"Dear Crappy,I just came back from a business trip to Kansas City on Midwest Airlines. The airline's magazine featured this article on areas along the 7 train's route. I just don't know quite what to say about it. I guess they're trying to portray these bits of Queens as exotic spectacles suitable for tourists. However, I don't think the average tourist will find it quite as easy to navigate through large tracts of Queens as, say, the coffee shops of Seattle or the country's most interesting presidential libraries (which were some of the other stories in that issue of the magazine).
Anyway, just thought you might be interested in seeing how Queens is being marketed to our midwestern friends.
Lucky Number 7
Best regards and keep up the interesting blogging!" - anonymous
Some excerpts:
New York City’s 7 line takes passengers out of Manhattan and into the borough of Queens, where a vibrant mix of international communities and unexpected attractions makes for an unforgettable journey.
Great, we have "vibrant" covered in the first sentence! Want to put bets on whether "diverse" makes an appearance?
This giant globe, the most resilient of the structures remaining from the 1964-1965 World’s Fair, was constructed by the U.S. Steel Corporation as a symbol for world peace. Resting at the center of Flushing Meadows Corona Park, it is a popular meeting place and a fitting (and striking) reminder that Queens is the most ethnically diverse 115 square miles on Earth.
It's also a fitting and striking reminder that the most "vibrant, diverse" borough is the dumping ground of NYC as evidenced by the shitty condition of FMCP and the fact that they only turn the fountains on at the Unisphere when tennis is in town. The other 50 weeks of the year, park visitors get to watch skateboarders underneath the hollow orb do stupid stunts similar to the one this exotic tile in the Great Queens Mosaic is doing. But for some reason, they left this out of the article.
Also neglected to mention that visitors may round out their Jackson Heights experience by enjoying scenes like this, or by popping into one of the popular local hotspots or specialty shops that might not be mentioned in Fodor's. Unexpected attractions and unforgettable journeys, indeed!
23 comments:
Oh here we go again with that ditzy
Terri Osborne and her numb nuts crew thinking tourists are going to waste their time taking a day trip into the wild backwaters of Queens!
Give it up already Terri old girl.
If it ain't in Manhattan's tourist loop, it's off the radar for world travelers!
Why should they want to visit NYC's 4th class 3rd world "exotic" meccas when they've got the real thing back home?
That cuts into their time to visit the Empire State building, Statue of Liberty and all the other worthwhile tourist attractions
that they flew over here to see in the first place.
I guess she (and those folks at "burro hall") have got to do something to justify receiving their patronage job paychecks!
True dat!
Talk about beating a dead horse by promoting Queens tourism!
Bah!
Now, now now....aren't those
"exciting" dragon boat races a world spectacle worth
coming to the USA to see?
And I forgot about the adrenalin rush one gets from watching the dumpling eating contest!
You have something against skateboarders? What do you have about the dragon boat races? Ok Archie, Edith will have dinner ready for you soon.
I see that C.M. Liu's sopho/morons are up posting early after a nice cup of Oolong tea!
Dragging-on boat races are more like it.....yawn!
I actually love watching skateboarders.
Now that's some skillful teeth clenching excitement #2 son!
Time for Terrible Terri to Go.
People are starting to talk about the way moneys are allocated to favored groups that do not deserve them.
Somethin's brewin.'
"I actually love watching skateboarders"
I love watching them when the slip and fall on a railing right on the nutz.
You're the nut job, old boy....
though I doubt you really have a pair you girly-man!
Okay, so "vibrant" and "diverse" have become cliched words. So maybe the writer should have used a better thesaurus. But what's so bad about vibrancy and diversity in and of themselves? Should we pray for dullness and monoculture? God forbid we live someplace interesting!
And so what if Midwest Airline is advising folks to check out our little corner of the world? Is there something bad about welcoming out of towners, even if it's only a few, and maybe making a little money off them?
(Hopefully this post won't get deleted.)
I take the 7 train every day and have been noticing more tourists taking the train and getting off at places like 74th and Broadway. There are more interesting things to see along the 7 line than in most of Manhattan.
They aren't getting off at 74th-Broadway; they are transfering to another line there or the bus to LaGuardia. You have to switch to the E to get to JFK.
RW, as long as you refrain from linking to blogs that threaten to kill people, your comments won't get deleted.
CRAPPY--
1) There was certainly some choice language in the post I linked to but I hardly believe it advocated killing anyone. And if you truly feel threatened, by all means – do call the police.
2) In any case, I clearly linked to it as an example of intellectual vacuity and as an example of what NOT to do.
3) I notice that you haven't taken down choice comments looking forward to pissing on my grave or wishing me an early cremation.
But whatever, it’s your blog, you’ll do what you want and more power to you.
You didn't ask for it to be taken down. The person being threatened did.
Want me to remove the references to your grave, I'll gladly do so. It's childish and lends absolutely nothing to the topic of the conversation anyway. These are the comments I used to shitcan before I let comments post automatically.
Dumb links and comments only tend to happen in the midst of your pissing contests with Wade. Why you allow him to goad you into that, I can't answer. But it works like a charm on you every time. It says a lot about you that you choose to participate in it.
"But what's so bad about vibrancy and diversity in and of themselves?"
Way to go to completely miss the point! The words vibrant and diverse are used to make people think everything is great here in the ol' borough of homes. Obviously, it's not. Any tourist getting off at any stop along the 7 would figure that out in 30 seconds. But let's continue to live in denial! This article is a complete joke.
If vibrant means a lot of people selling illegal crap along the sidewalks, then yeah, you can't get more vibrant than Roosevelt Avenue.
Sing it out:
"Oh the Blue Ridge(woodian) Mountains of Virginia and the trail of the lonesome Pine".
Is this Ridgewoodian/Salvatore/Joe
guy a throwback or what ?
Posting with at least 3 different names he must be a triple asshole!
Let's give "Ridgewoodian" a new handle "The Happy Homicidal Homo"!
He sure sounds like a "bottom" to me putting on the "butch" act to cover up being a pussy boy !
More. More. This backbiting is great entertainment.
3) I notice that you haven't taken down choice comments looking forward to pissing on my grave or wishing me an early cremation.
C'mon Ridgewoodian, lighten up! It's Friday, and the weekend is upon us once again!
You may be a miserable guy who has some God awful political beliefs, but you're OUR miserable guy with God awful political beliefs!
Enjoy your weekend!
CRAPPER: You didn't ask for it to be taken down. The person being threatened did.
No, I didn’t ask for it to be taken down because I know that even the most despicable and ignorant among us have the right to express themselves and, though I’m no lawyer, I doubt that what they wrote rose to the level of threat. Same goes for the Patriots. (In any case, what I was pointing out was their incessant and stupid harping on certain people’s physical appearances.) And, again, I hope if you or anyone else actually feels threatened by them you’ll bring in the law.
CRAPPER: Why you allow [Wade] to goad you into that, I can't answer. But it works like a charm on you every time. It says a lot about you that you choose to participate in it.
I’m perfectly happy to confine myself to whatever topic happens to be under discussion even when mine is the minority opinion. I’ve had several extended exchanges with you were we’ve not agreed but we’ve been basically civil. But when Wade or Taxpayer or Joe or various anonymouses throw around bizarre accusations about me or insult me, often in quite personal terms, well, let’s just say I’m not really in touch with my inner Jesus, and I’m going to defend myself as best I can.
ANONYMOUS: The words vibrant and diverse are used to make people think everything is great here in the ol' borough of homes. Obviously, it's not. Any tourist getting off at any stop along the 7 would figure that out in 30 seconds. But let's continue to live in denial!
You make it sound as if we’re living in the Belfast of the ‘70s, the Beirut of the ‘80s, the Sarajevo of the ‘90s, or the Baghdad of today and that’s just not true. Is Queens perfect? No. Is any place? Not any place worth visiting! Ever been to, say, Rome? As for tourists: I’ve personally known several who’ve come to the city specifically to visit Flushing and Jackson Heights. But maybe they’re more adventurous than most, or they’ve already seen the Statue of Liberty as many times as they need to. ARCHIE AND EDITH has it right: If you want some places worth visiting along the 7, I’d list those two places, Shea Stadium/U.S. Tennis Center/the Queens Museum, the Louis Armstrong House in Corona, Donovan’s Pub for the famous burgers (maybe not the best in the city as some claim, but pretty damn good nonetheless), and P.S.1 in Long Island City. (And that’s just off the top of my head.) If you could figure out how to hit them all in one day, that’d be a hell of a day.
ANONYMOUS: If vibrant means a lot of people selling illegal crap along the sidewalks, then yeah, you can't get more vibrant than Roosevelt Avenue.
Or Chinatown. Or Museum Mile.
ANONYMOUS: Is this Ridgewoodian/Salvatore/ Joe guy a throwback or what ? Posting with at least 3 different names he must be a triple asshole!
Well, the couple of postings I’ve seen from Salvatore I’ve agreed with him on some issues and disagreed with him on others. As for Joe, if you mean “Joe from Ridgewood,” are you KIDDING me? 1) He and I disagree on almost everything. 2) He can’t compose a coherent English sentence. Your textual analysis is poor.
ANONYMOUS: Let's give "Ridgewoodian" a new handle "The Happy Homicidal Homo"! He sure sounds like a "bottom" to me putting on the "butch" act to cover up being a pussy boy !
If I was a “pussy boy” how could I be a homo? And what’s wrong, exactly, with pussy? Or homos, for that matter?
WADE NICHOLS: C'mon Ridgewoodian, lighten up! It's Friday, and the weekend is upon us once again!
I may be portly, as you say, but I’m nothing if not light.
WADE NICHOLS: Enjoy your weekend!
I shall. I hope to see you at the Lindsay Anderson retrospective at the Walter Reade. I know I’ll be thinking of you during the finale of if….
But when Wade or Taxpayer or Joe or various anonymouses throw around bizarre accusations about me or insult me, often in quite personal terms....
You're quite competent in dishing it out yourself! I seem to recall some postings about my nom de plume...
I hope to see you at the Lindsay Anderson retrospective at the Walter Reade. I know I’ll be thinking of you during the finale of if…
Boy, from reading about that film, it seems that perhaps you have issues that exceed even mine! Nevertheless, I have added it to my Netflix list and will give it a try.
WADE NICHOLS:You're quite competent in dishing it out yourself! I seem to recall some postings about my nom de plume...
Of course I’m competent. Compared to the crowd I usually roll with, you all are pussycats. You’ll notice, though, I've never accused you of being in the pay of some evil political organization, or of hoping for a radical Islamic takeover of the United States so Osama can hack off infidel heads, or any one of a half dozen other absurd charges that have been lobbed at me by you and others. As for your nom de blog, well it still strikes me as kind of funny and I'm pretty sure you're in desperate need of some kind of talk therapy or maybe serious medication. You'd probably be much happier after coming out. But I don't know that a happy, well adjusted Wade would be as amusing a Wade. To quote the great Telly Savalas: "Who loves ya, baby. Don't ever change. We'll do lunch."
WADE NICHOLS: Boy, from reading about that film, it seems that perhaps you have issues that exceed even mine!
If by "issues" you mean liking really good movies, then yes, I have ‘em. if.... won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1969 and is pretty generally acknowledged to be a masterpiece. It's one of my all time favorites. I'm sure you'll say it's overly romantic 60s revolutionary drivel, as dated as Che Guevara. And maybe it is, but damn, it still packs a punch. Some critic, I forget who, calls it, “one of the great rebel yells of cinema.” Too bad NetFlix’ll probably only send you the movie itself; Criterion went to a lot of trouble to put together a second disk of interesting supplementary material. If you like it, Anderson and McDowell made two more “Mick Travis” films - O Lucky Man!, an epically surreal comedy, and Britannia Hospital, which I haven’t seen. Happy viewing and try to keep an open mind!
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