Quick Summer Snapshots

Garden footbridge sits below a willow tree. [134th Ave & 154th St]


Quiet block, quiet afternoon. [155th St. looking north from 134th Ave]

Raising the Roof

Exactly one year ago, this house used to look...


...like the house to the right of it.


Someone bought the originally ranch-styled house, raised the roof, added a second floor, and is now RESELLING it. The workmanship is awful. The house is located on 155th Street, between 137th and 140th Avenues. Even if you're not a building contractor, you can spot at least five errors. Click the pics for the details. It's not a pretty home at all.

THE DOOR Needs A Website!

Quite a few web users are searching for The Door. Too many for The Door not to have a website. The Door has always been hot, but the place must be getting hotter. Did something happen recently that we don't know about? The take-out restaurant gets packed during the evenings. Even a hipster or two have been seen going in or coming out.

So why do you go through The Door?
Hit us up. Let us know.

REMINDER: GOSPELFEST at Baisley Pond Park

Just another reminder that tomorrow's GOSPELFEST starts at 3:00PM! The event is sponsored by the Partnerships for Parks and The City of New York Parks & Recreation.
Scheduled groups to perform are The Bethel Gospel Choir, CTH Mass Choir of the St. Albans Baptist Church, Growth in Christ Community Choir, Echols Temple Choir, and many more.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

We were walking around Baisley Pond Park one day and realized that several houses do not have sidewalks. We wondered WHY?



Without the sidewalks, it really feels suburban. Almost like the country. There had to be an explanation. We just so happened ask a woman, who just paved the side portion of her property about a month ago.

She explained that her house consists of two lots. Her house sits on one lot and the corner lot belonged to a person who lived in the south. The corner piece of land just isn't large enough to even build on it. Eventually, they bought the piece land. She uses the land for gardening. She said that a couple of months ago, she received a letter from the Department of Transportation (or from another city/state official) stating that all properties must have a sidewalk. We were wondering if the other homeowners without sidewalks received such a letter. She's the only one that has taken action.

We're Losing Our Capes!

This post is the first in a series we'll call "We're Losing Our Capes!"
Southern and Eastern Queens are filled with what we call a Queens-style cape home. They were obviously built in the 1950s and have individual charm. Some have partial brick fronts. Others have a couple of extra dormers. Regardless, they say "here's a taste of the suburban life."

Well, times have changed. The trend over the past couple of years is to take an existing home and turn it inside out. Make them bigger. Buy a one-level ranch - then build a second story to it. The biggest thing we've noticed are the ones that are taking these cape homes and turning them into small palaces. Yes, we know the home ownership rules has changed. It does benefit a homeowner when they have a two or multi-family home because having an extra tenant can help pay the mortgage. They say it also makes for a better tax break.

It's one thing to buy a plot of land and build a home up from scratch. But we're against those who strip a perfectly in-tact cape home (or any home for that matter) apart and refurbish it into a McMansion. Our motto: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Our pics for this post features a brick McMansion, located on 130th Avenue.




We don't have proof, but we're willing to be a million dollars we don't have that it used to be a Queens cape. Usually where there's one cape, there's two. You'll see the neighboring cape below.

Update: Wild Rabbits?? False Alarm!

We reported a couple of weeks ago that we thought spotted a wild rabbit and questioned if it was or not. Well, we saw the rabbit late at night again in the same grassy backyard. There's some small evidence that it looks like it's a pet rabbit after all. A smart pet rabbit. We'll simply conclude that the Skittles rabbit has found a new home.

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE QUEENS PARK!

If you haven't already, go to queens.about.com and vote for your favorite Queens park! See more info to the left. Out of the two Southeast Queens parks on the list, we're rooting for Baisley Pond Park, but Roy Wilkens Park is winning. Nevertheless, Flushing Meadows Corona Park is the clear winner so far!

The Bungalows on 129th Ave

between 161 St. & Guy R. Brewer Blvd.

Fireworks 'Round the Way

Someone or some groups around Baisley Park and south of Baisley really put on a fireworks display last night. Usually in the 'hood, it's about the noise - how long and how loud of firework are. But there was an impressive visual display of brocade, willow and star effects. There was no reason to go into the city. Thanks for the show!

Pitcher Mounds

Last week, we spotted the Parks Department workers digging and moving dirt at the southern tip of Baisley Pond Park (the same location where the Gospelfest will take place). There's about 20 or so mounds of dirt. Pitcher mounds. Kind of like the one Charlie Brown would stand on when he's playing softball. Any clue what these dirt piles are about?

GOSPELFEST at BAISLEY POND PARK!

Southern Queens Gospelfest
Saturday, July 14th - 3PM to 8PM
Next Saturday is Gospelfest at Baisley Pond Park. It's a free festival featuring local choirs and performers. Free refreshments and arts & crafts for the kids. Bring a blanket or folding chair. The backdrop of the event is Baisley Pond. See nature at it's best!

Rockaway Blvd. between Sutphin and Baisley Blvds.

A Perfect Summer Day

Monday and Tuesday were TOP TEN SUMMER DAYS (unlike the overcast skies today). If you weren't able to go outside and enjoy the weather, you missed a treat. Low humidity, clear blue skies, cumulus clouds. On those two days, Baisley Pond Park was a great place to be.

Frozen In Time: Rochdale Village Shopping Center

Rochdale Village has two shopping malls. The mall located in Rochdale North is called The Rochdale Shopping Center. It's on Baisley Blvd., right off Guy R. Brewer. The main entrance is between Rite Aid/GNC and the post office.





You can tell that this community mall for "a city within a city" was once in full swing about 30-40 years ago. When the Jewish and white population left, it looks like the finances, cares and concerns left with them. The interior design and space appears to look exactly the way it was when they left, too.

Rochdale residents and surrounding neighbors patronize the independent businesses, but no one remembers the stores by their name. They're known as "the discount store" or "the sneaker store." You can find great deals, but they lack individual personality. There is a West Indian bakery and a Chinese restaurant, but it feels like "take-out," not "eat here and join us." Shop signage for most part is dull.





The L-shaped layout also have a couple of public displays that were removed. You'll see a couple of empty pits with a railing surrounding it. You'll also see a structure which resembles a life-sized birdcage. It sits in a large opened area, which is wasted space. If this is art, no one pays attention to it.



Nevertheless, it's a place to pick up last minute items. Key Food is also one of the main attractions. It also remains to be a meeting place for Rochdale's senior population.

Wild Rabbits???

On a personal note, late Wednesday night in a large grassy backyard on 159th Street, between 137th Ave. and 140th Ave., I spotted a rabbit. Mostly white with a spot of black and it was rather large. I'm not sure if it got loose or what. But I would imagine that if someone had a rabbit, they'd keep closer watch. Just like the time I saw a GUINEA PIG chilling out on a lawn in NOVEMBER on 157th Street.

Would someone let a guinea pig out just to roam wild in late November..in Queens? Now I know we have possum and raccoons that run around wild, but rabbits and guinea pigs??