BORO MAG

Photo: Shutterstock

MARCH 2017

VOL 7:3

QNS.COM

BIZ

FOR KIDZ

ASTORIA’S NEW FEMINIST BOOK CLUB

SIMULATIONS COME TO MOMA PS1

MEET THIS FASHION #GIRLBOSS

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2:18 PM

CONTENTS When I walked into the Astoria Bookshop for the first meeting of the new Feminist Mosaic Reading Group (page 10), I was blown away by how many people were crammed into the front of the store, all ready to discuss “The Handmaid’s Tale.” This group was clearly passionate about both literature and equality for women, and it was amazing to see so many like-minded people come together and form a community.

This issue is filled with stories of people who are truly passionate about something: an artist who’s presenting his elaborate trilogy KATRINA MEDOFF of simulations at MoMA PS1 (page 18); an editor-in-chief Astoria fashionista who is making her mark on New York Fashion Week (20); business owners who saw ways to make parents’ lives easier (page 32); and restaurateurs who are bringing their favorite foods to western Queens (page 38; page 50).

Make sure to connect with us on Instagram (@boromagazine), Facebook (facebook.com/boromag) and Twitter (@BOROMAG). If you have any news or stories you’d like to share with us, send them to katrina@boromag.com.

We’re always looking for inspiring apartments to spotlight in our interior design stories, new businesses to feature and notable residents to highlight.

Happy beginning of spring, Katrina Medoff

#GIRLBOSS

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FEATURES 6 BRUNCH BABES

Street style in Astoria

10 CHICK LIT REDEFINED

Astoria’s new feminist book club

18 AN EMISSARY IN THE ART LIC Dental Associates LIC Dental WORLD

Simulation exhibit at MoMA PS1

20 #GIRLBOSS

This Astoria woman is taking over NYFW

32 BIZ FOR KIDZ

Kids can play at these local businesses

CHICK LIT REDEFINED

38 MOLDOVA IN QUEENS

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Sunnyside’s Moldovan restaurant

42 ALOBAR’S NEW CHEF

Chef brings innovative dishes to LIC restaurant

DEPARTMENTS 12 MARCH 2017 EVENTS 25 BORO DEALS & DISCOUNTS

Exclusive savings, discounts and freebies for the month of March

in Astoria, LIC and Sunnyside

26 MAP IT DIRECTORY

Your go-to guide for the best shops, food, art, nightlife and more in western Queens

28 MAP IT: WESTERN QUEENS

44 SHADES OF GREY

Interior design inspired by Paris

48 NYC PET NANNY

Astoria native’s pet business

50 LOVE AND CREPES

Say ‘bonjour’ to this new eatery EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Katrina Medoff // ART DIRECTOR Mickhail Kurov // GRAPHIC DESIGNER Nirmal Singh WRITERS Gina Conteh, Sean Curry, Ruthie Darling, Lora Grillo, Marie Grillo, Angela Matua, Katrina Medoff PHOTOGRAPHERS Ruthie Darling, Bridget Kenny, Marie Torio SALES REPRESENTATIVE Graziella Zerilli // PUBLISHED BY Joshua and Victoria Schneps All materials Copyright © 2015 BORO / All rights reserved. Opinions and claims made by advertisers are advertisers’ claims only. BORO Magazine accepts no responsibility for any claims made by advertisers.

BORO Magazine reserves the right to publish any images without providing photo/image credit. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the publisher.

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Photos: Ruthie Darling/BORO

STREET STYLE

Rhiannon works for a nonprofit and had just finished brunch with a girlfriend. The polka dot coat was too cute to miss. What a delightful way to stay toasty.

Brunch Babes

By RUTHIE DARLING @RUTHIEDARLING

O

n a chilly Sunday in Astoria, there is only one place to go: brunch. The weather was as crisp as the bacon as these fashionistas stepped out in their most adorable outerwear to go about their Sunday routines. It was all focused on the coats this month, and these Astorians managed to be cosy and cool at the same time.

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Anthony Jean-Pierre and Shanae Greene were looking adorable in their matching jackets. Anthony designed the jackets himself as part of the new clothing line he created called Vietnam550. An Astoria designer to watch this year!

Ayisha is an energy consultant living in Astoria. I loved her oversized furry coat paired with skinny jeans. Fashion is all about balance.

Diane was off to brunch with her boyfriend wearing this graphic, printed cardigan.

Totally fun.

Kelly-Jeanne has lived in Astoria for 17 years, working as an usher on Broadway. I was struck by her baby pink, belted coat, which was a pop of color in a sea of black.

Tatiana was with her mom and looking like a rock star. How she managed to have bare legs on that freezing day is a mystery to me — this girl has guts!

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PRESENTS

The Rainbow Bagel now through March

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A R T S + E N T E R TA I N M E N T

Photos: Marie Torio/BORO

Chick Lit REDEFINED

By KATRINA MEDOFF @KATRINAMEDOFF

I

@KATYA_M22

t was standing room only in the Astoria Bookshop for the first meeting of its Feminist Mosaic Reading Series.

In the minutes leading up to the meeting on a sunny Saturday in February, book club leader Jen Adams and bookstore staff were bringing more and more chairs into the front area of the shop to accommodate attendees who were pouring in. When chairs ran out, newcomers started sitting on the floor or standing on the outskirts of the circle of chairs.

Forty-one readers — one man and 40 women — came with copies of Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” in hand, ready to discuss the 1985 classic “through the lens of modern feminism,” according to the Astoria Bookshop website. Some wore shirts emblazoned with words like “Resist,” “Wild Feminist” and “Nevertheless She Persisted.”

Adams, 42, of Astoria said that the book club originated from a Twitter conversation

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she had with Astoria Bookshop owner Lexi Beach.

“We were wondering, why are more women not on board with intersectional feminism?” she said. She also noticed that while many women were enthusiastic about feminism in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, a lot of women became complacent about gender equality after women made gains at home and in the workplace.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done,” Adams said, “and not all women are represented by the progress that we’ve made.”

For Adams, listening to other women’s perspectives is imperative — and reading is a great way to do that.

“I want to intellectually explore intersectionality and listen to more people,” she said. “One book that was a huge influence for me was this Gloria Steinem book, ‘My Life on the Road,’ where she talks about how her career got started. And the takeaway that I got from that book was what you do is you go and you talk to other women and you listen to them tell their stories, and you shut your mouth and you listen. ... And so my goal is to listen to what other people say, listen for the kind of help they’re asking for then provide it.”

Jen Adams

On Saturday, March 25, at 1 p.m., the Feminist Mosaic Reading Group will tackle “Second-Class Citizen” by Buchi Emecheta.

“The next book is by a Nigerian British writer who represents the immigrant experience as well as colonial experience. And for the book after that, I’d love to find a really great novel by a Muslim woman from somewhere in the world — doesn’t have to be American.”

Beyond that, she’ll be taking suggestions from members of the book club’s Facebook group.

Photos: Marie Torio/BORO

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“I want to kind of work my way around the world and read more diversely than I have done in the past,” she added.

During the discussion about “The Handmaid’s Tale,” participants kept circling back to the ways in which civil liberties were taken away in the dystopian novel, and many remarked upon how they had recently become more politically active. One woman told the group how she had never been very involved politically, but now she knew the names of her senators.

For Adams, the current political climate made “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which has long been one of her favorite books, a great choice to start off the book club. She also thinks that the recent election is what made this a “good moment” for a feminist

book club — and why there was such an amazing turnout.

“I think a lot of people, myself included, are now understanding what democracy really means and that it’s a responsibility as much as a privilege,” said Adams, a writer, editor and mother of two teenage boys.

“The fact is that voter turnout was very low, that over half of people didn’t bother to vote in this presidential election, and we can’t let that happen again.”

One book club attendee, Astoria resident Diane Speicher, 70, was no stranger to feminist activities at the Astoria Bookshop: she went to a discussion group called a “huddle” held there after the Women’s March.

She said she’d been looking for a book club and that after the Women’s March, she

wanted to surround herself with “feminine energy.”

Jennifer Andrus Doyle, 39, of Astoria said, “I also felt that with the current administration it was time to equip [myself] so to speak, to get in touch with what it means to be a feminist — it’s not a bad word — and to make sure my rights as a human being, as a woman over my body and the things that happen to me are still my choice. I need to make [the administration] very aware that we’re here and we’re paying attention, so I thought that this was a good way to get that going, that thought process going.”

As they left Astoria Bookshop, book club attendees were complimenting Adams on posing thoughtful, open-ended questions and creating an interesting discussion, and Andrus Doyle echoed that sentiment.

“I really enjoyed this meeting of likeminded people and was very happy to see that there was also a man here,” Andrus Doyle said. “It was a very engaging conversation. It was nice to discuss these things through the [lens] of this book and looking at it as a cautionary tale of what could happen if we’re not diligent.”

If Andrus Doyle is any indication, February’s book club members are ready to come back next month for another discussion: “I already bought the second book,” she said.

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MARCH EVENTS Find more events at www.BOROmag.com/Events SATURDAY, MARCH 11 Time: 8 to 10 p.m.

Event Title: NYC Skyline Cost: $45 Location: The Paint Place Phone: 929-522-0086 Address: 31-21 31st St., Astoria URL: http://sites.cimplebox.com/ events/calendar.aspx?s=6977&c= 3494&month=3&year=2017&nav =1&r=0.0398631 SUNDAY, MARCH 12 Time: Doors: 4 p.m./show: 4 p.m. (event ends at 10 p.m.)

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THURSDAY, MARCH 16 Time: 7 p.m.

Event Title: Golden Gloves Cost: $25 per seat Location: Chian Federation Phone: 347-448-2549 Address: 44-01 Broadway, Astoria URL: http://eastriverkiwanis. weebly.com/ FRIDAY, MARCH 17 Time: 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Event Title: St. Patrick’s Day at Studio Square + Free Shot Cost: $5 limited early bird; $10 online; $15 at the door Location: Studio Square Phone: 718-383-1001 Address: 35-33 36th St., LIC URL: https://quietevents.com/ events/st-patricks-day-at-studiosquare-free-shot/ FRIDAY, MARCH 17 Time: 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Event Title: Movies R Dumb Presents Leprechaun in the Hood Cost: $10 Location: Q.E.D. Astoria Phone: 347-451-3873 Address: 27-16 23rd Ave., Astoria URL: https://qedastoria.com/ collections/shows/products/ movies-r-dumb-presentsleprechaun-in-the-hood FRIDAY, MARCH 17 Time: 7:00 p.m.

Event Title: Screening & Live Event/The Age of Innocence Cost: $15 Location: Redstone Theater Phone: 718-777-6888 Address: 36-01 35 Ave., Astoria URL: http://www.movingimage. us/visit/calendar/2017/03/17/ detail/the-age-of-innocence FRIDAY, MARCH 17, TO SUNDAY, MARCH 19 Event Title: St. Patrick’s Weekend Cost: No Cover Location: Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden Phone: 718-274-4925 Address: 29-19 24th Ave., Astoria URL: http://bohemianhall.com/

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SATURDAY, MARCH 18 Time: 10 p.m.

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Event Title: Creative Writing Workshop Cost: $10 suggested contribution Location: The Astoria Bookshop Phone: 718-278-2665 Address: 31-29 31st St., Astoria URL: http://www.astoriabookshop. com/event/creative-writingworkshop-6 THURSDAY, MARCH 23 Time: 6 p.m.

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SATURDAY, MARCH 25 Time: 9 to 10 a.m.

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Event Title: Neighborhood Concert: Soh Daiko (2017) Location: LaGuardia Performing Arts Center Phone: 718-482-5151 Address: 31-10 Thomson Ave., LIC URL: http://www.lpac.nyc/event/ d2a793bed4c495b9c6bca7b089f36542 SUNDAY, MARCH 26 Time: 1 to 3 p.m.

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EXPLORE YOUR BORO

An Emissary in the Art World

Immerse yourself in a “video game that plays itself” at MoMA PS1, where an artist’s trilogy of simulations will be shown.

By LORA GRILLO

A

n emissary is defined as a person sent on a mission, usually secret, as an ambassador or diplomatic representative.

Artist Ian Cheng, with his technologically elaborate art simulations that make up “Emissaries,” being presented at MoMA PS1 from April 9 to Sept. 25, has inadvertently positioned himself as special agent to the art world.

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Cheng’s assignment: to test our perceptions and how we connect emotionally to a changing environment.

“What I’m trying to do in ‘Emissaries’ is stage a fight between agents governed by narrative goals and agents governed by reactive instincts,” Cheng said. “I’m trying to get you to see stories as an influencing force in an ecosystem on the same level that gravity, heat and time are influencing forces.

“Emissaries,” he added, “is a trilogy of simulations about cognitive evolution, past and future, and the ecological conditions that shape it. It is composed of three interconnected episodes, each centered on the life of an emissary who is caught between unraveling old realities and

emerging weird ones.” The exhibition is curated by Peter Eleey with associate Jocelyn Miller.

For those unfamiliar with the artistic concept of simulations, Cheng’s work looks like an animation projected onto a wall.

The graphics are similar to those in a video game. But unlike in a movie, what happens is not predetermined; and unlike in a video game, no one is “playing” it. Instead, the beings in the simulation act according to a program that Cheng created.

“A viewer can observe it like they observe nature, but they do not directly manipulate it,” Cheng said. “Like nature, they can take pleasure in the unfolding indeterminacy of the ecosystems, or they can choose to closely follow a character

Images courtesy of Ian Cheng

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and the unfolding narrative of the life of that character.”

Influenced by the work of director, manga artist and writer Hayao Miyazaki, Cheng creates his visually dynamic simulations like a “video game that plays itself,” with each simulation taking viewers into a different ecosphere, complete with its own values, traditions and goals.

Completely filling MoMA PS1’s third floor main gallery, the largest single gallery in the museum, “Emissaries” will create an immersive space functioning like a digital pantheon of large-scale projection architectures, each offering a portal or vista onto one of the three episodes that make up Cheng’s trilogy.

The PS1 show is the first time all three installments will be shown together.

In the first simulation, “Squat of Gods” (2015), a beautiful primordial ancient community is faced with the threat of volcanic destruction and is wrestling with an internal struggle for authority. The second installment, “Forking at Perfection” (2016), takes what became of the community in “Squat of Gods” but travels 3000 years into its future, where the biosphere is now fully regrown and is now a fertile ecological playground. The final installment was still being finalized as of press time.

Curatorial associate Miller elaborated: “Cheng’s simulations mirror the natural world, populating, accumulating, disintegrating and reformulating over time.

The exhibition will frame these evolving digital ecologies by borrowing from architectures traditionally used in national parks or museums of natural history, where metonymic diorama represents a larger expression of life forms that together illustrate an ecosystem or choreography for evolution and existence.”

Born in 1984 in Los Angeles, Cheng studied cognitive science at Berkeley before getting his MFA in visual arts at Columbia University. His work has been shown all over the world, including Turin, Italy; Oslo, Sweden; Shanghai, China; and London, England.

Cheng said he is excited to show these works at PS1, as he has long revered the space: “It’s been a metamorphic site to me,” he said. “It was a school that hallucinated itself as an art institution.”And with his simulations of ecosystems and national parks, Cheng’s “Emissaries” will again transform PS1 into something it’s never been before; it’s an exhibition not to be missed.

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A R T S + E N T E R TA I N M E N T

#girlboss

BY RUTHIE DARLING @RUTHIEDARLING

With New York Fashion Week recently wrapped up until the fall and the chants from the Women’s March still ringing in our ears, we figured this would be the perfect moment to highlight an Astoria-based #girlboss who is killing it in the fashion scene. I met with Adriana Marie of AMCONYC to ask her about how she began and developed her own business and what advice she had for aspiring female entrepreneurs.

BORO: Adriana, tell us about your company.

Adriana Marie: AMCONYC is a public relations and production company and we also assist with social media management. The majority of our events are during Fashion Week; I produce between six and eight shows. We scaled down this season as Fashion Week is really changing. A lot of the big names are dropping out from New York and going to LA. Versace and Opening Ceremony, for example, have decided to showcase their designs on celebrities instead of using the traditional runway. The influencer/ blogger boom has also really altered the climate for Fashion Week, too, because

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now the consumers are dictating what to buy rather than the buyers. I have to move with the flow, so we live stream our shows so that we can reach the public while keeping the integrity of what New York Fashion Week should be.

BORO: How do you pick your designers?

Adriana Marie: Research. We work with emerging designers. We accept submissions from all over. This season we have Kelly Dempsey’s Rack Addik (a contestant from Project Runway), Storm Dorris, Emulous from South Carolina and Ivory Couture from Los Angeles. I knew what it was like not to be able to afford a cup

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A R T S + E N T E R TA I N M E N T of coffee when I began my business, so I wanted to create packages that would be affordable to help designers at the start of their journeys.

BORO: How did you get started?

Adriana Marie: It happened organically. I was a designer for my own clothing line for about six years. It was called Adriana Marie Co., and my customers shortened it to AMCO. Part of my business plan at that time was to create pop-up stores. This was a fairly new concept at the time. When the pop-up stores began, I was six years into my designing business. I was tired and doing everything myself, working 18 hours a day. I knew something had to give, and I stared losing the passion for the designing. I put up a popup store down on the Lower East Side, but it

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was very expensive, so I started to ask other brands to join me in the space. It was a huge success and on the back of that I was asked to create shopping events, and this time I was paid to do it! At the time I didn’t even have a laptop; I snuck into Hunter College to use their library computers!

BORO: Do you just create shows at Fashion Week or do you run other events too?

Adriana Marie: Outside of Fashion Week, we create pop-up stores so that the designers we showcase can get their clothing in front of consumers. Shopping online is all well and good, but you need to feel the fabrics and see the colors in natural light, not in a photo. We also create fashion shows for private clients.

BORO: What did you study?

Adriana Marie: Business and finance and then marketing and fashion design.

I’ve had a lot of jobs in between. I was a bookkeeper, a waitress, a bartender, an ice cream seller — you name it.

BORO: Do you find as a woman you encounter pushback in the industry?

Adriana Marie: There’s pushback no matter who you are. I think people underestimate me because I’m petite, but they quickly realize I’m not here to play games. I do a lot of outreach. I try to connect with a lot of people.

BORO: How do you go about that?

Adriana Marie: Often it’s an introduction from somebody, or I use Cison, which is a platform that connects PR people with publications. Going to networking events and keeping track of people that come to our events is also important.

Adriana Marie: Keep at it. You might start in one area, but it may shift unexpectedly — that may be more beneficial for you than you realize. Go with the flow. Whatever your goal is, keep at it.

Don’t stop. It sounds cliched to say, but don’t give up. You have to be persistent, especially in a city like New York. Always follow up and keep reaching out.

BORO: Do you employ people?

Adriana Marie: During Fashion Week yes, but I have a lot of interns, usually five to 10 at a time. Schools often reach out to place students with me.

BORO: What are your plans for the future?

Adriana Marie: I want to change the way that Fashion Week is going. I want to take over Fashion Week one day!

BORO: Any tips for budding #girlbosses out there?

MARCH 2017 I BOROMAG.COM

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25

MAP IT DIRECTORY RESTAURANTS

144 6 205 204 7 5 8

AlobAR RESTAURANT (A,4) 718-752-6000 46-42 Vernon Blvd., LIC www.alobarnyc.com ASToR Room (C,2) 718-255-1947 34-12 36th St., Astoria www.astorroom.com

bREAd box CAfE (A,4) 718-389-9700 4711 11th St., LIC www.breadboxcafelic.com

150

off ThE hook (b,1) 718-721-2112 28-08 34th St., Astoria (one block from 30th A) www.offthehookastoria.com

bRiCk CAfE (b,2) 718-267-2735 30-95 33rd St., Astoria www.brickcafe.com bURgER gARAgE (b,3) 718-392-0424 25-36 Jackson Ave., LIC www.theburgergarage.com

11

diWiNE (C,2) 718-777-1355 41-15 31st Ave., Astoria www.diwineonline.com

220 169 170 18

NEW yoRk dog hoUSE 718-274-3647 37-06 30th Ave., Astoria www.newyorkdoghouse.com

NUmbER 5 718-361-6930 35-43 37th St., Astoria www.no5nyc.com

CRESCENT gRill (b,3) 718-729-4040 38-40 Crescent St., LIC www.crescentgrill.com

125

124

213

176

13

moNikA’S CAfE bAR 718-204-5273 3290 36th St., Astoria www.monikascafebar.com

boTANA 718-361-6535 34-18 Steinway St., Astoria www.thebotana.com

CAvo (C,2) 718-721-1001 42-18 31st Ave., Astoria www.cavoastoria.com

112

viCToRy gARdEN CAfé 718-274-2087 2169 Steinway St., Astoria www.victorysweetshop.com

NoSh boRoUgh (b,1) 347-746-5542 25-17 Astoria Blvd., Astoria noshborough.com

9

181

68

200

182

bUTChER bAR (C,2) 718-606-8140 37-08 30th Ave., Astoria www.ButcherBar.com

12

202

mojAvE RESTAURANT (b,1) 718-545-4100 22-36 31st St., Astoria www.mojaveny.com

biERoCRACy 718-361-9333 12-23 Jackson Ave., LIC www.bierocracy.com

35

159

148

dUTCh killS CENTRAAl (b,3) 718-606-8651 38-40 29th St., Long Island City www.dutchkillscentraal.com flo loUNgE RESTAURANT (C,2) 718-204-6096 37-20 30th Ave., Astoria www.flocafeny.com hibiNo liC (A,4) 718-392-5190 10-70 Jackson Ave., LIC www.hibino-lic.com il bAmbiNo (C,2) 718-626-0087 34-08 31 Ave., Astoria www.ilbambinonyc.com lENg ThAi (b,2) 718-956-7117 33-09 Broadway, Astoria www.lengthainewyork.com lAS mARgARiTAS RESTAURANT loUNgE (C,2) 38-01 Broadway, Astoria 718-777-1707 www.lasmargaritasny.com

20 45 61 22

74 183

oRNEllA TRATToRiA iTAliANA (b,1) 718-777-9477 29-17 23rd Ave., Astoria www.ornellatrattoria.com oRo RESTAURANT & loUNgE 718-729-1801 41-17 Crescent Street, LIC www.orolicrestaurant.com

49

iNSidE ASToRiA (C,1) 718-956-4000 28-07 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria

210

WARiQUE 718-726-5555 47-17 30th Ave., Astoria

50

liC: liviNg (A,4) 718-361-5650 535 51st Ave., LIC www.licliving.com

29

WilliAm hAllET (C,2) 718-269-3443 36-10 30th Ave., Astoria www.williamhallet.com

52

loCkWood ShoP (C,2) 718-626-6030 32-15 33rd St., Astoria www.lockwoodshop.com

198

WiNEgASm bAR ANd EATERy (C,2) 718-932-3331 31-86 37th Rd., Astoria www.winegasmeatery.com

51

lovEdAy 31 (b,2) 718-728-4057 3306 31st Ave., Astoria www.loveday31.com

56

108 32

bAkERiES

218

my dog NEEdS A WAlk 347-323-4549 23-12 29th St., Astoria www. mydogneedsawalk.com

40

NyC PET NANNy 25-74 36 St. Astoria NY 646-298-5301 www.nycpetnanny.com

206

75

STEiNWAy CoURT vET (C,2) 718-728-2822 32-41R Steinway St., Astoria www.steinwaycourtvet.com

174

ok CAfé (b,1) 718-440-8789 22-04 33rd St., Astoria www.okcafeastoria.com

37

SWEETlEAf (A,4) 917-832-6726 10-93 Jackson Ave., LIC www.sweetleaflic.com

39

food CEllAR (A,4) 718-606-9786 4-85 47th Rd., LIC www.foodcellarandco.com

195

food CEllAR 718-606-1888 43-18 Crescent St., LIC www.foodcellarandco.com

211

mET fRESh ANd oRgANiC SUPERmARkET Located in the heart of Astoria on 34-14 Steinway St.

167

yogURT lA CREPE (b,1) 917-832-6930 29-02 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria www.yogurtlacrepe.com

SAC’S PlACE CoAl ovEN PizzA (b,2) 718-204-5002 2541 Broadway, Astoria www.sacsplace.com

25

SAgE gENERAl SToRE (b,4) 718-361-0707 24-20 Jackson Ave., LIC www.sagegeneralstore.com

28

Shi (A,4) 347-242-2450 4720 Center Blvd., LIC www.eatdrinkshi.com

55 153

mAizAl RESTAURANT (b,2) 718-406-9431 32-07 34th Ave., Astoria www.maizalrestaurant.com

SNoWdoNiA PUb (b,2) 347-730-5783 34-55 32nd St., Astoria www.snowdoniapub.com

116

SUgAR fREAk (C,2) 718-726-5850 36-18 30th Ave., Astoria www.sugarfreak.com

216

ThE boNNiE 718-274-2105 29-12 23rd Ave. Astoria www.thebonnie.com

219

ThE lAST WoRd 31-30 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria www.tlwastoria.com

food ShoPS

WiNES & SPiRiTS

off bRoAdWAy floRiST (b,2) 718-728-2828 3204 31st St., Astoria www.offbroadwayflorist.com

44 137

floRESTA (A,4) 917-612-4446 51-02 Vernon Blvd., LIC 4-85 47th Rd., LIC www.florestanyc.com/blog

47 130

NyC fARm ChiC floWERS www.nycfarmchicflowers.com PETAlS ANd RooTS (b,2) 718-267-1700 31-27 31st St., Astoria www.petalsandroots.com

SERviCES 168

AdmiRAl loCk ANd kEy (C,2) 718-274-2491 37-17 Broadway, Astoria www.admirallockandkey.com

178

ASToRiA 35 lAUNdRy & fiNE dRy ClEANiNg (b,2) 718-392-9692 3505 34th St., Astoria Astoria35laundry.com

ASToRiA PARk WiNE ANd SPiRiTS (b,1) 28-07 24th Ave., Astoria www.astoriaparkwineandspirits.com

119

ASToRiA CENTER of iSRAEl 718-278-2680 27-35 Crescent St., Astoria www.astoriacenter.org

38

ASToRiA WiNE ANd SPiRiTS (C,2) 718-545-9463 3412 Broadway, Astoria www.astoriawines.com

177

ASToRiA ClEANERS (b,1) 718-545-0680 28-19 Astoria Blvd., Astoria astoriacleaners.com

gRANd WiNE ANd liQUoR (b,2) 718-728-2520 30-05 31st St., Astoria www.grandwl.com

209

AvENUE ChEmiSTS PhARmACy 718-545-1010 45-01 30th Ave., Astoria

129

blUE biRd Child CARE 347-832-0103 25-58 48th St., Astoria www.bluebirdchildcareastoria.com

19

mExibbQ (C,2) 718-626-0333 37-11 30th Ave., Astoria www.mexiqny.com

31

143

3

mEzzE PlACE (b,2) 718-777-2829 31-18 Broadway, Astoria www.mezzeplace.com

vESTA (A,2) 718-545-5550 2102 30th Ave, Astoria www.vestavino.com

184

viA vAi (b1) 31-09 23rd Ave, Astoria 347-612-4334 viavai-ny.com

21

TRU ASToRiA 35-19 Ditmars Blvd. Astoria 646-878-6000 www.truastoria.com

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7 I B O RMOAMR A CG H. C 2 0O1M 7

160

27

187

ShoPS ASToRiA bookShoP (b,2) 718- 278-2665 31-29 31st St., Astoria www.astoriabookshop.com bAbyNoiR (b,1) 646-470-4728 26-16 23rd Ave., Astoria www.babynoir.net

95

180

57

floRiSTS

36

199

26 26

liC vETERiNARy CENTER (A,4) 718-383-8387 48-18 Vernon Blvd., LIC www.licvets.com

ASToRiA biER & ChEESE (C,2) 718-545-5588 34-14 Broadway, Astoria

191

miChAEl’S CAfE (b,3) (located inside Four Points Sheraton) 347-536-3633 27-05 39th Ave., LIC www.michaelscafeny.com

196

ASToRiA CoffEE 30-04 30th St Astoria, NY, 11102 (347) 410-7399

190

S PRimE STEAk hoUSE (C,2) 718-707-0660 35-16 36th St., Astoria www.sprimenyc.com

CiTy vET (A,4) 718-433-1334 45-44 Vernon Blvd., LIC www.cityvetnyc.com

224

121

il foRNAio bAkERy (b,2) 718-267-0052 29-14 30th Ave., Astoria

91

54

223

ASToR bAkE ShoP (A,2) 718-606-8439 12-23 Astoria Blvd., Astoria www.astor-bakeshop.com

189

RèST-âü-RáNT (b,2) 718-729-9009 30-01 35th Ave., Astoria www.rarbarlic.com

ChâTEAU lE Woof 718-626-WOOF 30-02 14th St., Astoria www.chateaulewoof.com

90

33

bRooklyN bAgEl & CoffEE ComPANy 718-777-1121 35-09 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria (C,1) 36-14 30th Ave., Astoria (C,2) 35-05 Broadway, Astoria (C,2) www.bkbagel.com

RETRo PizzA CAfE 347-612-4460 Fax: 347-813-4039 41-02 Broadway, Astoria

201

161

60 bEAN CoffEE & TEA (C,1) 347-987-3994 36-02 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria

34 138 139

QUEENS ComfoRT (C,2) 718-728-2350 40-09 30th Ave., Astoria www.queenscomfort.com

PETS

173

115

mEET ThE mEAT 23-92 21st St., Astoria 917-832-7984 www.meetthemeat.net

133

yAjAi (b,2) 718-956-9559 33-16 30th Ave., Astoria www.yajaithaifood.com

PENThoUSE 808 (A,3) 718-289-6118 8-08 Queens Plaza South, LIC www.penthouse808rooftop.com

mAiEllA 4610 Center Blvd., Long Island City 718-606-1770 www.maiellalic.com

mANdUCATiS RUSTiCA (A,4) 718-937-1312 46-3 Vernon Blvd., LIC www.manducatisrustica.com

viTE viNoSTERiA 718-278-8483 31-05 34th St., Astoria www.vitevinosteria.com

218

SkiNNy’S (A,4) 718-806-1068 47-05 Center Blvd., LIC

mAlAgUETA RESTAURANT (b,2) 718-937-4821 25-35 36th Ave., Astoria www.malaguetany.com

ThE bRASS oWl (C,1) 347-848-0905 36-19 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria www.thebrassowl.com

ovEliA (b,2) 718-721-7217 34-01 30th Ave., Astoria www.ovelia-ny.com

24

194

186

207 114 77

bookkEEPiNg & PAyRoll SERviCES SPARklEliNk 718-812-9616 3537 36th St., Astoria CRESCENT APoThECARy (b,1) 718-777-1110 25-01 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria www.crescentapothecary.com dR. PANAgioTiS PAgoNiS, m.d. (b,2) 718-278-0300 30-16 30th Ave., Astoria www.drpagonismd.com

59

122

62

175

157

64

65

45

134

66

17

147

173 161 90

E.C.g. dEbT SETTlEmENT (b,1) 718-932-9300 29-15 Astoria Blvd., Astoria ENERgEA (C,2) 929-296-9314 34-13 38th St., LIC EnergeaNYC.com

198 56

hERo ComPUTER REPAiR NyC 347-670-4376 Apple/Mac Computer Repair Specialist hero@iamhero.net | www.iamhero.net

224

SAvigNANo accountants & advisors 718-707-0955 47-46 Vernon Blvd., LIC www.savignano-cpa.com 718-707-0295 41-18 Crescent St., LIC www.savignano-cpa.com

196

ThE lEARNiNg STATioN moNTESSoRi iNC. (C,2) 347-523-0906 31-32 47th St., Astoria www.thelearningstationmontessorischool.com

95

mAThNASiUm (C,1) 718-726-6284 43-32 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria www.mathnasium.com/astoria

180

moNTESSoRi kidS of liC (b,3) 347-746-5542 5 Court Square, LIC mklic.com

57

mPN lAW fiRm (C,2) 718-777-0400 3403 Broadway, Ste. 200, Astoria www.mpnfirm.com

206

my dog NEEdS A WAlk 347-323-4549 23-12 29th St., Astoria www.mydogneedsawalk.com

174

QNS CollECTivE (C,3) 718-280-5122 36-27 36th St., 2nd floor, Astoria www.qnscollective.com

59

122 62

67

fERRARi dRiviNg SChool (C,2) 718-278-6679 3232 Steinway St. goThAm lASik 718-440-3131 30-80 21st St., Astoria www.gothamlasik.com

223

158

RCN (A,3) Digital TV and High-Speed Internet Services 212-842-7981 33-16 Woodside Ave., LIC www.rcn.com/boromag

fAT CAT TATToo (b,2) 718-267-1326 31-32 31st St., LIC www.fatcattattoos.com SUPER NovA TATTooS (C,1) 718-274-5712 38-01 23rd Ave., Astoria www.supernovatattoo.com

bEAUTy 164 195

EURoPEAN WAx CENTER liC (A,4) 718-482-9299 4545 Center Blvd., LIC www.europeanwaxcenter.com

188

72

83

97

46

REdkEN SAlooN SAloN (C,2) 718-956-3366 36-17 30th Ave., Astoria www.redkensalon.com

bREAk (b,2) 718-777-5400 3204 Broadway, Astoria www.break-ny.com

SCUlPTURECENTER (b,3) 718-361-1750 44-19 Purves St., LIC www.sculpure-center.org

84

98

192

ShAdE oRgANiC SPA ANd SAloN (C,1) 718-278-7892 36-05 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria shadebarspa.com

bRiCk bAR (b,2) 718-267-2735 30-95 33rd St., Astoria www.brickcafe.com

SoCRATES SCUlPTURE PARk (A,2) 718-626-1533 32-01 Vernon Blvd., Astoria www.socratessculpturepark.org

197

112

212

STUdio NovA 718-392-4962 37-01 36th Ave., Astoria www.studionovanyc.com

ThE bREWERy bAR & kiTChEN 718-777-8007 49-18 30th Ave., Astoria www.thebrewery.nyc

TEN10 STUdioS (A,4) 917-449-9539 10-10 47th Rd., LIC www.ten10studios.com

85

domAiNE WiNE bAR (A,4) 718-784-2350 50-04 Vernon Blvd., LIC www.domainewinebar.com

ThE ART hoUSE (C,2) 516-724-1562 31-06 35th St., Astoria www.gabrieleperici.com

217

86

domiNiES of ASToRiA (C,2) 718-706-6531 34-07 30th Ave., Astoria www.dominiesnyc.com

ThE PAiNT PlACE (NYC Painting Classes & Parties) 31-21 31st St Astoria, NY 11106 929-522-0086 www.thepaintplaceny.com

99

SCUlPTURE SPACE NyC (C,3) 718-806-1709 47-21 35th St., LIC www.sculpturespacenyc.com

96

ThE SECRET ThEATRE (b,3) 718-392-0722 44-02 23rd St., LIC www.secrettheatre.com

bRidAl boUTiQUE 185

ThE CoTToN bRidE (b,3) 718-729-9878 Fax: 718-729-9740 39-13 23rd St., LIC www.thecottonbride.com

145

ANThEA yogA & hEAliNg ARTS CENTER (C,2) 718-606-0049 34-01 45th St., Astoria www.antheacenter.com

kATCh bREWERy & gRill (b,2) 718-777-2230 3119 Newtown Ave., Astoria www.katchastoria.com

222

loCkEd -ESCAPE Room NyC 718-274-9700 22-56 31st St., Astoria www.escapelocked.com

111

moSAiC CRAfT bEER & WiNE bAR (b,1) 718-728-0708 25-19 24th Ave., Astoria www.mosaicastoria.com

203

PASSAgE iRiSh bAR ANd kiTChEN 917-832-6680 40-11 30th Ave., Astoria www.passageastoria.com

fiTNESS 58

42

ClUb fiTNESS (b,2) 718-545-0004 31-11 Broadway, Astoria www.clubfitnessny.com

88

165

CRANk CyCliNg STUdio (A,4) 718-606-6309 4630 Center Blvd., LIC www.cranknyc.com

STUdio SQ. bEER gARdEN (C,3) 718-383-1001 35-33 36th St., Astoria www.studiosquarenyc.com

89

SWEET AfToN (C,2) 718-777-2570 30-09 34th St., Astoria www.sweetaftonbar.com

79

TANTRA loUNgE (b,2) 718-937-4574 35-50 31st St., Astoria www.tantraloungenyc.com

RENAiSSANCE EvENT hAll (A,1) 718-274-4590 27-34 21st St., Astoria www.renaissanceeventhall.com

78

NExUS NyC (C,3) 718-204-2091 36-58 37th St., LIC www.nexusnyc.com

45

TEAliCioUS 718-278-8579 38-01 23rd Ave., Astoria www.tealiciouscatering.com

79

PNT fiTNESS (A,4) 347-396-5809 10-68 Jackson Ave., LIC www.pntfitness.com

TATToo ShoPS

147

body lANgUAgE TATToo 347-808-0497 32-02 34th Ave., Astoria www.bltnyc.com

Q.E.d.

347-451-3873 27-16 23rd Ave., Astoria www.Qedastoria.com

110

65

17

215

PRimP ANd TEASE SAloN (A,4) 718-472-2001 5-02 50th Ave., LIC

CRoSSfiT dyNAmix gym (C,1) 718-606-0381 36-05 20th Ave., Astoria www.dynamixgym.com

z NyC hoTEl (A,3) 212-319-7000 11-01 43rd Ave., LIC www.zhotelny.com

QUEENS CoUNCil oN ThE ARTS (C,2) 347-505-3010 37-11 35th Ave., Astoria www.queenscouncilarts.org

bohEmiAN hAll & bEER gARdEN (b,1) 718-274-4925 2919 24th Ave., Astoria www.bohemianhall.com

76

EliNk

149

82

foUNdRy (A,3) 718-786-7776 42-38 Ninth St., LIC www.thefoundry.info

RAvEl (A,3) 718-289-6101 8-08 Queens Plaza South, LIC www.ravelhotel.com

NogUChi mUSEUm (A,2) 718-204-7088 9-01 33rd Rd., Astoria www.noguchi.org

ThE fACE & body ShoP 718-204-9390 40-21 23rd Ave., Astoria www.thefaceandbodyshop.com

131

64

66

94

RogAllERy.Com (C,3) 800-888-1063 or 718-937-0901 47-15 36th St., LIC - by appointment www.rogallery.com

EvENTS

134

NighTlifE/bARS

mUSEUm of ThE moviNg imAgE (C,2) 718-784-0077 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria www.movingimage.us

146

Cko kiCkboxiNg (C, 1) 347-669-0494 40-06 Astoria Blvd., Astoria www.ckoastoria.com

foUR PoiNTS ShERAToN (b,3) 718-786-8500 27-05 39th Ave., LIC, www.fourpoints.com

ShAdE oRgANiC SPA ANd SAloN 718-278-7892 36-05 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria

93

bARoQUE (C,1) 718-274-2777 19-44 Steinway St., Astoria www.baroquenyc.com

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hoTElS

REjUvENATE fACE ANd body (b,1) 718-626-4434 26-17 23rd Ave., Astoria www.Rejuvenatenyc.com

momA PS 1 718-784-2084 22-25 Jackson Ave., Long Island City www.momaps1.org

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vARdimAN EyEWEAR (C,2) 718-204-5037 34-18 Broadway, Astoria www.vardimaneyewear.com

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hAPPy dAy NAil SPA (b,2) 718-728-8886 31-35 31st St., Astoria

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gigi SAloN (C,2) 718 -777-7755 34-17 30th Ave., Astoria www.gigistylingstudio.com

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voiCE mUSiC STUdio (A,1) 646-309-3429 23-11 21st St., Astoria

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ASToRiA ComPlEx (C,2) 718-729-7163 34-38 38th St., LIC www.ascsports1.com

vESPA QUEENS (b,3) 718-786-7772 37-43 Crescent St., LIC www.vespaqueens.com

yogA AgoRA (b,2) 718-626-0680 33-02 Broadway, 2nd Fl., Astoria www.YogaAgora.com

SPAS

CARl ClARkE AESThETiQUES (b,2) 347-631-0922 32-12 Broadway, Astoria www.defineyourlook.com

TUCk-iT-AWAy SToRAgE (b, 3) 718-519-8282 37-19 Crescent St., Astoria www.tuckitaway.com

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ThE RoCk hEAlTh & fiTNESS ClUb (b,1) 718-204-1400 22-15 31st St., Astoria www.therockhealthandfitness.com

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ASToRiA fiNE ARTS dANCE (C,1) 718-247-0740 38-01 23rd Ave., Astoria www.asfa-dancestudio.com

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PERSoNAlizEd PilATES (A,4) 347-563-3933 10-13 47th Ave., 2nd floor, LIC

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SAgE STUdioS 347-927-2439 29-20 23rd Ave., 4th Floor, Astoria www.sagefit.com/astoria-home

ASToRiA PERfoRmiNg ARTS CENTER @ThE good ShEPhERd UNiTEd mEThodiST ChURCh (C,2) 718-706-5750 30-44 Crescent St. (@30th Road), Astoria www.apacny.org

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ThE yogA Room 718-274-0255 38-01 35th Ave., Astoria (C,2) 718-786-7962 10-14 47th Rd., LIC (A,4) www.the-yoga-room.com TighTAN gym 718-274-1606 31-21 31st St., Astoria www.tightan.com

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kAUfmAN ASToRiA STUdioS (C,2) 718-706-5300 34-12 36th St., Astoria www.kaufmanastoria.com

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lAgUARdiA PERfoRmiNg ARTS CENTER (C,3) 718-482-5151 31-10 Thomson Ave., LIC www.laguardiaperformingarts.org

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liC SChool of bAllET (b,3) 718-781-1169 44-02 23rd St., Studio 216, LIC www.licsb.com

AmoRElli REAlTy 718-204-2828 3601 30th Ave., Astoria www.amorellirealty.com bEAUdoiN REAlTy gRoUP (A,4) 718-505-9220 78-27 37th Ave. #5, Jackson Heights www.beaudoinrealtor.com doUglAS EllimAN (A,4) 917-386-6164 47-37 Vernon Blvd. www.elliman.com

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modERN SPACES 718-784-1110 10-63 Jackson Ave., LIC (A,4) 47-42 Vernon Blvd., LIC (A,4) 29-20 23rd Ave., Astoria (A,4) www.modernspacesnyc.com

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WEllS fARgo homE moRTgAgE (C,2) 718-310-4303 3501 30th Ave., Astoria www.wfhm.com

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goThAm lASik 718-440-3131 30-80 21st St., Astoria http://www.gothamlasik.com/

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moUNT SiNAi QUEENS (b,2) 24 Emergency Care Primary Care & Specialty Physician 718-932-1000 25-10 30th Ave., LIC

ThE bEAST NExT dooR CAfé & bAR 718-482-7507 42-51 27th Ave., LIC www.thebeastnextdoorcafebar.com

ART

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STEiNWAy fAmily dENTAl CENTER 718-728-3314 32-50 Steinway St.,Astoria www.alldentalneeds.com

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QUoNTiC bANk (b,2) 718-215-4000 31-05 Broadway, Astoria www.quonticbank.com

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SUSSEx bANk (b,1) 347-472-1727 28-21 Astoria Blvd., Astoria www.sussexbank.com

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EXPLORE YOUR BORO

BIZ for KIDZ

By MARIE GRILLO

As more families are making western Queens home, child-centered businesses are springing up. We talked to the owners of four businesses in Astoria, Long Island City and Sunnyside that cater to kids and make life a little easier for parents. If you are looking to involve your children in a safe, social play environment, check out these businesses:

Raising Astoria 26-11 23RD AVE., ASTORIA RAISINGASTORIA.COM

W

Photos courtesy of Eleni Graciano

hen sisters Eleni Graciano and Thekla Manoloudis took over Raising Astoria from its original owners, they took what was already a great space for children and adults to socialize and turned it up a notch.

“We have since made significant changes to the space to make it our own, and we feel like we are making a footprint in the neighborhood as families come to us to meet new people, and for the children to get a head start in early learning,” Graciano said.

Raising Astoria is a multi-use space that offers “pre-school classes for early learners (18+ months to 4 years), a weekly live music performance (concert!) for children of all ages, a music education program with songs from around the world, baby developmental movement, maternity classes, after-school dance and yoga classes for kids ages 4+,” Graciano explained.

Along with classes, toys are of paramount importance for the space.

“We also offer tons of toys including a bounce house, full kitchen with utensils

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and play food, ride-on dinosaur, play house, books and a train set that can be used during open play hours and also when we host birthday parties, baby showers and other private functions,” Graciano said.

As “transplant” parents themselves, Graciano and Manoloudis recognized the importance of making new parent friends and set out to make Raising Astoria a community. Coming into an already established location in the central Ditmars area helped move their success along.

“We feel very lucky to be able to work and live in one of the most safe, culturally diverse and dynamic neighborhoods in New York,” she said.

As new business owners, Graciano and Manoloudis make a point to listen to feedback from their customers.

“We keep our prices very affordable to make sure that our classes and activities are accessible to everyone,” Graciano said.

They even offer childcare on Friday nights for those rejuvenating and rare nights out.

Photo courtesy of Anne K. Vu Photography

City Owlets 10-42 JACKSON AVE., LIC CITYOWLETS.COM

A

fter moving to Long Island City from Dallas, Texas, with her husband and 2-month-old in 2014, Linda Nguyen was faced with a major adjustment and lifestyle shift. After experiencing prenatal and postpartum depression, she came to the realization that she might be able to do something about it. During that initial period of adjustment, there were few options.

“There wasn’t anywhere I could go to ‘learn’ how to be a parent or really socialize myself and my child,” Nguyen said. “It became increasingly difficult with harsh winters and excruciatingly hot summers, because we would stay home and go stir-crazy. I realized with the influx of young families to LIC, there was a need for a safe and clean indoor play space where parents could come to play with their child. On the same note, I knew I wanted to provide the support services that were lacking in this upand-coming neighborhood.”

To develop a sense of what she wanted, Nguyen did “field research” by going to more than 100 different play spaces and enrichment classes around New York City, all while continuing to battle postpartum depression. Two and half years later, City Owlets was born.

“The whole playcafe business, from concep-

tion to grand opening, was executed while I battled postpartum depression for two years,” Nguyen said.

Her extensive research helped lay the foundation for City Owlets and the sense of community she wanted to create.

“I think a lot of our customers feel like this is their ‘nest’ as well, because City Owlets was built from a parent’s perspective. We’ve experienced such a warm welcome from the LIC community and surrounding areas since even before we’ve opened, because I have updated our build-out progress on Facebook from day one.”

City Owlets offers something for both parents and babies, including enrichment classes for children, workshops for parents and birthday party rentals.

Children can choose from music, arts and crafts, foreign language, baby sign language, sensory and active engagement classes. For mommy, there are prenatal yoga and babywearing classes, as well as support for pumping and breastfeeding, sleep issues and postpartum depression.

“We would like ‘preggers,’ first-time mommies, seasoned mommies to meet up to celebrate motherhood, share their trials and tribulations and learn from each other,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen wants to “help build and unify the community, because through providing a platform to share experiences, we become each other’s shoulder to lean on and assist each other in navigating our parenting journeys.”

MARCH 2017 I BOROMAG.COM

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Gym-azing 27-14 23RD AVE., ASTORIA GYM-AZING.COM

Photos courtesy of Tina Mavrelis-Charalambous

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T

ina Mavrelis-Charalambous was born in Greece, but her family immigrated to the United States and settled in Astoria when she was 1 year old. Now, she’s a vital part of the Astoria community as the proud owner of Gym-azing on 23rd Avenue.

A mother of three, Mavrelis-Charalambous saw the need for a business like Gym-azing in western Queens.

“I understood the need in Astoria for a child-friendly, clean space where children and their caregivers felt it was a second home,” she said.

The idea of opening a child-focused business for play and fitness sprouted in 2009, and Gym-azing opened its doors in 2010. Seven years later, Mavrelis-Charalambous has had much success with a variety of classes and programs for children of all ages, ranging from babies to teenagers.

“For the younger ages we have the programs Music Together, SocRoc and Toddler Ballet,” she said. “For the walking toddlers, we have a fun and educational program Messy Art and Story Time followed by free open play.”

There are even options for the older children including ballet, jazz, tap, bootcamp, capoeira and the jampacked hip-hop classes.

“Our hip-hop team goes to state competition and does great,” MavrelisCharalambous said.

Gym-azing also hosts birthday parties, where they take care of the whole kit and caboodle, including invitations, theme decorations, a bounce house, face painting, a bubble machine, animal balloons, activities and dancing.

Walking by the colorful Gym-azing storefront, one can see that whatever the business is doing seems to be working as classes are usually full and much fun is being had by all. MavrelisCharalambous stays connected to the community “via social media, advertising, word-of-mouth recommendations and our five-star reviews on Yelp,” she said.

Check out their website for the variety of parties and classes they offer.

Sunnyside Plays 4309 48TH AVE., WOODSIDE SUNNYSIDEPLAYS.COM

Photos courtesy of Sunnyside Plays

A

nother diverse and nearby neighborhood playspace is Sunnyside Plays, which is “a cafe, indoor playspace, party venue, a hub and meeting place for cultural and social events, seasonal celebrations, and education activities,” explained owner Ed Kim. Kim and Vanessa Quinn, the married co-owners of Sunnyside Plays, quickly learned when becoming parents that there was a limit to the number of children they could invite to a birthday party held in their New York apartment.

“We searched for places to hold a party but it seemed that all venues in the vicinity were booked for months,” Kim said.

With so many new families popping up, the couple set out to create a “flexible space that provides a safe, stimulating and nurturing environment for families, but is also open enough to

accommodate different programs for everyone,” Kim said.

This unique space started with children’s yoga, dance, crafts, story time, illustration workshops and sign language for babies. For adults, Sunnyside Plays holds a knitting circle, date nights and improv workshops.

Sunnyside Plays has a lot to look forward to such as an Easter celebration, a pop-up book workshop, cooking and art classes and more, the couple explained.

“One of the pleasures of running a play space is that children are inherently happy to be here,” Kim said. “Our best reviews come from the children who don’t want to leave. It’s natural and easy to present ourselves as warm and welcoming when our clientele act the same.”

MARCH 2017 I BOROMAG.COM

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MOLDOVA IN QUEENS

By ANGELA MATUA @ANGELAMATUA

Brother-and-sister duo Radu and Sorina Panfil have been bringing their version of Moldovan cuisine to Sunnyside since July 2016.

There, they serve a mix of traditional comfort food and dishes with Romanian and Russian elements.

T

he siblings’ father owned two restaurants in Moldova, a small country bordered by Romania and Ukraine, and Radu Panfil was inspired to open his own kitchen in America. He came to the United States in 2005 and opened Moldova in Midwood, Brooklyn.

His sister Sorina came to the states in 2008, where she worked in finance. But Radu Panfil wanted to expand his restaurant and called on his sister to help open Boon by Moldova in Sunnyside.

“I was on my maternity leave and my brother said, ‘Come on, let’s try this’ and I said, ‘Why not? I’m in my 30s, this is the opportunity for me to see if I’m good at it [or] not good at it, see how much I like to be a business owner, what challenges are there.’”

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The restaurant, located at 43-45 40th St., used to be a Romanian eatery, and Sorina Panfil said the large Romanian community in the area pushed them to open Boon in Sunnyside. The owners were also encouraged by the young crowd with adventurous taste buds in the area.

“Sunnyside is so close to the city and it’s a growing area and it’s an area where you have a lot of young people with a cool mindset, like they wouldn’t be scared to try something new,” she said.

Sorina Panfil’s husband was responsible for the design at the spacious restaurant, which features hand-painted designs, a stage for weekend performances and portraits of men, women and children in traditional Moldovan outfits on the bathroom doors. The building also has a back room

Photos: Angela Matua

that can fit about 80 people, which makes it popular for weddings, christenings and other events.

Boon’s menu features a plethora of items at affordable prices. Mamaliga, fried polenta balls with feta cheese and pork belly, is a popular dish along with the restaurant’s Moldovan pies, which are called plăcintă.

The fried pies are filled with ingredients like farmer’s cheese, potato or spinach. The dessert version is filled with sour cherry spread or pumpkin.

Ciorba cu afumatura si fasole, smoked meat soup with beans, is inspired by the Russian dish solanka. Sorina Panfil said the duo also tries to cater to vegetarians and those who may be hesitant to try the more traditional meals.

They offer a vegetable platter that contains peppers, eggplant, zucchini, vegetable

spreads and an array of salads like the fanetzie with avocado, lox, tomatoes, onions, crepes with cream cheese and red caviar.

“The salads are more fusion cuisine,” she said. “We are a restaurant that is striving to accommodate a variety of tastes. No matter what your background is, where you’re coming from, you definitely have something to choose from here.”

MARCH 2017 I BOROMAG.COM

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FOOD + DRINK

Pierogis are also a favorite at Boon and diners can enjoy the Moldovan version with a sour cherry filling, called Coltunasi. The desserts range from prune uscate umplute cu nuci, sweet prunes stuffed with nuts and covered in chocolate, and the Romanian donut, which is called papanaşii prăjiţi. The donuts are served warm, stuffed with farmer’s cheese, and slathered in jam and cream.

Boon is also one of the few places to sell Moldovan wine.

“Moldova is not very well known, but one of the things we’re known for is wine,” Sorina Panfil said.

Mileștii Mici, a wine producer in the country, has the largest wine collection in the world. It has an underground cellar that holds nearly 2 million bottles of wine.

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According to Sorina Panfil, Boon is different from other establishments in that the owners want diners to take their time while they eat and enjoy the entertainment, which is provided by the Boon Band on weekends.

A duo sings Romanian, Russian and American favorites, and Sorina Panfil is hoping to incorporate violin players in the future.

“We are a slow-paced dining environment because we have live entertainment on the weekend,” she said. “It’s not come and go.

You sit down, you enjoy a nice glass of wine, enjoy an appetizer. The main course will come slowly.”

Sorina Panfil said the family is grateful to have the opportunity to expand the restaurant and provide a meeting place for the growing Moldovan population in Queens.

“Bun means good in Romanian,” she said.

“When you say enjoy your food you would say ‘pofta bune,’ you’re a good person [translates to] ‘persona buna,’ everything that is good is the word bun. It’s a word with a lot of meanings. As it turned out bun also meant something in English. Boon is a blessing. We kind of feel like it’s a blessing to own this place...to have a space for everybody but also a space for Moldovans that don’t really have a place so they can celebrate weddings and christenings and all those nice events in your life, they didn’t have that.”

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NEW CHEF BRINGS innovative menu items to Alobar in LIC

By GINA CONTEH

@GEENAHC

I

@GEENAHC

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Photos courtesy of Alobar

t’s been over a month since Alobar Restaurant welcomed its new head chef, Reagan Angelle, and patrons are loving the eclectic dishes he’s introduced to the menu, according to owner Jeff Blath.

Alobar Restaurant, an Americanstyle eatery in Long Island City, allows visitors a chance to bask in a rustic ambience accompanied by live music on Thursday nights to set the mood.

Customers have come to love the restaurant’s classic American eats — and now, Louisiana native Angelle is bringing a little bit of a Southern edge to the menu by incorporating larger portions and adding Southern treats such as grits and biscuits as brunch options.

Angelle comes into work early on some days just to experiment with different ingredients, Blath said. Chef Reagan then introduces his new dish as a special on the menu that night. While these specials are only available for that one night, all of this experimentation will pay off as Alobar’s menu changes seasonally. Angelle will be able to take inspiration from his specials as he updates the menu.

“Reagan has a lot of fun with it,” Blath said.

In true Alobar fashion, Blath continues to keep the experience for patrons personal. Whenever someone asks about the new chef, Blath will bring Angelle out to meet his admirers. Blath said that the goal of his restaurant is “to be the go-to quality style restaurant in the area with top-notch quality ingredients.” And Blath said that Angelle does an amazing job of utilizing all the ingredients in the most creative ways possible.

With the change of chef, Jeff Blath has also lowered menu prices as a way to bring more of the community into the restaurant. According to Blath, customers

Long Island Duck Breast with parsnip, blood orange, scallion, jus

Pan Seared Black Bass with curried lentils, Brussels sprouts, almonds, chervil

Oyster Pan Roast with corn bread, Pernod, cream chives, leeks

would tell him that Alobar was their favorite restaurant in LIC but it was just a couple dollars more than they could afford to spend. With the lower menu prices, Blath is hoping that customers will be able to

come in two times a week instead of once every two weeks.

For Blath, it’s about quality and consistency, and Angelle does an amazing job of keeping this vision in mind.

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INTERIOR DESIGN

Shades OF GREY

BY RUTHIE DARLING @RUTHIEDARLING

Living in a small space doesn’t mean it can’t be packed with style. Emily Butler’s monochrome-chic space that she shares with her boyfriend Giancarlo Gagliano has a modern, European feel to it, influenced by her frequent trips to Paris.

Butler is a store manager of Joie boutique in Soho.

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“Yes, exactly,” Butler continued. “My boyfriend will not go to Ikea with me because, you know, it ruins relationships!

My best friend and I hung everything in the apartment so there were no arguments.”

Various candles were lit around the apartment when I arrived, which made the place not only feel cosy and romantic, but smell delicious, too. Butler explained that she is not a fan of harsh, overhead lighting and instead opts for soft lamps and candlelight.

“The lamp is actually from Target; I think it cost $40,” she said. “I found it via Pinterest and I used a vintage lightbulb in it to make it special.”

In another corner of the room I noticed a large palm, which added a burst of green to the monochrome scene.

“I

n my previous life I was a visual merchandiser,” she told me.

“That’s the job that took me to Paris.”

This might explain her flair for interior styling and the Parisian vibe of the place.

“I actually went to school to be a doctor, but when I got to Astoria, I decided I wanted to live and not go to school for years and years, so I saw an ad on Craigslist looking for a stylist,” she said. “I got the job and started jetting off to Paris! It was quite incredible. No regrets!”

Black, white and grey feature prominently in this petite Astoria apartment, giving a feeling of calm and space despite the tight quarters.

“I’m a big overstocked.com girl,” Butler told me. “They have a lot of high-end pieces that you can have delivered, and the UPS guy will carry it up the four flights of stairs for you!”

Seems like a great idea, especially if you live in a walk-up.

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NT TE ER R II O OR R D DE ES S II G GN N II N

“Sadly my mom passed away very suddenly last August,” Butler said. “This plant is from her funeral, and it’s grown to be my palm tree.”

I asked Butler if her mom had helped her decorate her apartment when she moved in.

Photos: Ruthie Darling/BORO

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“Yes,” she said. “My mom and I were very close, and we loved shopping together. She would spend the day with me in the city. We would go to a spa and get massages, have a fancy lunch and then go shopping. She always wanted

to go to Housing Works and Goodwill to look at their home goods. My mom saw the print and we snapped it up for $10.

Mom named her Suzanna.”

In the kitchen the black, white and grey theme continues, with color being provided only by nature, in the form of a row of cacti on the window sill.

“The one in the middle is called Cactus John. We picked him up at Ikea — we went once — and he has grown and grown.”

The gallery wall above the chairs feels like a scene from a Soho loft. A stylish print of Kate Moss is framed in white, next to two more fashion prints and an elegant mirror. Just being in this space made me feel cooler!

Everything in this apartment has its place, and there is no clutter to be found. As the English textile designer William Morris once said, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” I can only imagine he wrote that after visiting the apartment of Emily Butler.

As they say in Paris, tres chic!

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NYC Pet Nanny

brings one-on-one dog walking and other pet services to western Queens

By GINA CONTEH @GEENAHC

M Photos courtesy of NYC Pet Nanny

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@GEENAHC

eet Alexia Vullis: the Astoria-born business owner whose love for furry friends is what keeps her and her business running (and walking).

NYC Pet Nanny is a quality dog walking and cat sitting service based in Astoria. The business offers dog walking in Astoria and parts of Long Island City and cat sitting in Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside and Woodside.

When Vullis started walking dogs as a side job, she appreciated the time she got to spend outdoors with happy dogs in the neighborhood she knows and loves. As business began to pick up due to word of mouth, Vullis noticed the great need for a top-notch dog walking service in her area.

Vullis said she started her business for “people who work long hours and need someone like me to come and take their dog for a walk, providing them some piece of mind.”

MARCH 2017

When Vullis founded NYC Pet Nanny in 2008, she offered basic services such as dog walking, in home boarding, cat sitting and pickups from doggy daycare for customers without cars. Since she was the first and only employee of NYC Pet Nanny, Vullis walked about 12 dogs a day and also acted as a cat sitter for clients who were out of town.

Since then, Vullis’ business has expanded; she now has a cat sitting partner and employs around 7 to 10 walkers.

“Almost all of my employees are Astoria residents,” Vullis said. “It works best with our scheduling and last-minute requests to hire those who live close.”

Now, NYC Pet Nanny employees walk about 50 to 60 dogs total each day.

The business no longer offers pet boarding but has “amazing boarding partners around Astoria,” Vullis said, so she can refer clients to people she trusts.

Vullis’ love for animals does not just stop with her business.

“I also dabble in rescue, mostly cat rescue, and this business allows me the time, resources and contacts to help animals in need,” she said.

Though she is new to cat rescue, Vullis said that she’s been involved in volunteering with dog rescues for about 10 years.

Unlike her competitors, Vullis does not offer any “pack walks,” or walks with groups of dogs.

She said that it’s important to her that both the animals and the walkers enjoy their time, and pack walks seem neither safe nor enjoyable.

“I understand that pack walks are a money maker, but I’m not about the money,” Vullis said.

“We’re about the animals.”

If you would like to learn more about services and rates offered by NYC Pet Nanny, visit nycpetnanny.com or call 646-298-5301.

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DREAMING OF CARNEGIE HALL Nisan Ak

Queens College Master of Music Performance in Orchestral Conducting, 2016

HER STORY Born in Turkey, Nisan Ak came to Queens College’s Aaron Copland School of Music for a conducting workshop in 2014 and stayed for a master’s degree. “I want to combine traditional and modern music in a way that the audience, the players and I, as the conductor, will love it.”

GOAL To be a role model for women conductors in this maledominated field.

cuny.edu/welcome

CUNY★AMERICANDREAMMACHINE

CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK-1847 HUNTER COLLEGE-1870 BROOKLYN COLLEGE-1930 QUEENS COLLEGE-1937 NEW YORK CITY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY-1946 COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND-1956 BRONX COMMUNITY COLLEGE-1957 QUEENSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE-1959 CUNY GRADUATE CENTER-1961 BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE-1963 KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE-1963 JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE-1964 YORK COLLEGE-1966 BARUCH COLLEGE-1968 LAGUARDIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE-1968 LEHMAN COLLEGE-1968 HOSTOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE-1970 MEDGAR EVERS COLLEGE-1970 CUNY SCHOOL OF LAW-1983 MACAULAY HONORS COLLEGE AT CUNY-2001 CUNY SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES-2003 CUNY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM-2006 GUTTMAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE-2011 CUNY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH POLICY-2016 CUNY SCHOOL M A R OF C HMEDICINE-FALL 2 0 1 7 I B O2016 ROMAG.COM

49

FOOD + DRINK

Love AND CRÊPES

BY SEAN CURRY

@THESANDWICHENTHUSIAST

P

“Crêpes and wine go together like a marriage.”

arvez Eliaas, owner of Bonjour Crêpes and Wine on 30th Avenue in Astoria, can make that comparison with authority. After years of working under renowned chef Daniel Boulud, Eliaas branched off to start his own venture two years ago. This Astoria location of Bonjour opened on Jan. 6.

To pick his cuisine, he didn’t hire a market research agency or spin the big wheel of food trends — he looked down at his own dinner plate. His wife cooks the best crêpe he’s ever had.

“My wife’s family is in Hungary,” he said.

“If we visit there for a month, 15 days are crêpes. We eat them for everything.”

And thus, Bonjour Crêpes and Wine was born.

Being a man about to embark on a marriage journey myself, I pressed him for

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more: How does one balance savory and sweet? How important is starting with the right batter? Did you get a priest to bless the crêpes, or a Justice of the Peace?

Among other things — local ingredients, starting from scratch, and knowing your subject inside and out — for Eliaas, it all comes down to one key thing: Using your hands.

“Everyone eats a crêpe with a knife and fork, but I want them to eat them the way they do in France, with their hands,” Eliaas said. “A knife and a fork ruins the balance of the flavors.”

Always eager to roll up my sleeves, that was all I needed to hear to dig in.

Our first savory crêpe came out right off the griddle and into our hands: chicken, pesto, tomato and spinach with gooey Gruyere spilling out the corners. The chicken had

been slow-cooked in French butter with onion, salt, pepper and garlic, all in-house and with local ingredients. The pesto bounced off my tongue immediately and was wonderful alongside the tomatoes, which were just heated up enough to start being interesting without losing their texture.

Next was a ham crêpe with more Gruyere and a house-made tomato sauce. While the ham may have been prepared from scratch in the Hungarian tradition, it tasted exactly how I remember big holiday hams growing up. Get ready to flash back to your earliest years. The Gruyere was also more prevalent here, hitting my taste buds right on the first bite.

The final savory crêpe of the night was a gluten-free goat cheese crêpe made with buckwheat flour. I haven’t had much buckwheat before, but I can tell you that this flour was WORKING. There was definitely

Photos: Bridget Kenny/BORO

MARCH 2017 I BOROMAG.COM

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FOOD + DRINK a different taste than what I’m used to — almost cinnamon-y, if I’m being honest — but it was delightful along with the goat cheese.

The sweet crêpes were up next, leading with a bacon offering. Bacon, of course, needs no introduction, but if you haven’t been introduced to Bacon’s after-hours alter ego, Dessert Bacon, then you need correct that fast. Dessert Bacon, here being regular bacon paired with a freshly melted bittersweet chocolate and juicy strawberries, will blow your mind straight out the back of your head. The sweetness and the savory playing around in my mouth alone earned Bonjour Crêpes another visit in the future.

A crème fraîche crêpe with blueberries and strawberries followed shortly behind the bacon. While personally I’m not a big fan of crème fraîche, I could tell that this crêpe was doing what it set out to do very well. If you’re into crème fraîche, you’ll really enjoy the little pops of blueberry juice swirling in and amongst the tartness. It’s worth a trip.

We had a quick buckwheat waffle next (bless whatever gods set the course of my life such that I could one day casually write that I had a “quick buckwheat waffle”), in which the buckwheat flour was far more pronounced. Here there wasn’t only that dark, interesting cinnamon-esque flavor, but there were also loads of textural notes at play: crunchy on the outside, but with an airy, soft interior. We had it straight with butter and

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syrup, no toppings, before moving onto what was, arguably, the raison d’être of my trip to a crêpe spot to begin with: The flaming crêpe suzette.

I had heard of a crêpe suzette before, of course. I knew it was a luxurious French delicacy that was wildly over-indulgent, as only the French know how to do, but I hadn’t really had any firsthand experience with them until my night at Bonjour Crêpes.

They put butter, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and orange zest in a pan, lay the folded crepe in on top, douse it all in Grand Marnier, and then they light it on fire.

Prior to eating it, Eliaas told me it was a “mouthful of yumminess,” but if I’m being honest, he was underselling it. This was a citrus and butter combo that transcended space-time and brought me to a higher plane of existence. This was dough soaked in orange juice and liqueur set ablaze — “yumminess” does this dish a disservice.

To help you understand how good this crêpe suzette was, I need to walk you through a bit of writer housekeeping first. Most of the time, I try to write these articles as soon as possible after I go to the restaurant, to keep as many of the experiences and tastes in my head as I can. Of course, I take as many notes as possible, but the human brain is such that after some time, even the best experience fades into the background to make room for new ones.

For personal reasons, I’m writing this part of the review about a week after my eating experience. During that time, I’ve been back and forth to Jersey about four times, argued with painters about how many variations of “white” I want them to paint my walls with (one), and seen multiple branches of my family during a big move. But even after all that time and through all of those experiences...

I can still remember exactly what this crêpe suzette felt and tasted like in my mouth. The liqueursoaked fried dough, the slight crunch of the orange zest, the fresh juice of the orange. There’s just nothing else like it. You need to try this crêpe suzette.

There’s truly something for everyone at Bonjour Crêpes and Wine. Love breakfast? Dinner?

They’ve got a crêpe for you. Like savory, or prefer sweet? Guess what — they’ve got a crêpe for you.

Whatever you go for, just remember one thing: use your hands. Maintain the balance.

Unless it’s on fire.

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HELPING HAND

Astoria resident hand delivers care packages to homeless women across the city

BY ANGELA MATUA

O

ne Astoria resident is directly impacting the lives of homeless women across the city by hand delivering care packages to those in need.

Michael Zezima, a lifelong Astoria resident, thought about starting this project more than a year ago but officially started delivering supplies in October after a chance encounter with a homeless woman.

“It came to a head this past fall in October when I was at an event in which there was leftover packaged food and I encountered a woman at the subway who was really grateful to take the food,” he said.

He initially used his own money to purchase things like pads, tampons, toe warmers, hand warmers, toothbrush and tooth paste. Zezima also started a Go Fund Me page for the project, which is officially called FOR (Female-Oriented Relief). So far, he has raised $1,545 and people in the Queens

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community have also stepped up to donate supplies like blankets and packaged food.

Zezima takes frequent trips into the city, especially places like Union Square, Midtown and Times Square to hand out supplies. He focuses on those areas because its where he sees a large and visible concentration of homeless women, he said. There are about 12 women that he visits regularly and he always has extra bags to hand out in case he sees a woman in need. He estimates that the bags have been distributed to more than 100 women.

Reactions from the women vary, he said.

Most are grateful and will have conversations with him but some women decline the help.

“It really varies because as you might imagine they have very strong boundaries,” he said. “I’ve learned so much in that sense.

There are some women that, as I inch closer, they’ll tell me straight off to get lost. There

will be some women that will see me and say hi. It’s such a great feeling that I’ve done enough to earn their trust but mostly I’m giving them just a little bit of relief on this cold and windy day.”

Zezima, a writer and personal trainer, has long been an activist in social justice issues and said he became disillusioned with some of the more popular tactics usually employed during justice movements.

“I guess the two biggest influences [for starting this project] would be that as a man I’ve always felt an obligation to do what I can to give back in terms of how much privilege I have as a man and I recognize how woman on all levels face oppression,” Zezima said.

To donate money or supplies, visit the project’s Go Fund Me page, https://www.gofundme.com/helping-homeless-women-innyc-2ukpuh56?utm_source=internal&utm_ medium=email&utm_content=campaign_ link_t&utm_campaign=welcome

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