the past few months, Queensbridge Park has been the site of a festival celebrating the Queensboro Bridge’s Centennial, a concert by the Metropolitan Opera, puppet shows, and innovative dance and theater performances.

Everyone is welcome, but children must be supervised by an adult. This is a great opportunity for community organizations, businesses and schools to volunteer as a group in their community. Volunteers are advised to wear old clothes and shoes and to be ready to roll up their sleeves and have fun! Refreshments will be provided for all volunteers.

All volunteers are asked to enter the park at the 41st Avenue/Vernon Blvd entrance and report to the registration table on OCTOBER 24TH at 10 AM near the field house. By train, take the F to 21st Street/Queensbridge and walk west on 41st Avenue to Vernon Boulevard.

Event Details:
GREEN SHORES NYC and THE FRIENDS OF QUEENSBRIDGE PARK COMMITTEE
It’s My Park Day! in Queensbridge Park
Saturday, October 24th, 2009, 10 AM to 2:00 PM
Queensbridge Park (Vernon Boulevard and 41st Avenue)

Free Bike Helmets at Queensbridge Park!

Just read on astorians.com about free bike helmets being offered in LIC this weekend:

DOT Offers Free Bike Helmets at Queensbridge Park, Long Island City - July 11

The Department of Transportation will give away free bike helmets while supplies last on Saturday, July 11 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at Queensbridge Park in Long Island City in partnership with Partnerships for Parks and Bike New York.

You must be present to get a helmet, and you must learn how to properly fit and wear a helmet before you receive it. A parent or legal guardian must be present to sign a waiver for children under age 18. Adults over age 18 receiving a helmet must sign a waiver.

Check the events calendar on the DOT Web site for other bike helmet events. Or, you can schedule a fitting for an NYC helmet at one of the DOT's Safety City locations in the five boroughs by calling 311. Safety City locations can be found at http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/safety/safecity.shtml.

For additional information, call (212) 839-2200.

Astorian Weekend Edition 07.08.08

There's concert going and work-shopping on Thursday. At 10 a.m. be entertained and make puppets at Queensbridge Park (Vernon Blvd & 41st Ave) then head over to Astoria Park Lawn around 7:30 p.m. for the musical stylings of Joey Dee and the Starliters.

Gas prices are getting people out and about on their bikes; learn safety and other riding skills at Recycle-A-Bicycle’s Summer Ride Club on Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meet over at their training center (46th Ave and 5th St.) and feel free to bring the kids!

Try the newest Asian eatery in the Ditmars area, East Moon (35-12 Ditmars Blvd.). Some say there are already a ton of them, but this one has a twist: Japanese and/or Thai! Take your pick; chances are you'll find something to your liking.

Sunday earn a medal or two at Astoria's own Beer-lympics!!! The hops laden event was put together by the Astoria Pub Hunters and Why Leave Astoria on Meetup.com. There will be both individual and team events, so you have no excuse to not participate. RSVP in advance and pay $15 for men and $10 for women (or more at the door). The fee goes toward the open bar and snacks, so all in all, not a bad deal. I will be trying my hardest to make this event; I just need to see this for myself! This is a great excuse to try out the new Club 21 (30-09 21st St.) too.

More Queens stuff here.

Astorian Weekend Edition 10.07.08

This weekend provides a number of opportunities to contribute to your community! First, on Saturday is the Shoreline Cleanup at Astoria Park. From 1-4 p.m that day come join your fellow Astoria residents to help clean up the shoreline. Gloves will be provided as well as trash bags. Meet at the War Memorial on Shore Blvd. Wear comfy clothes and durable shoes - that means no sandals or flip flops (glass and crud, gross). Older kids and teens should be accompanied by a parent.

Saturday night come by Fresh Start Market (29-13 23rd Avenue) for a night of live music by Agua Trip, wine, cheese, and freelance photography to raise money for Smile Train, the world's leading cleft surgery charity. The event is in their back garden patio and goes from 7-9 p.m.

On Sunday, Seeds of Love is having their first sale of the summer. The proceeds from this sidewalk sale will go to help 9- year old cancer fighter Jessica Easle. She has Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer and has relapsed recently. The sale lasts from 2-7 p.m. at 24-37 Crescent Street. Free gift while supplies last, too!

On Friday night, the Whiskey Dregs are doing an open mic night at Freeze Peach (22-00 29th Street). Bring whatever you want. This is a free for all. Hosted by Carlos Detres, and signups start at 8 p.m.

On Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m., head down to Queensbridge Park for CityParks Dance: Eleone Dance Theatre & Silver Brown Dance Company. Free!

And remember that one way to beat the heat (it's supposed to be hot and humid) is a dip in Astoria Pool. Otherwise, grab some ice cream! There's great gelato at La Guli (29-15 Ditmars) and Martha's Bakery (36-21 Ditmars), and ice cream at Igloo (22-26 31st Street), ColdStone (34-20 Broadway) and Baskin Robbins (multiple locations). If you know other ice cream/gelato sources, please share in the comments.

Astorian Weekend Edition 08.05.08

Well, it's been so nice this week, finally warming up. Thought it will be less terrific this weekend than during the week, don't let that deter you from going out and having fun.

One way to bring some light to your weekend is a meal at Akti. Everything there shines! I ate there for the second time last weekend and it was fab. Had a lovely salad with feta, peppers, tomatoes, cukes, and onions, dressed with a light and simple mixture of oil and vinegar. The feta was some of the best I've had, I must say. Their fish croquettes are awesome too, and the whole fish is also wonderful - we had the red snapper. They serve a Cypriot beer that is light and delicious. I don't think you can go wrong with anything here. Akti Seafood Restaurant is at 34-19 30th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11103. 718.721.3530.

New wine bar Winegasm is doing a happy hour - thisThursday, Friday and Saturday from 5-7 p.m. get 2 for 1 cocktails and a $15 pitcher of delicious summer sangria. I love sangria, so this looks particularly awesome. Winegasm is at 31-86 37th Street, Astoria, NY 11103. 718.932.3331.

There are a number of outdoor events happening this Saturday. First, the Savvy Cyclist presents their intro to cycling program for new cyclists. Saturday the 10th from 9-5 p.m. Registration and deposit required. Recycle-A-Bicycle training center is at the corner of 46 Avenue and 5th Street.

Next, Socrates Sculpture Park presents the first annual LIC Bike Parade in partnership with a whole host of great local and community organizations. It's free and perfect for the entire family. Lots and lots of stuff going on in conjunction with this event, so check out the bikenewyork.org website for additional information. It will happen rain or shine; registration is at 11:30 a.m., workshops from 12-3 p.m. and the parade is from 3-4 p.m. Socrates Sculpture Park is at Broadway and Vernon Boulevard. 718.956.1819.

Last, the Friends of Queensbridge Park are holding their annual Mother's Day Dance fund-raiser to benefit the summer program. 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement House, 10-25 41st Avenue in Long Island City. Tickets are $15. Contact karen.overton@parks.nyc.gov to purchase a ticket.

Build It Green! along with the Office of Recycling Outreach and Education is also holding an event on Saturday from 11-4 p.m.: Stop 'N Swap! From their release:

Our block will be closed off for the whole day! 26th Ave between 3rd and 4th Street in Astoria, Queens right in front of the BIG!NYC warehouse. Bring things you want to get rid of for the free swap! You can also just bring yourself and take things for free! As always the warehouse will be open with all our great deals!

WHAT TO BRING: Items that are no longer useful to you, but can be reused by others. Clothes, dishes, books, dvds, cds, stuff your mom gave you for Xmas. You don't need to bring anything to take anything (though a tote bag might help). Bring friends and family too!

WHAT NOT TO BRING: No furniture/large items, drugs/medications, weapons/dangerous objects, adult movies/magazines or pets/pethair covered items.

Build It Green! is located at 3-17 26th Ave. in Astoria.

This Sunday is Mother's Day. Our own Foodista has some suggestions on where to take mom on her special day.