54-46, that's my number: the Queens thread

I really want to go to the staten island mall

Uhh you are a braver man than I, I stick to mouldering old historic sites mostly.

I drove to the Staten Island Mall in 2008 because it was easier to go the Apple store there than try to park in manhattan. I needed a new computer. I walked in and I said "I'd like one of the new Mac Pros" and the person was like "Are you sure? We recommend the iMac, it's a very powerful computer and more than most people need" and I was like "I'm a graphic designer who works with electronic music and is a super power user and I know what I want" and she's like "hold on" and comes back with one of her managers and he's like "you're buying a Mac Pro?" and I'm like YES and he's like "let me shake your hand...you're the only person to ever buy a Mac Pro from this Apple Store."

And I'm typing on it RIGHT NOW.

The mall was fine, it was actually fun, we walked in and there was a teenage dance troupe. I'm from NJ so going to malls can be very nostalgic. We occasionally drive to the Queens mall which isn't far from us. Sometimes you want to go to Clarks to buy some socks and see if there's any decent sweaters at Banana Republic or something. And the Queens mall has a decent watch battery replacement/band replacement place.

Mostly though the Sri Lankan places have been the only reasons we've gone. One day we drove further down and ended up at this ancient "historic" luncheonette that serves egg creams and is styled like it's the 50s. It's old but was kinda cheesy and not that great. We went to the Alice Austen house which was very cool though.

Today after lunch and Richmondtown, which was totally busted, they must have no budget. It's quaint and has potential and it was neat what they were doing, today was the day where people dress up and make bread and apple juice and melt candles and talk to you etc. It's a real shame they can't raise some money to fix it up properly. The real disappointment was that they had a little shack that advertised JOB PRINTING and inside had a hand-press and several cabinets of type, but it looked like it hadn't been touched in years. Why there wasn't a printer on hand doing demonstrations I don't know, a real lost opportunity. Maybe I'll volunteer, though I've never used that kind of press.

Oh yeah, after Richmondtown we drove to Great Kills Park...an unsupervised half deserted beach and sat on a bench and watched an ocean liner drift passed Brooklyn and Sandy Hook out of the harbor into the Atlantic.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/26/nyregion/gilberto-valle-accused-in-plot-to-kidnap-women-and-cook-them.html?_r=0

Thought it might be useful to bump this for any queens-specific FRANKENSTORM info

hoping the high elevation of Forest Hills / not being in any "lettered" flood zone helps us ride it out. We also have underground power lines, so I think our chances of keeping power are decent. A little scared of debris it fly at you windows.

ESPECIALLY since my old and/or idiotic building mates have left crap on their balconies.

Queens has some BAD history w/ Con Ed. Few years back, storm knocked out city power for a few hours...but western Queens lost it for like a week and a half. Mostly Astoria and Woodside. Con Ed was sued. Hoping they fixed shit since then.

well, power so far, knock wood. windy as fuck but we're ok atm

yeah same

wasn't that coned thing in the middle of summer too, dan?

yeah. I remember it was so hot we stayed at a friends in manhattan for a night of AC then fled to the Porches hotel at Mass Moca.

our power is flickering a bit but still ok. Watching The Haunting on DVR so various mysterious banging noises outside suit the atmosphere.

apparently first sandy death is a guy in flushing

we're getting the flickers too -- I don't understand what causes them given underground power lines

we've been mostly just storm porn searching and reading, and I have been avoiding drink in case of a situation requiring presence of mind but I finally cracked one open assuming it's not going to get a lot worse than this knock wood

Married couples search for porn together? I have so much to learn about life.

it keeps things interesting

we unfortunately realized tonight that the maintenance guy who "fixed" our window didn't really fix it -- one of the latches that holds it on the track doesn't stay in place. So really hoping it doesn't get windier and blow the window in.

Friend took a walk around sunnyside. Those beautiful old trees rooted and many crushed cars. Alpha Donuts lost it's sign, which is no tragedy since they stopped making their own donuts a few years ago, but still.

wow I only walked around south sunnyside but I didn't notice anything. a lot more trees in sunnyside garens.

I liked the alpha donuts sign :/

so yeah, went for a walk w/ a friend and 47th and 48th sts both look like they were attacked by lumberjacks. crazy!

like you actually cannot walk down 47th st at the moment because the tree is so huge

Sad about the alpha donuts sign. Only saw one or two trees downed on skillman today. Also, the bars on skillman are overflowing--if only I liked smoking cigarettes, drinking beers and watching sports. Actually, I like two of those things.

I texted you asking if you wanted to get a beer!!

I didn't get it. Do you have my right number?

i got a new phone and hastily typed in my old address book so it is quite possible that I do not

Ah, that explains it.

I had 88 instead of 22 for some reason

Haha, I'm too wine besotted to go out now, but maybe tomorrow? I only wish there was a halfway decent bar in this neighborhood.

yeah I'm too whisky besotted but I will text the real u tomorrow

Great. Maybe a real bar will materialize by then.

Anyone know about the Jackson Heights area? My sister lives there and I have yet to hear from her. She lives at 3525 77th St.

should be fine

jackson depths not so much

I haven't heard anything bad about jackson heights -- possible she doesn't have power but unlikely there's much else wrong

on my walk back from qbp I noticed a cute little cafe. an actual cafe, not some bodega or donut shop or whatever. w/ that, the bike lanes and little park, jetblue, the new apt buildings, new posh hotel, idk, it's hard to imagine qbp ever being *nice* but some of the buildings around there are historic and could be turned into something interesting. I mean there is an upper limit to how nice a bridge entrance can get and it's never gonna be prospect heights or whatever but I can imagine that area getting kinda liveable?

I'll be at Terreza tonight around 7:30 if anyone wants to stop by/has the means to do so...

I was thinking about going there to see the band tonight but I might not make it until about 9:30

Also I think the owner of Novo on 37th told me he was doing happy hour prices all night tonight

We're here now up on the bleachers.. It looks like music will start soon.

Now it is. I'm sitting near the piano. I think the original bass player listed is in Peru and the drummer in Canada but I've high hopes for this lineup

Oh no. We're at home now, but likely will be back for the cinco de mayo party tomorrow night.

Ha, I just made myself look crepey and asked

a few ladeez if they were librarians. Maybe you were checking out as I was checking in. Did you come on a bicycle?

Haha, that was me! I left on a yellow bicycle...

OK. probably won't make it to the Dia de Los Muertos thing but at least I have an inkling now

Turkish cat on drums is awesome. Too bad Hurting isn't here.

I prefer siamese cats on my drums -- better tone.

Kind of psyched about this place:

http://www.jacknellies.com/

http://foresthills.patch.com/articles/meet-the-owner-cyril-burke-of-jack-and-nellie-s

Craft beer, wine, small plates. Wouldn't blink if it opened in Williamsburg, but something like this is badly needed in FH.

Hm. What time does that Dia de Los Muertos thing start?