Looking to get outside and enjoy the outdoors on Black Friday?
Join Transportation Alternatives, Eastern Queens Greenway, Kissena Park Conservancy, Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, and more for a FREE family-safe walking tour of the extensive park network in Eastern Queens.
This is our second #OptOutside Black Friday Walking Tour of the future Kissena Way. Get ready to burn off the Thanksgiving stuffing and make some new friends along the way.
We will begin the tour at 12 p.m. from right ourtside the Main Street entrance of the Queens Botanical Gardens (43-50 Main St), meander through the wood chip paths of Kissena Corridor Park, and finish the tour at the eastern end of Kissena Park.
The total route is a little less than two miles long. We will pepper the walk with breaks to highlight the beautiful park amenities. Bring a camera to capture New York’s late autumn foliage!
Expect an easy walk, accessible to all. Just make sure to bring comfortable shoes and be aware of small puddles and mud along the route.
On Sunday, June 30th, Queens Library in Flushing is kicking off its 20th Anniversary Celebration!
Come celebrate the 20th anniversary since the Flushing branch has appeared in downtown Flushing!
Commencement starts at 1PM, afterwards, performances and special events will take place from 2PM until 8:30PM when the celebration ends.
Party goers can show up early at 12PM for some refreshments and photo opportunities with the library staff and other party goers before commencement begins.
Please reserve your spot by June 20th by contacting Gina Fazio at Gina.Fazio@queenslibrary.org or by calling 718-661-1223.
A three-day expo showcasing the food and culture of Flushing and the surrounding neighborhoods will be kicking off next month, evoking the spirit of the 1964 World’s Fair with a modern twist that reflects the worldliness of the borough today.
Flushing’s World Fair — scheduled for June 15-17 — will feature workshops on how businesses can capitalize on the growing tourism industry in Queens and the best practices for roping in customers through social media.
The first day of the expo will be held at the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel with a forum discussing the future of tourism in Queens moderated by Rob McKay, director of PR for Queens Tourism Council.
The program also includes several walking tours of Flushing with Queens historian Dr. Jack Eichenbaum leading the explorations. Food writer and author of “111 Places in Queens That You Must Not Miss” Joe DiStafano, will lead a tour of the local cuisine.
“People from around the world have been coming here for decades to make Flushing, Queens, the most vibrant and dynamic community in the United States,” Taehoon Kim, president of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, said. “The attention and admiration this expo will generate for our amazing community is more than past due.”
The Flushing Neighborhood 360 Program steering committee announces the 2018 Flushing’s World Fair
法拉盛世界博覽會 展現旅遊美食魅力
亞洲人平等會(AAFE)、紐約市小商業服務局(Small Business Services)和大法拉盛商會10日宣布，將於6月15日(周五)至17日(周日)舉辦「法拉盛世界博覽會」(Flushing’s World Fair)，借鑒1964年在紐約舉辦的世界博覽會，法拉盛世博會將通過推廣旅遊、國際美食等展現法拉盛的魅力。
Queens hosted the iconic World’s Fair in 1939 and 1964. On June 15, it will host Flushing’s World Fair.
The Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, Asian Americans for Equality and the city’s Department of Small Business Services (SBS) announced last Friday that they will host the three-day expo from June 15 to 17 at Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel.
The expo marks the end of the first year of Flushing Fantastic, a three-year district marketing campaign funded by SBS to promote the neighborhood.
Former Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, now vice president of borough promotion and engagement at NYC & Company, the city’s official marketing and tourism organization, will deliver the keynote address.
The speech will be followed by a forum called “Exploring the World of Tomorrow: The Future of Tourism in Flushing Queens,” hosted by Queens Tourism Council’s Rob MacKay. The expo will also showcase local businesses, cultural venues and government agencies.
Throughout the expo, experts will host workshops on tourism and social media for small business owners. Dr. Jack Eichenbaum, the borough’s own historian, will give walking tours of Flushing and explore historic sites.
Joe DiStefano, a food writer who authored the book “111 Places in Queens That You Must Not Miss,” will also give a tour of the neighborhood’s diverse cuisine.
At Flushing’s World Fair, the organizations will also launch the first “Passport to Flushing,” which will contain special discounts to some of the area’s most popular restaurants, venues and retailers. Visitors can use the passport by getting it stamped at participating locations.
In February 2017, Mayor de Blasio announced the #LoveYourLocalNYC Initiative to celebrate small independent neighborhood businesses and offered $1.8 million in grant funding for these small local businesses.
By registering a local business on the NYC Love Your Local add business page, that local business raises the visibility of their business in the New York City area. At the same time they become eligible to receive a piece of the $1.8 million as a grant if the local business is selected after registering here.
Local businesses that are selected will also be provided with expert advice to better help them meet competitive pressure.
Even if a local business isn’t selected, it is given free publicity by having it shown on the NYC Love Your Local map that is filled with a variety of local businesses all over New York City.
Now, ten months later the NYC Love Your Local interactive map is filled with local businesses all over New York City. Most of which are concentrated in Midtown Manhattan, Lower Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn, and Long Island City which are all considered Central Business Districts of New York City. However, the Love Your Local map for Downtown Flushing, which is the fourth largest Central Business District in New York City, is bare compared to the other Central Business Districts.
This needs to change! Show support for our local businesses by helping them get onto the Love Your Local map and become eligible for a grant from the City!
For more information about this initiative, visit the news article here or the Love Your Local campaign page here.
The Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce (GFCC) and the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility (IRUM) invite you to a walking tour of the past, present and future of Flushing’s transportation:
Central Flushing Transportation
Past, Present and Future
Tour and discussion Tuesday, August 15, 2017
6-7:30 PM: Walk in downtown Flushing meets at the NW corner of Main St./39 Avenue (one block north of Main St. Flushing #7 terminus at St. George’s church) led by Dr. Jack Eichenbaum, Flushing native and Queens Borough Historian
7:30 onward: Discussion and refreshments at the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce
Cost: $5 fee (for expenses and refreshments)
Maximum 30 participants
Transportation in Central Flushing
Main St/Roosevelt Ave is the third busiest pedestrian intersection in NYC
Public Transportation (MTA):
LIRR Port Washington line to Main St.
Number 7 Subway to Main St.
More than 20 MTA buses including Q44 and Q50 from the Bronx and N20 and N21 from Nassau County.
Public Transportation (Privately owned and operated)
Chinatown Shuttles to Manhattan and Brooklyn
Korean van services to Fort Lee and Palisades Park, NJ
Van services to shopping malls
Frequent Casino bus schedules
Driving on congested arteries with complex one-way patterns, restricted turns and parking difficulties
Historical Transportation Options in Flushing
Former railroads (see on walk)
Former trolley
services
Former ferry services
Former Bus terminal and unfilled promises for a new one(see on walk)
Commuter parking at Shea Stadium
The walking tour will highlight current projects:
ADA accessibiity for the LIRR Main St. station, Widening of Main St. sidewalks, Conversion of a municipal parking lot into affordable housing, Two megamalls under construction
Current traffic problems:
Interrupted street grid, Bus turn-around routes, SBS priority route compromised, Illegal motorist turns, Motorists impeding bus mobility.
Parking: Disappearance of municipal lots, Police appropriation of parking, Illegal parking
Obstacles to safe pedestrian experiences: Pedestrian crossing maintenance, Autos parked in crosswalks and on sidewalks, construction, City agencies and elected officials unresponsive to citizen complaints
Ideas for Improvements in Central Flushing:
About the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility, Inc.
The Institute for Rational Urban Mobility, Inc (IRUM) is a nonprofit organization that studies and promotes the enhanced livability and increased economic competitiveness of New York City through a program of innovative transport reforms. IRUM’s goals are articulated in its Livable City Transport Plan, which contains 15 interrelated strategies for improving public transport, reducing car use, and enhancing the walking environment. Upon its formation, IRUM assumed responsibility for Auto-Free New York (AFNY), a committee formed by Transportation Alternatives in 1989. IRUM also hosts the Regional Rail Working Group (RRWG) of transit experts from the tri-state metropolitan area. Since July 1999, IRUM has hosted Vision42, a citizen initiative for an auto-free light rail boulevard on 42nd Street. For more information, visit irum.org.
The Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit membership association that fosters the economic growth, inclusive diversity, and shared prosperity of our community through advocacy, networking, and education. The Chamber is promoting the Tour de Flushing as part of the new “FlushingFantastic” district marketing campaign, which is designed to boost the local economy by supporting small business owners and attracting more visitors. For more information, go to flushingchamber.nyc.
The US OPEN offers a great variety of seasonal opportunities for you, no matter what your experience level. If you are interested in jumpstarting your career in a fun and exciting way, take a look at our various job openings.
