It's My Park! Day - Parks throughout Queens - including: Alley Pond Park, Fort Totten Park, Little Bay Park, Oakland Lake, Highland Park Childrens Garden, Rufus King Park, Pat Williams Playground, Poppenhusen Triangle, Cunningham Park, Forest Park, Travers Park, Hollis Veterans Square, and many more, even in your neck of the woods. Do a little spring cleaning for your neighborhood.
Astorian Weekend Edition - May 15, 2008 By Sooz of Joey in Astoria
Enjoy a musical on Friday. It's entertainment for a good cause, creativity in schools!
If the showers stay away, enjoy the free canoe and kayak rides offered by Long Island City Community Boathouse. Volunteers are also needed to help clean up the beach while waiting for their turn to paddle -- two for one! Exercise AND doing good things for the community? Can't beat it. After this week, you can get your paddle on every Sunday until October. It's on 1 to 4 p.m., out of Socrates Sculpture Park's beach at Hallets Cove, 31st Ave at Vernon Blvd.
A little further south at Rainey Park (34th Ave and Vernon) more festivities celebrating the waterfront are happening, 1 to 5 p.m. Learn about all sorts of programs, enjoy some entertainment, and maybe even get some fishing in!
Eat up at El Jamon (25-51 Steinway) for some yummy Spanish cuisine. Situated on one of my favorite food avenues, it's a little something new! The garlic shrimp toast is a must, as is the crema catalana. Full review forthcoming; but, if you're looking for something different, go here and get your Gypsy Kings fix.
Queens Eats, Restaurant Roundup - Krause's Candy Kitchen, George Martin, Winegasm, Fast & Delicious
Krause's Candy Kitchen [Eating in Translation]
Great report and excellent photo of the jelly slices at old-school sweets shop Krause's Candy Kitchen (103-02 Metropolitan Ave, Forest Hills, 718-544-1850). Full disclosure: I've eaten sweets from Krause's for most my natural-born days. I've never been inside the shop....just the lucky recipient.
George Martin Restaurant Opens in Douglaston From Long Island? George Martin (42-15 235th St, Douglaston, 718-224-2898) is a new "American bistro" in Douglaston, from a restaurant group that has a good track record for upscale eateries in Long Island's Nassau County. Dare they age a steak in Queens?
Winegasm - What's in a Silly Name? [Joey in Astoria]
It's better than its name! So report bloggers Foodista and Joey on Winegasm (31-86 37th St, Astoria, 718-932-3331), a new wine bar in Astoria.
Hint - That's an elevated subway crossing paths with a freight train (also elevated) below. Put your best guess in the comments. Bonus points if you can name the intersection.
Every May the Big Apple Circus brings its tents, elephants, and high-wires to Cunningham Park for a truly delightful two weeks in Fresh Meadows. The weather is lovely; the circus is a top-notch act. The combination is perfect in a venue that's all neighborhood, no glitz. I highly recommend bringing your family to the show this spring.
Astorian Weekend Edition - May 8, 2008 By Meg of Joey in Astoria
Happy Mother's Day! Our own Foodista has some suggestions on where to take mom this Sunday on her special day.
New wine bar Winegasm (31-86 37th St, Astoria, NY, 718-932-3331) is doing a happy hour - this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (5-7 p.m.) get two-for-one cocktails and a $15 pitcher of delicious summer sangria. I love sangria, so this looks particularly awesome.
There are a number of outdoor events happening this Saturday. First, the Savvy Cyclist presents an intro to cycling for new cyclists (9 a.m. - 5 p.m., registration and deposit required, at 46th Ave and 5th St).
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 happening with this event, so check out bikenewyork.org.
Last, the Friends of Queensbridge Park hold their annual Mother's Day Dance fund-raiser to benefit the summer program (8 p.m. - 1 a.m., Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement House, 10-25 41st Ave, LIC) Contact karen.overton@parks.nyc.gov to purchase a ticket ($15).
Build It Green! (3-17 26th Ave) along with the Office of Recycling Outreach and Education hosts an event on Saturday (11 a.m. - 4 p.m.): Stop 'N Swap!, a swap meet for the masses. Read their Stop 'N Swap guidelinesbefore you haul down your moth-eaten couch.
A Taste of ... Poodam's Thai Cuisine [Gothamist]
Joe DiStefano's photo skills have gotten way better; the photos are enough to tempt me to try Issan-style Thai food at Poodam’s Thai Cuisine (44-19 Broadway, Astoria, 718-278-3010).
Shun Shun Bakery [Eating in Translation]
The man who'll eat anything (once) gets a date at Shun Shun Bakery (135-50 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, 646-317-7160).
The Next Best Things in Sliced Bread [NY Times]
Three of seven "new" to NYC sandwiches can be found in Queens: spicy, Moroccan merguez sausage sammies at Little Morocco (24-39 Steinway St, Astoria, 718-204-8118); Puebla street-food cemita at Los Girasoles (47-55 47th St, Woodside, 718-361-7454); and "a sandwich built on a split potato knish" at Press 195 (40-11 Bell Blvd, Bayside, 718-281-1950).
It's the perfect time of the year for a lot of things, but especially for a walking tour along the East River. Explore the history and the recent changes -- maybe the Water Taxi Beach pictured -- along NYC's vital waterway.
Enjoy a 
Happy Mother's Day!
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