The Sunnyside Of Life

During the regular course of the year, I am able to impress a bevy of friends by telling them I play tennis at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, where they hold the US Open. Granted I’m taking lessons or doing a cardio tennis class, but I still get impressed by going there each week. After Wimbeldon, the US Open is the biggest Grandslam (4th Grand Slam), so all you tennis nerds unite! Now that Nadal has ended Federer’s 237-week reign at No. 1 and earned men’s singles gold medal Sunday at the Beijing Olympics, will he be able to remain top dog? I want to see Blake stage some upsets, esepcailly after he beat Federer in Beijing.

US OPEN 2008 will be held from August 25 to September 07 2008, Its cash worth $1 million in prize money. The 2008 US Open Qualifying Tournament giving a week of free tennis events at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center that culminates with Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day presented by Hess, on Saturday, August 23, and the fifth annual US Open Practice on Sunday, August 24. The schedule is held FREE to people from Tuesday August 19 to Friday August 22, which is Qualifying round, in this qualifying round over 128 men and 128 women are participating for the final 32 count (16 men and 16 women). Matches start at 11AM each day.

USTA is accessible by subway 7 to Willets Point-Shea Stadium. For  schedule of play, please go to: www.usopen.org.

Revolutionary food journalist Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, gives a lecture in the P.S.1 courtyard in front of P.F.1 (Public Farm One), an installation designed by Young Architects Program 2008 winner WORK Architecture Company. With this vibrant and productive “urban farm” as a backdrop, Pollan discusses the power of taking the plant’s point of view and why it’s important to solving our environmental problems.

Friday, August 8, 7:00 p.m.
P.S.1
www.ps1.org/calendar/view/52

Join your friends, family, neighbors, and members of Transportation Alternatives, the New York League of Conservation Voters and other local community organizations at our “Sunnyside of the Block Party” this Sunday, August 10 from 10am to 3pm. The block party will be on 46th Street, between Skillman and 43rd Avenues, in Sunnyside.

Learn how to ride a bike*, get active in your community, learn about environmental issues, have your face painted, dance, eat, jump rope, or just relax in the shade with the Sunday paper. Festivities will also include a live jazz performance from 1pm to 3pm, a book swap (leave a book, take a book), giant chess, street art, and board games.

All are welcome – free.

For more information, email SunnysideBlockParty@gmail.com or visit www.blockpartynyc.org/parties/13/read

See you on the block!

Replacing the old Cafe Mocha on 44th and Greenpoint, Singas Pizza (718-361-5503 ) moves into Sunnyside, and just in time. With the closing of Gabriella’s Pizza on 43th and Greenpoint, the neighborhood welcomes Singas’ unique contribution to the Pizza industry. Focusing on personal pizzas with little hassle, Signas specializes in 10″ pizzas that come hot and fresh between two cardboard plates — perfect for New York sized refrigerators.

So far, business seems to be booming with lots of foot traffic and phone orders for their delivery service which began Monday, July 21st. There might be a bit of a wait if you order at the restaurant so I’d suggest pairing your pizza with a quick trip to the park on 43rd if you have kids, or the bar next door if you don’t!

One of my many electronic dance music endeavors is a website called Rhythmism.com. It is a clubbing resource for NYC electronic music & clubbing events. Over the last four years, it has developed into a  most comprehensive online resource for the NYC clubbing community and provides a forum for electronic music aficionados, clubbers, students and industry professionals. It is driven by a community of people – nightlife industry professionals (promoters, DJs, labels, me), music fans, friends and newcomers – who share a passion for nightlife, electronic music and urban living.

This Sunday, we’re hosting a techno beach party our our favorite local  beach – Harry’s Water Taxi Beach. We often go here for sunset cocktails and delicious burgers (now award-winning too!), so we’re all too happy to combine two of our favorite past times – techno & beach time. If you’re in the neighborhood and are open to electronic music, please come check it out.

And no, contrary to How I Met Your Mother  – techno is no longer “super-loud, repetitive music that hasn’t changed since the mid-‘90s.”

SUNDAY, JUNE 8TH
Robpromotions & Benny Soto in association with Rhythmism.com present

RHYTHMISM.COM BEACH PARTY

Adultnapper (Ransom Note)
Derek Plaslaiko (the Bunker / Spectral)
Matthew Dear (Ghostly)
Stadenco (Rhythmism.com)
Taimur & Fahad (Blk|Market Membership)
Three (Hallucination Limited)

Doors Open 1pm – 10pm / $20 Advance Tickets
Rain or Shine (We have tents)
21+ w/ ID a must

Water Taxi Beach
2 Borden Ave.
Long Island City, NY
www.watertaxibeach.com

The Sunnyside CSA only has 14 shares left and we expect to close down signup pretty soon, since our first pickup is on June 5, only 2 1/2 weeks away. If you’ve been thinking about joining but haven’t yet signed up, please take the opportunity this week to download the contract from www.sunnysidecsa.com and send it in with your full payment ASAP. A full share is $515 for 27 weeks (!)  and well-worth it!

Our Farm : Golden Earthworm Farm

Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce and Queens Chamber of Commerce
Cordially Invites you to a Business Card Exchange

Great Opportunity to Make NEW BUSINESS CONTACTS in the Long Island City / Sunnyside / Woodside area through this free Community networking events a chance to meet members of the Chamber and
other members.

May 19th 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Pure Spa
Relax – Breathe – Revitalize
www.purespanyc.com
40-15 Queens Boulevard
Sunnyside
Parking under the El
Complimentary Wine & Hors D’Oeuvres
For more information call: Luke 718 784-8437 or 718- 482-6053 or Pure 718-784-6400.

MillionTreesNYC, one of the 127 PlaNYC initiatives, is a citywide, public-private program with an ambitious goal: to plant and care for one million new trees across the City’s five boroughs over the next decade. As part of this initiative they are giving out FREE trees next to the Sunnyside Greenmarket on Saturday, May 17th until 2PM. All you have to do is fill out a Tree Adoption Agreement and bring a grandma shopping cart or handtruck, the saplings are no small things. You can choose from Redbud, Flowering Dogwood, Yoshino Cherry, Crabapple, Okame Cherry, Red Oak, Sweetgum and Ginko – while supplies last! You’ll dig the difference!

5/17/2008, 8:00 am- 2:00 pm
Sunnyside CENYC Greenmarket
Skillman Avenue between 42nd and 43rd streets
Queens

Spring est arrive indeed with the arrival of our very own local greenmarket now in its 2nd year. From Laurel Halter, Greenmarket, CENYC, www.cenyc.org

I can happily report that the Sunnyside market is scheduled to start early this year, this Saturday April 5th. We are working on growing the market this year. This summer we are expecting to have a baker, two orchards, three or four vegetables farmers, a pastured beef farmer, a poultry & egg farmer, and a fisher. We are working on a flower and plant grower as well. Thanks for supporting local farmers!

Sunnyside Greenmarket
Skillman Avenue / 43rd Street (MAP)
Saturdays 8PM – 3PM
April 5 to December 20

This week’s New York Times Real Estate section features neighboring Woodside, Queens in their Living In section.

Woodside is diverse but historically Irish. In pubs like these near the intersection of Woodside and Roosevelt Avenues, St. Patrick’s Day has a keen resonance

Two-bedroom rentals can be had for around $1,500 per month, one-bedrooms for around $1,200 and three-bedrooms for $2,000 or so.

The New York Times
Living in | Woodside, Queens
Cheap, Convenient and Teeming