Queens Is The Bestest, Better Than All The Restest . . . Borough Of Dreams: Queens

The Not For Tourists Guide to Queens book-release party makes Talk of the Town:

The partygoers sprawled across the SculptureCenter’s gravel courtyard, picking at pieces of fruit and cheese. Many of them hailed from Manhattan or, disproportionately, from the newly trendy Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenpoint, just across the Pulaski Bridge. Michael Sendrow, a twenty-nine-year-old Sunnyside resident (and brother-in-law of one of the guide’s editors), gave a possible explanation for the party’s inter-borough popularity. “It was posted on Myopenbar,” he said. (Myopenbar.com is “your guide to free booze’ in New York. “Queens is full of good shit,” the site’s notice for the N.F.T. party had said. “The Astoria pool, Indian gold by the pound, men with mustaches, strip joints . . .”) “Terrible,” someone chimed in. “I’m telling you: they’re all hipsters, here for the free beer. Cheats.”

Insofar as other Queens residents could be found, they, too, were wary of outside interest in their borough. Bryan Kimpel, a lifelong Astorian, confided his concern that Queens was on the verge of an invasion by exiles from pricier parts of the city. “I was just telling some of my friends about Water Taxi Beach, and then I was going, ‘Oh, jeez, I better not tell too many people.’ Because we’ll have to wait in line.” Cathy Albright, the one local who expressed unqualified enthusiasm for the guide, had moved, just a year earlier, to Astoria from Texas. “I’ve been waiting for the Queens edition to come out,” she said, clutching her complimentary copy. “The addresses are so screwy here.”

. . .

By eight, the party was winding down. Revellers had begun spilling out onto Jackson Avenue, some in search of the E, G, and 7 trains, others in the general direction of the nearby L.I.C. Bar. A dozen more loitered on the sidewalk in front of the SculptureCenter, apparently uncertain of their next move. Sendrow said, “I imagine that these people, who probably don’t know where they’re going, get a Queens guide and have to look at it in order to get back to wherever they’re from.”

What a wag . . .

Consensus Emerges For A Padavan Law Revision — A Public Hearing Must Take Place When 3 Or 4 Churches Operate Within A 500-Foot Radius

You can’t win:

In a neighborhood where three or more drinking establishments per block is not all that unusual, E. Seventh St. between Avenues B and C doesn’t seem to be in that kind of spirit.

Instead of the usual assortment of drinking establishments, five religious institutions hold sway here, making it the kind of block that would most certainly give any cocktail hour devotee the shakes.

“It’s a blessing,” said Wilfred Moore, deacon of the Gethsemane Garden Baptist Church, at 223 E. Seventh St. “I don’t have a problem with the number of churches on this block because we’re outnumbered, anyhow.”

. . .

Not all the residents of E. Seventh St. sing the praises of this confluence of churches.

Joan Eddings, 21, confesses that she’d rather have more wining and dining establishments along the block and fewer Bible-toting neighbors.

“You’re walking along minding your business and someone’s always saying ‘God bless you,'” she griped. Eddings added that, “Some people think it’s a blessed block because of the churches, but it’s the realtors who own property here who are truly blessed.”

Another disgruntled block resident, Michael Shenker complained, “There used to be a beautiful garden where they built Gethsemane Garden Baptist Church, and we lost it. I’d prefer that we had kept that open space open rather than another church.”

Historic Stonewall Closes . . . Again

The second incarnation of Stonewall has closed:

Seventy-six years after the first bar of the same name was opened at 53 Christopher Street, the prospect looms that the historic site of the 1969 riot widely credited as the birth of the gay-rights movement might disappear.

And the neighborhood surrounding the block of Christopher Street just east of Sheridan Square (which has been ceremonially named Stonewall Place) is raising a glass to the Stonewall’s demise.

Born in infamy on a sultry summer night when a ragtag group of drag queens and gay hipsters started hurling bottles at the police who were raiding the bar, the Stonewall, neighbors say, remains riotous — at least for the now ultra-gentrified Greenwich Village.

“They promote these urban youth parties,” said Bill Morgan, the owner of the Duplex, a popular gay nightspot at the end of the block where Stonewall is situated. “They pushed out the regular gay clientele in favor of this new, urban, hip-hop, gangster clientele. Then you bring a bunch of 18-to-20-year-olds in the area who have no place to go and start goofing off and being loud. It’s disruptive to the neighborhood and brings in the wrong element in the neighborhood.”[*]

Others say that the bar’s owners co-opted the site’s history and ran the business into the ground:

Dominick Desimone took over the lease on the historic location, which hadn’t been a bar for nearly 20 years, in 1989, amid promises to return the bar to its former glory and create a fitting commemoration of its original character.

Many were dubious.

David Carter, the author of Stonewall: The Riots that Sparked the Gay Revolution, told the story of how he pointed out to the owner that the original flagstones of the bar’s most popular dance floor remained intact even 20 years after the bar had closed. The next time he walked by, the flagstones had been covered in what he described as “bathroom tile.”

“They were interested in exploiting the Stonewall name to make money,” Mr. Carter said. “They had no appreciation for the site itself. I think it was a purely money-making venture done under the guise of preserving and honoring history. This was a total fraud from the beginning.”

. . .

Mr. DeSimone, who is straight and was interviewed from a hotel in St. Lucia on Monday, defended himself and said that tight finances are just a reality.

“Think how many $6 drinks you have to sell to make up for $20,000 a month in rent,” he said.

But ask anyone at the bar, and they point fingers directly his way.

“There’s been terrible mismanagement,” said a bartender who goes only by “Tree” and who also served at the original Stonewall in the 60’s. “Dominick doesn’t know how to run a gay bar.”

*Update — Bill Morgan emails (8/30):

I want to set the record straight regarding the Stonewall Bar. I am in no way thrilled at the prospect of losing such an incredible landmark for both the West Village and the Gay community. I have nothing but empathy for any fellow businesses especially one of Stonewall’s stature. Losing Stonewall will actually hurt my business as Stonewall brings people to the neighborhood. The “reporter” from the observer not only paraphrased my sentiments from the 20 minute telephone interview he edited them together in a way that has very little in common with what I actually said. It’s as if
he had a bias in mind for the article and decided to tailor or fabricate statements to bolster his case. When he asked why I thought the Stonewall was failing I stated that I felt the owners had forsaken the history of the place and the hardcore regular clientele by bringing in the 18-20 year olds for the “detention parties” and the like. I did say that the crowds can be disruptive late at night as once they leave the Stonewall they have no other bar to go to because they are underage. So they hang out and make noise. That’s the nature of 18 year olds. I never said that the kids were “the wrong element” and I never said anything even remotely close to being happy at the prospect of losing such a historical establishment. The article this person wrote is not only misrepresentative of me but of the attitude of the community toward Stonewall. I hope Stonewall survives and prospers for years to come. As far as the Duplex is concerned – We are very proud of the diversity of our patrons and the diversity of our staff as well. As you may imagine I am sickened by the bigoted quotes that were attributed to me. I have written the reporter from the Observer, pointed out the inaccuracy of his article and requested that he set the record straight on his end.

Always Poised But Never Actually Burgeoning

Saying that Queens Plaza may be in the midst of a renaissance may be premature:

When Metropolitan Life Insurance Company first brokered a 20 year deal in 2001 to move into Long Island City — in exchange for $26.2 million in city tax and energy incentives — it was heralded as a pioneering move sure to bring about a renaissance in the seedy Queens Plaza area. The insurer is now in talks to rent a large block of pricey office space in a building across from Bryant Park in Manhattan, according to a report in Monday’s Crain’s New York Business.

The reported deal is fueling speculation that some or all of the approximately 1,700 employees could be relocated.

. . .

MetLife won’t confirm the move. A spokesperson for the company said Wednesday they would not comment on “speculation in the marketplace.” But Queens leaders are already reacting. Borough President Helen Marshall placed a call to the company’s president and also implored the Mayor’s Office to do what they could to keep MetLife in Queens.

The large brick building on Queens Plaza North, at the base of the Queensboro Bridge, is an old horse drawn carriage and Rolls Royce manufacturing plant, which was renovated in 2001 by the owner, Brause Realty Inc. It is located at a bustling intersection, where several trains pass through both overhead and below ground.

Employees complain that the neighborhood is less than ideal. While there are several small delis, Chinese restaurants, a Quiznos, a Subway and a pizza parlor all within a few blocks, it lacks any upscale dining or outside seating. At least two strip joints are visible from the building’s main entrance.

“I think the neighborhood’s pathetic,” said Liz, a systems administrator for MetLife, who wanted only her first name used.

Other workers out on their lunch breaks complained about the lack of outdoor spots to sit and relax, the lack of shopping and dining, and the prostitutes who come out after dark. Liz added that the neighborhood problems were underscored by the July blackout, when the building lost power and employees were sent home.

“This should be their cue to pack up and leave,” she said, adding that it never would have happened in Manhattan.

Still, Queens Plaza boosters are hopeful:

Despite employee complaints, business and political leaders maintain that the area is poised to burgeon.

Citibank’s second tower is slated to open in a year and a half, the United Nations Federal Credit Union is also set to open in January, and the recently completed Queens Plaza building contains 66 condominiums as well as retail space.

Andrew Ebenstein, president of the Long Island City Business Improvement District, estimates a total of a million square feet of commercial space and 24,000 units of housing will open in the next 18 months.

All this will help the area reach what he terms “critical mass,” the point where retailers and restaurants will begin flocking to the neighborhood and it will take off on its own.

“You’re going to have several thousand people who either live or work in Long Island City who need a place to have lunch or shop,” Ebenstein said.

Councilman Eric Gioia (D Sunnyside) agreed. “It’s pretty clear Long Island City has reached a positive tipping point. We are in the midst of a real economic, residential and cultural boom.” He added that he would love MetLife to stay and share in the growing prosperity.

Location scout: Queens Plaza.

Tape Loops Are Not A Crime!

Now that’s inventive:

In his long fought battle against the bar next door, Vernon Boulevard resident William Garrett got creative this summer. Fed up with the constant noise wafting into his backyard from Lounge 47 next door, and growing frustrated with the proper channels, he got out his digital recorder and decided to “make a little noise back at them.”

He taped snippets of an evening’s laughter and talking heard in his backyard, and then played it back over the fence.

“Instantaneously, the people in the bar were quiet—they were embarrassed,” he said.

The silence was short lived. Police responded within 48 hours, telling Garrett he could be arrested for “criminal eavesdropping.” It didn’t prove to be a very effective tactic, either.

But it does illustrate the level of frustration residents can reach when trying to fight seemingly hopeless battles against development too close to home.

Tim Doocey lives upstairs from the Garretts and is worried they are losing their battle against “reckless development” in the neighborhood.

“One of the great things about this neighborhood is that at night, it was like — crickets.” The latest battle is against a proposed restaurant/bar located immediately adjacent to the north of Garrett’s property on Vernon Boulevard.

Cops. They just don’t have a sense of humor, do they?

But that’s not all for this up(chuck)-and-coming neighbhorhood:

In addition to the noise, drunken revelers vomiting in the streets and the smoke from the outdoor patios, residents also complain that other types of establishments are needed. Doocey reports having to walk six blocks to the closest laundromat and others complained that a reliable grocery store remains absent as bars and restaurants keep moving in.

(How you can live in a neighborhood without a laundromat is beyond me . . .)

A State Liquor Authority hearing scheduled for Aug. 8, on whether to grant an on premise liquor license to the new restaurant — a Latin fusion place called Blend — was canceled at the last minute, but rescheduled for Sept. 19.

“We feel that granting this liquor license is a tipping point for the future of Vernon Boulevard being full of bars and that’s what worries us most,” said Garrett, who was also frustrated with the last minute cancelation of the hearing after they had rallied community support.

Joe Conley, chairman of Community Board 2, indicated that rescheduling the meeting was in the neighborhood’s best interest, allowing them time to galvanize support and get everyone the facts. “Our concern was we wanted to make sure the community would be heard,” Conley said.

He is sympathetic to the residents of Vernon Boulevard and the larger issue for the growing neighborhood.

“We are concerned about the density of bar restaurants in the area . . . I have been long on record to say we do not want Vernon Boulevard to turn into another Bell Boulevard,” referring to the Bayside strip of bars and restaurants that has seen its share of residential complaints.

Bell Boulevard? Try the East Village! That might stir up some response . . .