Saturday, May 31, 2008

Welcome to the Queens zoo

Why do the descriptions of these gawking tours for those intrigued by Queens ethnic groups (but would die if they had to live next door to them) make it sound like they are trips to the Bronx Zoo to observe exotic animals? Is this what the image of our borough is to those living outside of it these days? I guess the 7 train serves as the monorail...

Changing Ethnicity: Forest Hills to Corona Friday, May 30 6-8pm
Bukharan Jews succeed Russian Jews in Rego Park!
South Americans surround the venerable Little Italy in Corona Heights! (including the Lemon Ice King of Corona!)
Dominicans, Ecuadorians and Mexicans compete for commercial space in Corona Plaza!
>Meets at Ridgewood Savings Bank, 108 St and N side Queens Bl. (E,F,R.V to 71Ave/Continental, Forest Hills)
Ends with dinner suggestions in the Corona Plaza area (103 St #7 train)
Sponsored by Jack Eichenbaum Fee $15

Changing Ethnicity: Astoria Friday, June 13 6-8pm
In this demographically changing neighborhood opposite Manhattan‘s Upper East Side, Central Europeans, Italians and Greeks are being replaced by Arabs, Brazilians and Yuppies. We’ll explore Astoria from its major transportation arteries: Steinway St (a former trolley route), 31st St (under the elevated train) and the Grand Central Parkway which bisected the neighborhood 70 years ago.
>Meets at SE corner Broadway/Steinway St (R train), ends at NYC's only remaining beer garden!
Sponsored by Jack Eichenbaum Fee $15

So while they're coming here, let's take the 7 train in the opposite direction and enjoy the mosaic museum that has appeared at Grand Central. From what I understand, it's easy to get there this weekend.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Jack & Jeff team
(Eichenbaum & Gottlieb) of boring
tour directors.

What a pair!
They're both in the same line
so they ought to team up for real!

At least in Italy the tour guide will pinch your ass if your a decent looking woman
(heh, heh, or even a man, perhaps) to get a tip!

At $15 I'd rather see a "B" movie in an air conditioned theater.
(Yawn....snore).

Mr. Eichenbaum calls himself
an "urban geographer", I believe.

What a pompous bore!
I've attended a couple of his tours...sprinkled with historical inaccuracies and his own personal opinions!

I had to stuff my cheeks with some crunchy "Doritos" to drown out his droning!

Anonymous said...

Typical QHS mouthpiece. Diverse blah blah blah multiculutral blah blah blah.

... and third rate.

Reminds me of the Chinatown slum tours they gave a century ago.

Instead of opinon dens, they can walk by Mexican gang grafitti.

How titillating!

Anonymous said...

This guy is a joke. I showed up at one of his LIC tours last year and he did not even show up.

Some other fellow from a local group was there, and gave a talk, and handed out HIS cards for a tour he gave a week later.

I went on that one. Needless to say, it was excellent.

Anonymous said...

Typical QHS mouthpiece.

What Queensmarks are to Landmarks Jack is to Justin or Richard.

Anonymous said...

This guy is strongly pushed by Terri O of Boro Hall.

I wonder why ....

Anonymous said...

You have to admit the way the populations have shifted is know of funny.
In earlier imigration waves, they clustered close to where the boats dropped them off, on Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Now they are ploppling down near the airports.

Anonymous said...

...King of Corona.

Was there last summer with my girlfriend. IWe knew it was bad but not THAT BAD!!

Took the LIRR and cut through the park where whispers from behind bushes called "good smoke" "Coca". These squat monsters were "Cat calling" and yelling things in Spanish "Buta ?" at my girl
The area was filthy, smelled like garbage and piss. At the corner of King of Corona was this huge traffic jam and road rage fights breaking out. The King of Corona sat in his white hat with the worst look of discust I never saw on anybodys face in my life.
The place must be one of the worst 3rd world, its noisey, filthy and smells like pee & garbage cesspools in the country
......"Beneath The Planet of The Apes"

Anonymous said...

If this is the way they market Queens you have some real problems.

Anonymous said...

I have been on this guy's tours. You can't hear him, he wanders off, and is really not all that knowledgable.

I caught at least 10 mistakes on one tour alone.

Anonymous said...

Gottlieb lives in Jamaica Estates.

What the hell is he doing a tour in Forest Hills for? The money?

Oh, I guess he's still waxing nostalgic about the days he was an ineffective chief of staff for former Councilman Morty Povman!

Even Dr. Jack Eichenbaum does a better job than he does and that's not saying much!

"Dr. Jack" is a former NYC civil servant "tit baby" that did something or other in exchange for a municipal pay check and the pension he now draws.

Does anyone know exactly what
what he did?

Anonymous said...

What about
the the Gottlieb & Perlman team
(and many others like them)?

Their "Rego Forest"preservation org
hasn't posted a single success
story for a building in that area that's been saved!

Every time a group like this forms
the public is lulled into living in a state of false hope that their neighborhood is being watch-dogged by an "effective" organized battalion of savvy preservation activists.

But that's too often not the case.

And that folks is downright dangerous....putting your faith in
fairy tales.

It's like buying an insurance policy that delivers little or no coverage at all!

Anonymous said...

Why raise a sweat doing any real work preserving Queens' historic sites, when you can just conduct tours
and schedule exhibitions!

It's much easier that way!
Play the public relations game!

The more your name is out there, like QHS for example, the more it looks like you're doing a real professional job!

Anonymous said...

I find his way of showcasing my community like that offensive and insulting.

Anonymous said...

Gottlieb and Eichenbaum
are perpetually full of their own hot air.

If they took some anti flatulence tablets we'd all be a little better off (provided we're up wind when they break wind).